Do you Clay Daily Drivers...?

[Northwoods]

I'm somewhat new to the detailing world. I don't have show cars or anything fancy, just daily drivers that get parked outside as often as they do in the garage. I live in the upper midwest where we can get 9 months of winter. I usually just machine polish with a one step product on a vehicle once or twice a year spring/fall. I've never clayed a vehicle before. For you guys that just maintain daily drivers to look nice, do you consider claying necessary?

Thanks.

[Mdjas]

I will say my preference is i clay mine once a year. Mine sit outside 24/7 and drive everyday. So probably should decontaminate every time you polish and wax your car but i don’t i only clay once a year. But they make clay mitts so u can basically knock it out while u wash your car. Makes it much faster and i am thinking of doing this now every time i detail my cars when i planning on waxing.


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[2black1s]

I'd expect that if you took a poll here with your question the results would probably be in the 75-80% range (maybe even higher) recommending that "yes, claying is necessary". Me personally, I'd probably fall into 20-25% percent that say otherwise (maybe; or no).

What I would do if I were in your shoes is this...

Do a baggie test. I can almost guarantee that you'll feel roughness. To most, that roughness will indicate that claying is necessary, but I don't necessarily agree with that 100%. The reason - doing a machine polish using an AIO product will remove many of the bonded contaminants, therefore the clay step may not be necessary.

I'd suggest doing a test spot using your AIO and then repeat the baggie test. You may be satisfied with the results. If so, then claying was not necessary for you. If not, then have at it with your clay.

[Markymapo]

I agree with 2black1s, the more a learn and test the surface of the car the more I experience I gain. I do like using clay and as any tool it has a place in detailing

[Jayfro]

Prior to polishing? 100% Yes. I always want the smoothest surface possible before polishing to prevent any additional scratches that may happen by not claying the car. I use the Blackfire clay mitt, works like a champ. I've used it after a good wash with clean bucket of soap/water and lube, it only takes an additional 15-20 min. I will use iron-x prior to that as well.

Jay


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[Coatingsarecrack]

Total professional here.... Jk total noob. But I would think you’d want to remove as Mitch contaminants before polishing so the don’t get stuck in pad and scratch the paint while polishing?


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[VISITOR]

there really isn't a set time to have to clay. after a thorough wash, feel for above surface contaminants (many do the baggie test) and that will determine if you need to. polishing after would be good idea as well which will help remove imperfections and cleanse the paint...

[SWETM]

It's like a guessing game if you should clay or not before any machine polishing. You have done it until now and if you don't have noticed while you are polishing that you have gotten more swirl marks on some places of the paint. Then the claying has been in a way unnecessary. Claying is a way to get the paint more cleaner before you polishing. And some times just to get as much as contaminants off before you are applying a new layer of the protection you use.

When you have done the AIO polishing have you noticed any amount of dirt build up in the polishing pad?
If you maintain your vehicals great and live in an environment that you don't have any extreme problems with contaminants building up. You don't get as much of the embedded contaminants as some does. Then it's also much of a safety tool to not getting any contaminants that's abrasive in it self. In the polishing pad while you are polishing. You then can if unlucky get deeper swirls but mostly it effects the finish. As if you have abrasive dirt on the polishing pad then you install marring and lighter swirls more than the AIO and pad combo can be leveling down. To avoid this is to get the paint as clean as possible before you polishing. That's done with a chemical decon steps and mechanical decon step.

