I agree! Wash your car, clay bar and use Speed Bead. I'll put my shine up against the best when it comes to time/money spent. I have never, never had so many people ask me what I use on my vechicles to make them shine like that. I owe it all to Speed Bead.
If you are satisfied with the results after the time and effort, then that is what really matters.
I bought a new Subaru Tribeca about three weeks ago and I put a coat of Meguiar's NXT wax on it the next day. It gave a great shine, which I expected on a new car. What surprised me was how easily bug splatter and road tar came off in the three subsequent baths I have given it. I have only used car wash detergent (Armor All, to be exact) and a fleece-covered sponge on the car. No special bug goo or scrubbers needed.
I was so impressed after I washed the Sube that I decided to detail my black F150 last weekend. I went over it with Clay Magic first. That's the first time I've ever used a clay bar. It was easy to do and the amount of road grime and other contaminants that came off was just amazing. I followed up the clay with NXT and I was really impressed with the result. The truck looks as good as the day I brought it home two years ago.
The NXT was easy to apply and remove, too.
I've been using Klasse for the last few years and I thought I'd never switch. I do like the shine it leaves, but it doesn't have the same 'non-stick' properties that NXT seems to have.
Sure. You can use it on any hard smooth surface. Painted metal, painted plastic, glass, chrome, etc. Just don't use it on textured plastic, plastic side moldings, grill inserts, rubberized running boards... anything with a texture.
Well, after posting on this and the Zaino forum, I finally did nore than just wash 'n' wax my car. I used Dawn to strip the wax and polish off the car, but I didn't clay it b/c I couldn't find any auto clay locally. I'll definitely look to order some for next time. Anyway, I polished with Turtle Wax 2001, then applied a layer of Maguire's finishing spray, then waxed with Turtle Wax spray wax and then another layer of Maguire's. My amatuerness showed b/c I didn't have enough towels and the side doors showed some wipe-marks but the car looks great!!! Really nice, deep shine. :shades: And here in FL, it's rainy season, but after 2 rains since doing the car, my dark green TL is still spotless!!!
I'm totally convinced that polishing is worth it - in the past, going through a sprinkler after a was 'n' wax would leave the car looking like nothing happened. I can only imagine what it'll look like after I clay!!!!
I think next time I'll also put a 2nd coat of polish on it, but here's a q b/c I won't be able to do 2 coats at 1 sitting: can I polish the car, drive it, and if it gets rained on, rewash with a regular car wash (not dawn), dry and put on another coat? Also, right now my car is polished and wax - will Dawn remove the wax, but leave the polish? Then I could just put on successive coats over the coming weeks!!!
Regarding clay, I have a feeling it doesn't matter what you use, and it seems easy to do. I'm probably gonna go with Zaino b/c every other one I see is being sold in a package with lubricant, which I know I can make with water and car wash. I did see 1 add for a liquid clay (http://autopolish.net/catalog.asp#LC) - anyone use it? Anyone ahve any thoughts on it?
Lastly, is Turtle Wax 2001 really low-end stuff? It dried quickly and I like the look, but perhaps I can do better. The Speed-bead sounds good, but it's a wax, and I want a polish.
Does the lubricant in the package with it make any difference? I saw clay magic at autozone and Mother's with it's own detail spray to use as lube... Any difference in efficacy or ease?
I've been doing my son's 1998 Maxima. The bar gets quite brown and I'm refolding it after each surface but it's to the point where there is very little clean blue left. Btw, it's absolutely amazing how smooth the surface is after the clay vs the surfaces that haven't been done yet.
> smooth the surface is after the clay vs the surfaces
Is it smoother than just using a cleaner would leave it? I'm thinking about claying my car. It's 2.5 years old now instead of Mother's cleaner, then two others steps.
Is this the first time that your son's 98 Maxima has been clayed in a while? It's been 2 year since I have used my clay bar on my van and I got very little residue transferred to the bar. My bar had black (dirt) color on it. I would guess that if the origional blue color isn't visible after you fold the dirty side in would be a good indication that the bar is done.
