Detailing - to clay or not to clay???

ok so before i do my big waxing job this weeknd on my car since its been like 9 months.....should i go buy the mequiars clay kit and use that before i do the wax???. Ive never used clay before and im just trying to get my black paint tip top again...So anything else i should do that im forgetting here?, i just dont wanna wax it and it look just ok i wanna do the prep thats needed to make my black paint BLING again......lol

I clay after every wash. Why? It's not difficult, it doesn't take long, and it leaves the paint feeling as smooth as it looks. I highly recommend it.

after you clay does it help the wax stay on or look better on the car at all???

It doesn't help it stay on longer, but the cars paint will look better overall (and feel a lot better). Just think of it like this - when you're looking at a painted surface like a hood you see every imperfection because a hood is a long flat expanse of painted metal. Any visual inconsistencies will catch the light and be noticable. Most of the stuff clay gets its so small you will never see it, but it will get some visual contiminants, and your paint will be better for it. What you're after is paint that looks like liquid, and contaminants are just one exrta thing keeping you from that.

I cleaned a car today that was in very good shape - the most noticable difference came after the clay, the paint felt smoother, looked smoother and more glossy. It's well worth the $20 imo, and you can cut the clay in half and get two or more uses out of it.

whats the best clay kit to get then???....am i missing anything else that will help my paint at all???, i mean im just trying to get my black paint deep and shine again and i didnt know if i was forgetting anything besides the wax and the clay.

what is a good way to get rid of swirls and light scratches anyone got a complete detailing how to from start to finsih and all the steps in between???

is that suppose to be sarcastic or something to what im asking???....might be my mistake but it sounds like it.

huh who are you referring to?

ORIGINAL: n8te81

whats the best clay kit to get then???....am i missing anything else that will help my paint at all???, i mean im just trying to get my black paint deep and shine again and i didnt know if i was forgetting anything besides the wax and the clay.


All clay is made by two manufacturers, it's pretty much all the same. Just make sure to lubricate the car well when using it.

So ya, the steps are:

wash
clay
polish
wax/seal.

does lubrication come with the kit when you buy it???....justin i didnt know if you were being sarcastic towards me or if you were being serious cause it was just the way you asked it and i thought you were like a detailer or something,i thought i heard that somewhere but i could be wrong so if you werent my bad.....

negative on the sarcastic part it was an honest question i figured i would ask since everyone was on the detailing subject...i apologize....and on teh deatiler part nope not a detailer but i do paint cars if that counts as anything

yeah i think it does.....so its all good.anyways the meguiars website has a forun that has ALOT i mean ALOT on car care and waxing and everything else cause ive joined it and it has alot of info......hope that would help you some.

Some clay kits come with a quick detailer as lubricant. If you just get the clay I like to use a little automotive soap mixed with water in a spray bottle. Works fine.

i highly recommend clay bar but not after every wash unless u wax it after every wash. the clay bar will remove the wax and dirt that isn't noticable to the eye.

my steps:
wash
dry
clay
swirel remover (apply like wax)
polish
wax

i got a question to that process you use absoulute......what do you use for your swirl remover and does that ROYAL BLUE i just bought count as the polish AND wax????

yea! this mourning i became a clayeri bought a meguiers kit and went to work... i did the hood first and didnt seem to notice anything...the clay was sticking even after applying plenty of lube to the freshly washed car. once i got going and figuered out to move the clay eith out it sticking, i was flying! i finished up and proceded with the waxcleaner it came with and once i was finished with that and removed it all and polished it all up. i was absolutly astonished! i had washed and waxed my car plenty of times prior to that, i was doing it about twice a week, and still didnt have as much as an improvement as i had with the bar. i say its a for sure when detailing, got me hooked. and one more thing... this is the greatest site on the net. all you people are awsome and very helpful, thanks

Hey slottie, did you notice a lot of dirt on your clay bar? That's the amzing thing to me, is you think your car is squeaky clean until the clay bar reveals the ugly truth. Glad it turned out well for you.

I've always only used the clay on cars that have visible paint contaminants...(overspray). I did use it on my Motorcycle when I bought the Zanio kit because they recommended using it before waxing. It does leave the paint very smooth but I haven't used it enough to really give a solid opinion. I did notice more fine scratches in the paint after using it on my bike so at this point I don't plan on using it unless I'm going to be buffing the paint following the claying. n8te81 I'd say use it on your car if it's been some time since you really went over the paint. That Porter Cable polisher I got would help you out removing the fine scratches too....it's kinda pricy but should last for many years. ;)

Hey Rasky1, If you noticed more scratches on your paint after claying, it is more than likely particles picked up by the clay bar scratching the surface. You have to consistently turn and mold your clay to a clean portion to avoid this. If it fills up with contaminants, you need a new back up bar. I experienced the same thing the first few times I clayed.

Yeah I thought since the bike was new there wouldn't be much on the paint so I didn't turn the clay much. In the future I will be more careful with it. Just knowing it can put more scratches in the paint makes me not want to do it though....I'll probaly keep it to once or twice a year and then follow with a light buff and polish. I may try it out a few times on half my hood to see if it makes a difference over the next few months vs. my normal routine on the other half.

well like i said before... when i started on the hood, i did the whole thing and was like uhm....(there wasnt anything on the clay) but once i did the doors and the roof and rear quater panels, i was like woah! what is all this junk! alot of what came off was like a maroon color.. and also (this is unfortunate) the previous owner(my step-sister) looks like she drove real slow over some brick color paint, the spots(they were flung from the wheels) are only behind the wheels and arnt noticeable unles you get down and look so i havnt worried much about, plus i can just scratch them off but i dont have that kind of time. so anyway.. the clay was picking up the nonvisiable brick stuff(maroon) anyone kno how i can take off teh red junk quick and easy? without getting ruining my paint?