"Is it smoother than just using a cleaner would leave it?"
I washed the car with a car wash solution and the finish (which I'm sure has never been clayed) is somewhat rough. The contrast between the clayed surface and the untreated surface is easily noticeable when sliding one's finger across it. I waxed a small area of unclayed surface and it didn't feel much different than the unclayed, unwaxed surface.
My son claims he gets the car washed every couple of weeks but the finish still seemed to collect a lot of contaminants which embedded themselves in the paint.
no swirls showing anymore, but then again, even before I started the swirling was pretty minor and you had to look closely with the sun beating down upon it to see.
Funny, everything I read about avoiding swirls says to rub in a straight line, so that's what I did even though the instructions clearly said to rub in circles!
Nahh... not a big diff in spray lubes to worry about. Just about any quick detail spray will work fine. You can even use a little shampoo mixed with water in a spray bottle as a clay lube.
My experience has been the shampoo/water mix is slipperier but messier while the QD spray lube is easier to wipe off cleanly.
I used Dawn to wash and then polished & waxed my car and it looks great! If I want to put a 2nd coat of polish on it, can I use Dawn to remove the wax, but leave the polish, or will that remove the polish, too? If it will, does regular car wash remove wax? It'd be nice to be able to put several coats on it over a period of weeks, rather than trying to fit it in on 1 weekend.
Also, regarding clay, I have a feeling it doesn't matter what brand you use, and it seems easy to do. I'm probably gonna go with Zaino b/c every other one I see is being sold in a package with lubricant, which I know I can make with water and car wash. I did see 1 add for a liquid clay by a co named "Glare" (http://autopolish.net/catalog.asp#LC). Anyone use this stuff? Any comments?
You've asked a lot of questions in the past few posts, so let me see if I can offer some answers for you:
I won't be able to do 2 coats at 1 sitting: can I polish the car, drive it, and if it gets rained on, rewash with a regular car wash (not dawn), dry and put on another coat? Yes, that will work just fine. Once your paint has been cleaned and polished, you can rewax whenever you want.
Also, right now my car is polished and wax - will Dawn remove the wax, but leave the polish? Then I could just put on successive coats over the coming weeks!!! Well, when you polish paint, you are removing defects and improving gloss. Most polishes do not leave behind a protective coat; that's what wax is for. Dawn will remove most if not all of the wax but the paint should still be in post-polished condition.
I did see 1 add for a liquid clay (http://autopolish.net/catalog.asp#LC) - anyone use it? Anyone ahve any thoughts on it? I've heard of a few people who've tried it but most of us stick with the normal clay bar. Most auto parts stores sell either the Mothers brand or Clay Magic brand. You might see Meguiars clay occassionally. The bottle of detailing spray is nice to have on hand. It's one of those products that gets used frequently so having an extra bottle or two won't hurt. However, if you want to just buy the clay w/o the spray, that's fine. 3M sells their clay (excellent stuff) w/o spray as does other mfrs.
Lastly, is Turtle Wax 2001 really low-end stuff? It dried quickly and I like the look, but perhaps I can do better. TW2001 is really a one-step cleaner wax, designed to polish paint and leave behind a protective coating. So while it's not designed to be used strictly as a polish, keep using it if its working for you. There are hundreds of true "polishes" on the market, from mild to liquid sandpaper. Some are designed for hand use but many are made for machine use. Online shopping will turn up a dizzying array of polishes.
What is the advantage of putting multiple coats of wax on, one after another? If a wax will last say 3 months with one coat, how much longer will it last if you put on 2 or 3 or more coats of wax? The only advantage that I can see in putting on more than one coat of wax (one after the other) is you won't have to wash your vehicle to put on the other coats of wax.
In the next 3 months you will have to wash your vehicle sometime (weather permitting) and you can put on that 2 coat of wax and the protection starts all over again.
Unless you can get more than double the protection by using 2 coats of wax I just don't see the purpose. Where am I going wrong!
There is a distinction between layering wax and layering sealants. With wax, there is no real benefit after 2 or 3 coats. The solvents in waxes remove some of the previous coat so all you're doing by adding another coat is ensuring there is an even coat of protection on the car.
If you are using a cleaner wax product, another coat might improve the shine due to the polishing action of the wax improving the paint condition. The flip side is the polish in the cleaner wax is removing the previous coat of wax so you're not really adding protection with successive applications.
With sealants, it is possible to actually add layers of protection but you do reach a point of diminishing returns after a few coats. There is only so much product that can be applied to paint. Once the microscopic valleys are filled with wax or sealant, additional product is not improving the shine. It's like filling a hole with dirt: A hole need 10 shovel-fulls of dirt to be filled. Once you've added the 10th shovel-full and the hole has been filled, what's the point of #11?
I think there's a general problem of people using the terms "wax" and "polish" interchangeably. You give a good clarification of the difference. My understadning is that multiple coats of polish (you call it "sealent") can either (1) add to the shine of the car or (2) make it take longer for the polish & related shine to wear off. I don't think it's much different than with shoes. 1 coat will remove sciffs and scratches. Multiple layer just hide those scuffs for a longer period of time.
My understanding is that you've got your paint, then your clearcoat protection that's done by the car co. This clearcoat is what generally can get dull and scratched, so this is what gets polished. Layers of polish can be used to fill in the cracks and make it take longer for this part of the finish to wear off. Wax adds another layer of protection.
Since the car care products industry has bastardized the terminology, we consumers need to understand what the terms really mean before we can decide what to use. These definitions are not cast in stone, just my interpretation of what they mean.
WAX - A product including some amount of natural ingredients designed to provide some amount of paint protection and gloss enhancement. Common wax types are carnauba, montan, polyethelene, bee's and parrafin.
POLISH - A product designed to improve and enhance paint gloss by removing paint defects either by mechanical or chemical action. Most polishes do not offer paint protection.
CLEANER WAX - Also called a one-step, these products contain some amount of mechanical and/or chemical paint cleaners which polish the paint, as well as some amount of wax or sealant for protection. In general these products offer the most convenience while sacrificing performance.
GLAZE - A product mainly comprised of fillers and oils designed to hide minor paint defects and provide a glossy surface, ready for wax. Most sealants will not bond to paint with glaze on it.
SEALANT - A product chemically engineered to provide some amount of paint protection and gloss enhancement. Sealants generally last longer due to their chemical bonding to paint. True paint sealants do not have wax or oils in their composition.
So with these definitions you can easily decide which product to use at what point during the detailing session.
One of the reasons the terminology got messed up is because people use the terms wax and polish as verbs as well as nouns. If you're "waxing" your car with a product that has no wax in it, what are you really doing? See what I mean? :confuse:
Since most all modern cars have a clearcoat paint job (basically the car is finished with a final coat of non-pigmented paint), what you are waxing and polishing is, technically, the clearcoat, not the color coat. Regardless, the products and techniques are the same.
I hope this helps with clearing up what product does what.
Ok, so a Polish removes the paint defects so it also removes some of the clearcoat in the process. To my understanding the clearcoat is very thin to begin with and you would only want to remove as little as needed. Looks like you wouldn't want to use a polish on your car too often or you might remove the clearcoat.
So, if you use a polish once, then you should just have to wax or clay and wax on a regular basis to keep that shine. A good wax should protect your clearcoat from having to be polished again.
"Polish removes paint defect" that cause small scratchs or "spdering" or "swirls," but since most cars have a clearcoat to protect the paint, these marks are actually in the clearcoat, not the paint. Piloshing fills in the scratches on the clearcoat and gives it some more shine. Polishing does not remove clearcoat.
I can't see the prior post while I type this, but I think "glazes" will remove some of the clearcoat.
no. people say claying removes oxidation and contaminants from the paint, but really, it removes them from the clearcoat. If you had an older car that didn't have a clearcoat, then some of the oxidized paint might come up.
Think of claying like exfoliating; it just removes stuff that's on top of the paint, like tar specs, overspray, tree sap, etc. It doesn't affect the clearcoat.
Glazes generally do not have abrasives in them so there is no removal of clearcoat when used. Think of a glaze like makeup; it just covers the surface blemishes.
You only want to polish paint when defects need removal. On a well maintained car, it should only need polishing once or twice a year, if that. My truck is 18 mos old and I've polished it once.
You only want to polish paint when defects need removal! So, to remove those defects by using polish are you removing some of the clearcoat or just filling in the marks for a while?
Most polishes have some amount and type of abrasives so, yes, every time you use it you will remove some amount of clearcoat. However, the amount removed is miniscule, almost unmeasureable, if you're polishing by hand. Machine polishing is a different story, especially if you're using a high speed rotary polisher.
Some polishes that have very little abrasives will use fillers to hide any imperfections. Polishes with more abrasives can remove the defects without fillers but many still have fillers and oils. Some have no fillers and oils.
Yes the polishes (some more than others) remove a minute amount of the clearcoat. However, many OTC "waxes" and "sealants" also have these abrasives and remove some clearcoat as well. I would rather use a good polish once a year on a surface that has had the contaminants properly removed by claying and then use a wax or sealant with NO abrasives than to use a product like NuFinish or even a one step cleaner wax on a routine basis.
OK, Just so I get it, should you polish just a blemish, or do you polish the whole car? I just got an 05 Malibu Maxx (which I love!!), but it had 4,000 miles on it when I bought it. The dealership I bought it from had cleaned it, and then my dad's dealership cleaned it. The wax is still good, and I don't know if I need to polish or just Dawn, clay, and wax. Thanks!
I used a Turtle Polish 2001, or something like that, and I love how it's helped me maintain the look of my car.
I think this is a low end, non-abrasive polish. It was easy going on and removing the excess, and dried pretty quickly, even in humid FL. When I finished, the car looked real good, but what amazes me is that in the week since polishing (and then waxing) the car, it's been rained on heavily for extened periods at least 3 or 4 times, and it's now drying w/o water spots!!!
I have a dark green car, so it used to get waterspots and show dirt easily, but the polish has been great.
Is it necessary to remove old waxes before claying?
I'm a novice who's basing this response on other posts I've read. I don't think it's "necessary" that you remove old waxes, but the car should be clean anyway, so what's so hard about washing with Dawn as opposed to car wash? If you don't remove the wax, the clay will, but it'll remove less contaminants in the process.
Polishing is a judgement call. If your car has light scratches, scuffs, stains or other specific areas that need attention, then you would want to polish those particular areas to remove the blemishes. There are products on the market designed to remove/reduce paint defects, like Meguiars Scratch X or Mothers Scratch Remover.
If you car has light swirl marks or spiderwebbing all over it (usually from automatic car washes and poor paint care practices), then perhaps a light polishing of the entire car is in order to remove the swirls and make your paint look showroom perfect. You can see the swirls in bright direct light, they have a sort of spiderweb effect to the paint. A mild polish like a swirl mark remover or pre-wax cleaner will usually take care of swirls.
If your paint looks very glossy and swirl free, and it feels silky smooth, you can go directly to wax or sealant. A regimen of "wash, clay and wax" would be just fine.
So have a close look at your car after you wash it. Look at the paint from various angles using the sun as a spotlight. Run your hands lightly on the paint and feel if its smooth or rough. If you have some products and are not sure what is needed, try a couple on a small area and gauge results. Eventhough your paint may look good initially, a light polishing might improve the gloss a bit more. You will quickly get the feel of what you need to do and where it needs it.
>but it'll remove less contaminants in the process.
If it makes a difference in efficacy of the claying process, I can use Dawn on the car... But I was hoping to do parts of the car at a time, so it's be easier just to keep the wax on the rest of the car.
I don't know what "efficacy" means and I'm too lazy to look it up , but here's the deal:
You can clay a clean car w/o wax; you can clay a clean car w/ wax, and you can clay a dirty car. The point of clay is to remove contaminants. If you use clay on a clean car w/o wax, you'll remove contaminants from the paint/clearcoat;
If you use it on a car with wax, you're removing contaminants from the wax, except where the clay is able to get beneath it. It's much easier to remove contaminants from the wax by removing the wax, rather than claying, so if you're gonna go through the effort (I should say the "tme," not the "effort"), get the wax off 1st.
As for claying a dirty car, that was just to take this to the extreme. Obviously, you don't clay to remove dirt for the same reason you don't clay a waxed car.
I apologize. Work vocabulary sometimes drifts over. n : capacity or power to produce a desired effect; "concern about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine"
Does anyone know if Classic Wax is still made and available? I used to love that stuff, easy on, carnauba shine and protection and not that expensive. It always suited me well. I know it evolved to Wynn's classic Wax then Classic Wax-Gumout. I have 5 vehicles, so ease of use is important. Thanks in advance for your help.
I was also thinking of trying the Klasse all in one and glaze. Anyone know the best site for price at the current time? Thanks again.
I park my '04 Acura TL in a garage that leaks rusty water (picked up from the re-bar I would guess). This has left spots on my car that do not come out when washed in a car wash or even by hand.
I mentioned this to my apartment manager (I wanted him to pay for a detailing) and he told me Fantastik brand cleaner would do the trick. Will this damage my clear coat?
He also told me NOT to use Fantastik on German cars as their clear coat and paint are softer.
Myself, I would try a little oxalic acid. I had bought some long ago at ??? a pharmacy. Mix it in water in a glass container and lightly dab it on. Allow to stand a minute and then rinse off. It works for taking iron out of clothing. I'd test it on an inconspicous spot first.
You might try Barkeeper's friend- dab, don't rub on a wet paste. It contains oxalic acid which will reduce the iron in the oxide to a colorless form.
I got one of these for my birthday. Used it twice so far and clearly my technique is lacking since I have a white residue over large areas of the car. Some areas are perfect but at least 50% is not. I love the idea of not drying but I also want a shiny black finish, not some white film all over. Anyone had any luck with this?
I'm also concerned about the cost of the soap and water conditioner. If I decide to keep this device, are the consumables going to bankrupt me
For the users of Speed Bead, have you used Bead Max by Stoner as well? If so, is there a difference in performance or price? Do you have a preference? The descriptions of the two seem quite similar on the Stoner website.
I have a new Lexus RX-330 that is White Crystal in color. I'm retired (60s) and will keep the car in a garage except on trips. I don't want to get a degree in car detailing or make it into my full time job, but I would like to protect the car from the elements. So, I would like the advice of the experts on this forum on what wax is the best to protect my car and what technique to use and what products do I need.
After trying to read this forum, I'm so confused; I just want a simple technique that protects the car's paint.
I'm in a similar situation. I have a pearlescent paint-crimson red. I kept reading this discussion and I had used Mothers 3 step cleaner, glaze and carnauba liquid process.
I finally bought a clay bar. That really cleaned the car and smoothed the finish and was easier than a liquid polish!!!
Then I used the carnauba liquid wax from the brand I mentioned. Since the finish was so smooth that went on easily and left the car really SLICK. It's a lot less work than the 3 step method and the car was smoothed down like glass.
I'm checking in to where I can buy clay bar cheap rather than a $10.99 package--I have a lot of the spray on polish that comes with it. Just need the clay... anyone know?
Do what I do, use Stoner's SpeedBead. If you don't want to have another full time job waxing your car, this is great and it will last and last. I have been using SpeedBead for 3 years on my cars and the paint still shines like new. If you like a "wet" looking shine this is for you. It's fast, easy and it will last. I use SpeedBead twice a year, not because I have to, it's just that it is so easy I don't mind spending 30 minutes of my valuable time waxing my car.
You can buy SpeedBead on line or check out their web site for retailers near you. I'll be happy to answer any questions that you have.
Comments
If you are satisfied with the results after the time and effort, then that is what really matters.
I was so impressed after I washed the Sube that I decided to detail my black F150 last weekend. I went over it with Clay Magic first. That's the first time I've ever used a clay bar. It was easy to do and the amount of road grime and other contaminants that came off was just amazing. I followed up the clay with NXT and I was really impressed with the result. The truck looks as good as the day I brought it home two years ago.
The NXT was easy to apply and remove, too.
I've been using Klasse for the last few years and I thought I'd never switch. I do like the shine it leaves, but it doesn't have the same 'non-stick' properties that NXT seems to have.
I'm totally convinced that polishing is worth it - in the past, going through a sprinkler after a was 'n' wax would leave the car looking like nothing happened. I can only imagine what it'll look like after I clay!!!!
I think next time I'll also put a 2nd coat of polish on it, but here's a q b/c I won't be able to do 2 coats at 1 sitting: can I polish the car, drive it, and if it gets rained on, rewash with a regular car wash (not dawn), dry and put on another coat? Also, right now my car is polished and wax - will Dawn remove the wax, but leave the polish? Then I could just put on successive coats over the coming weeks!!!
Regarding clay, I have a feeling it doesn't matter what you use, and it seems easy to do. I'm probably gonna go with Zaino b/c every other one I see is being sold in a package with lubricant, which I know I can make with water and car wash. I did see 1 add for a liquid clay (http://autopolish.net/catalog.asp#LC) - anyone use it? Anyone ahve any thoughts on it?
Lastly, is Turtle Wax 2001 really low-end stuff? It dried quickly and I like the look, but perhaps I can do better. The Speed-bead sounds good, but it's a wax, and I want a polish.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Is it smoother than just using a cleaner would leave it? I'm thinking about claying my car. It's 2.5 years old now instead of Mother's cleaner, then two others steps.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Love that smooth feeling!
I washed the car with a car wash solution and the finish (which I'm sure has never been clayed) is somewhat rough. The contrast between the clayed surface and the untreated surface is easily noticeable when sliding one's finger across it. I waxed a small area of unclayed surface and it didn't feel much different than the unclayed, unwaxed surface.
My son claims he gets the car washed every couple of weeks but the finish still seemed to collect a lot of contaminants which embedded themselves in the paint.
I believe I'll try it when the rains stop this weekend.
Does anyone recommend a particular brand... Mothers? ClayMagic?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Funny, everything I read about avoiding swirls says to rub in a straight line, so that's what I did even though the instructions clearly said to rub in circles!
My experience has been the shampoo/water mix is slipperier but messier while the QD spray lube is easier to wipe off cleanly.
Also, regarding clay, I have a feeling it doesn't matter what brand you use, and it seems easy to do. I'm probably gonna go with Zaino b/c every other one I see is being sold in a package with lubricant, which I know I can make with water and car wash. I did see 1 add for a liquid clay by a co named "Glare" (http://autopolish.net/catalog.asp#LC). Anyone use this stuff? Any comments?
I won't be able to do 2 coats at 1 sitting: can I polish the car, drive it, and if it gets rained on, rewash with a regular car wash (not dawn), dry and put on another coat?
Yes, that will work just fine. Once your paint has been cleaned and polished, you can rewax whenever you want.
Also, right now my car is polished and wax - will Dawn remove the wax, but leave the polish? Then I could just put on successive coats over the coming weeks!!!
Well, when you polish paint, you are removing defects and improving gloss. Most polishes do not leave behind a protective coat; that's what wax is for. Dawn will remove most if not all of the wax but the paint should still be in post-polished condition.
I did see 1 add for a liquid clay (http://autopolish.net/catalog.asp#LC) - anyone use it? Anyone ahve any thoughts on it?
I've heard of a few people who've tried it but most of us stick with the normal clay bar. Most auto parts stores sell either the Mothers brand or Clay Magic brand. You might see Meguiars clay occassionally. The bottle of detailing spray is nice to have on hand. It's one of those products that gets used frequently so having an extra bottle or two won't hurt. However, if you want to just buy the clay w/o the spray, that's fine. 3M sells their clay (excellent stuff) w/o spray as does other mfrs.
Lastly, is Turtle Wax 2001 really low-end stuff? It dried quickly and I like the look, but perhaps I can do better.
TW2001 is really a one-step cleaner wax, designed to polish paint and leave behind a protective coating. So while it's not designed to be used strictly as a polish, keep using it if its working for you. There are hundreds of true "polishes" on the market, from mild to liquid sandpaper. Some are designed for hand use but many are made for machine use. Online shopping will turn up a dizzying array of polishes.
In the next 3 months you will have to wash your vehicle sometime (weather permitting) and you can put on that 2 coat of wax and the protection starts all over again.
Unless you can get more than double the protection by using 2 coats of wax I just don't see the purpose. Where am I going wrong!
If you are using a cleaner wax product, another coat might improve the shine due to the polishing action of the wax improving the paint condition. The flip side is the polish in the cleaner wax is removing the previous coat of wax so you're not really adding protection with successive applications.
With sealants, it is possible to actually add layers of protection but you do reach a point of diminishing returns after a few coats. There is only so much product that can be applied to paint. Once the microscopic valleys are filled with wax or sealant, additional product is not improving the shine. It's like filling a hole with dirt: A hole need 10 shovel-fulls of dirt to be filled. Once you've added the 10th shovel-full and the hole has been filled, what's the point of #11?
My understanding is that you've got your paint, then your clearcoat protection that's done by the car co. This clearcoat is what generally can get dull and scratched, so this is what gets polished. Layers of polish can be used to fill in the cracks and make it take longer for this part of the finish to wear off. Wax adds another layer of protection.
Am I right :confuse:
WAX - A product including some amount of natural ingredients designed to provide some amount of paint protection and gloss enhancement. Common wax types are carnauba, montan, polyethelene, bee's and parrafin.
POLISH - A product designed to improve and enhance paint gloss by removing paint defects either by mechanical or chemical action. Most polishes do not offer paint protection.
CLEANER WAX - Also called a one-step, these products contain some amount of mechanical and/or chemical paint cleaners which polish the paint, as well as some amount of wax or sealant for protection. In general these products offer the most convenience while sacrificing performance.
GLAZE - A product mainly comprised of fillers and oils designed to hide minor paint defects and provide a glossy surface, ready for wax. Most sealants will not bond to paint with glaze on it.
SEALANT - A product chemically engineered to provide some amount of paint protection and gloss enhancement. Sealants generally last longer due to their chemical bonding to paint. True paint sealants do not have wax or oils in their composition.
So with these definitions you can easily decide which product to use at what point during the detailing session.
One of the reasons the terminology got messed up is because people use the terms wax and polish as verbs as well as nouns. If you're "waxing" your car with a product that has no wax in it, what are you really doing? See what I mean? :confuse:
Since most all modern cars have a clearcoat paint job (basically the car is finished with a final coat of non-pigmented paint), what you are waxing and polishing is, technically, the clearcoat, not the color coat. Regardless, the products and techniques are the same.
I hope this helps with clearing up what product does what.
So, if you use a polish once, then you should just have to wax or clay and wax on a regular basis to keep that shine. A good wax should protect your clearcoat from having to be polished again.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I can't see the prior post while I type this, but I think "glazes" will remove some of the clearcoat.
Glazes generally do not have abrasives in them so there is no removal of clearcoat when used. Think of a glaze like makeup; it just covers the surface blemishes.
You only want to polish paint when defects need removal. On a well maintained car, it should only need polishing once or twice a year, if that. My truck is 18 mos old and I've polished it once.
Yes the polishes (some more than others) remove a minute amount of the clearcoat. However, many OTC "waxes" and "sealants" also have these abrasives and remove some clearcoat as well. I would rather use a good polish once a year on a surface that has had the contaminants properly removed by claying and then use a wax or sealant with NO abrasives than to use a product like NuFinish or even a one step cleaner wax on a routine basis.
Thanks!
Is it necessary to remove old waxes before claying?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I think this is a low end, non-abrasive polish. It was easy going on and removing the excess, and dried pretty quickly, even in humid FL. When I finished, the car looked real good, but what amazes me is that in the week since polishing (and then waxing) the car, it's been rained on heavily for extened periods at least 3 or 4 times, and it's now drying w/o water spots!!!
I have a dark green car, so it used to get waterspots and show dirt easily, but the polish has been great.
I'm a novice who's basing this response on other posts I've read. I don't think it's "necessary" that you remove old waxes, but the car should be clean anyway, so what's so hard about washing with Dawn as opposed to car wash? If you don't remove the wax, the clay will, but it'll remove less contaminants in the process.
If you car has light swirl marks or spiderwebbing all over it (usually from automatic car washes and poor paint care practices), then perhaps a light polishing of the entire car is in order to remove the swirls and make your paint look showroom perfect. You can see the swirls in bright direct light, they have a sort of spiderweb effect to the paint. A mild polish like a swirl mark remover or pre-wax cleaner will usually take care of swirls.
If your paint looks very glossy and swirl free, and it feels silky smooth, you can go directly to wax or sealant. A regimen of "wash, clay and wax" would be just fine.
So have a close look at your car after you wash it. Look at the paint from various angles using the sun as a spotlight. Run your hands lightly on the paint and feel if its smooth or rough. If you have some products and are not sure what is needed, try a couple on a small area and gauge results. Eventhough your paint may look good initially, a light polishing might improve the gloss a bit more. You will quickly get the feel of what you need to do and where it needs it.
If it makes a difference in efficacy of the claying process, I can use Dawn on the car... But I was hoping to do parts of the car at a time, so it's be easier just to keep the wax on the rest of the car.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
You can clay a clean car w/o wax; you can clay a clean car w/ wax, and you can clay a dirty car. The point of clay is to remove contaminants. If you use clay on a clean car w/o wax, you'll remove contaminants from the paint/clearcoat;
If you use it on a car with wax, you're removing contaminants from the wax, except where the clay is able to get beneath it. It's much easier to remove contaminants from the wax by removing the wax, rather than claying, so if you're gonna go through the effort (I should say the "tme," not the "effort"), get the wax off 1st.
As for claying a dirty car, that was just to take this to the extreme. Obviously, you don't clay to remove dirt for the same reason you don't clay a waxed car.
I apologize. Work vocabulary sometimes drifts over.
n : capacity or power to produce a desired effect; "concern about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine"
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
1. Dawn wash car parts
2. Clay
3. Wax
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I was also thinking of trying the Klasse all in one and glaze. Anyone know the best site for price at the current time? Thanks again.
I mentioned this to my apartment manager (I wanted him to pay for a detailing) and he told me Fantastik brand cleaner would do the trick. Will this damage my clear coat?
He also told me NOT to use Fantastik on German cars as their clear coat and paint are softer.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
You might try Barkeeper's friend- dab, don't rub on a wet paste. It contains oxalic acid which will reduce the iron in the oxide to a colorless form.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I'm also concerned about the cost of the soap and water conditioner. If I decide to keep this device, are the consumables going to bankrupt me
After trying to read this forum, I'm so confused; I just want a simple technique that protects the car's paint.
Thanks for your help,
Wes :confuse:
I finally bought a clay bar. That really cleaned the car and smoothed the finish and was easier than a liquid polish!!!
Then I used the carnauba liquid wax from the brand I mentioned. Since the finish was so smooth that went on easily and left the car really SLICK. It's a lot less work than the 3 step method and the car was smoothed down like glass.
I'm checking in to where I can buy clay bar cheap rather than a $10.99 package--I have a lot of the spray on polish that comes with it. Just need the clay... anyone know?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
You can buy SpeedBead on line or check out their web site for retailers near you. I'll be happy to answer any questions that you have.
Good Luck..