The chemical decon steps you can use different kind of chemicals that desolves different kind of dirt and contaminants that your normal car wash don't do. Also depending on the environment you live in and what kind of roads you drive on and also how well your maintance is. Alkaline based degreaser you remove road film and sot and the heavier dirt build up. Tar remover you remove or desolve the tar spots and tree sap and rubber spots from the tires and also the road film with it. Then you have the iron remover which is a more specific cleaner where you desolve the oxidized iron particals and industrial fallout in and on the paint. And the last is the water spot remover that you desolve the minerals the water leaves behind. You only need to be useing the different chemical products if you have the kind of contaminants they desolves. So if you don't have any tar or tree sap or rubber spots then you don't need to be useing the tar remover. The iron particals and industrial fallout is hard to see if you have any of them on the paint. Especially when you have a darker paint. You can see some small spots of rust spots which is oxidized iron particals. Industrial fallout is even harder to notice as it's just darkening the paint very little and can be mixed up with the road film also. You can get industrial fallout if you work or parking or live near an industry that releases the fallout that has metalls and kind of dirt. The easiest is to get a bottle of of iron remover that has the bleeding effect from it which most has these days. Do some test spots behind the front wheels and on the hood or the roof. If you see any bleeding effect from spots it's iron particals you have. And if you get a lesser bleeding effect that's covers the area where you sprayed it on the hood or the roof then it's industrial fallout that you see desolves. Also here on darker paints it can be hard to see the bleeding effect. It's more noticeble when you have rinsed it off and look at the ground to see any purple/red color in the rinse water. If you don't get any bleeding effect from it then you don't have any iron particals or and industrial fallout embedded in the paint. Then you can use the Iron remover on the wheels when you want to be desolving any deeper sitting brake dust from them. You can also see smaller iron particals that you get from the brake rotors and pads on the rims. Or save it until the next decon wash or polishing.

The mechanical decon step is the claying step. You basicly remove the contaminants that the chemical decon where not able to desolve. It's easier to clay when you have removed the most contaminants with the chemical decon. Most iron particals gets rinsed off after an iron remover is used. But you can have those that are more deeper embedded ones that don't gets rinsed off. This is when the clay is helpfull to pick those up. If you where not to be useing an iron remover before you clay. The risk is for these more stubborn iron particals that you shave off the top of it with the clay or don't remove them at all. Even the polishing won't remove the deeper sitting iron particals but when they do they can leave much of marring from them when it happens or you can be lucky and it's gets into the polishing pad.

If you get a lot of contaminants that you feel with your hands or with the baggie test that excells the feel when you do that. Most LSP gets a shorter longevity from them. But mostly it's degrade the clarity from the paint and it can get it to dull looking. And if your paint is defect free or so little so a polishing seems not necessary. Then you have the option to use a clay bar or clay alternatives that you know don't leaves the paint with marring on it. Claying will leave marring behind but some leaves less of them so it's not visual noticed by the human eye to see them. But you can leave more marring behind from claying if the contaminants it picks up is also abrasive. So if you want the paint to looking it's best or you would get visual noticed clay marring then a light polishing is needed to be done. As you see it can be much of a personal preference on if you polishing or not after the claying. If your paint is not perfect and would have swirls and scratches in it. Then a claying gets less noticeble and can be a great step to do before any longer longevity LSPs is going to be applyied.

IMO the clay lube you use is very important to minimize the risk of clay marring. Even more if you are not going to be polishing afterwards. Favorites are Dodo Juice Born Slippy clay lube concentrate or Carpro Immolube when you use clay bars. I use it with some clay alternatives too and even if I use a car soap as clay lube. I pretreat with the dedicated clay lube. Also if you use a clay mitt or clay towel the clay lube you use with these is car soap or rinseless wash. Carpro Reset car soap I like a lot be cause of it's lubrication and cleaning ability from it. And since you are going to be reapply the LSP you can dilute the car wash solution stronger to get a little more lubrication from it. Also Reset don't leave anything behind as in protection and glossenhancers which I think is important for a clay lube not to do.

There are so many benefits to clay before you polishing or reapply the LSP that I think it's worth it. And of cause if you are going to be reapply the LSP it's depending if you feel any contaminants from the baggie test or not. The benefits before polishing is that your pads don't get as dirty and is easier to clean afterwards and this dirt build up on the pads you get less impact on the finish you get from it. Also feels like I can use the pad a little longer before I switch to a clean one. As it's don't get saturated as fast as when I get a contaminants build up on the pad.

Also an AIO/cleaner wax has a stronger cleaning ability from it than a compound or polish has even if they cleans good too. The AIO is made to clean the paint and remove light defects and also seal the paint. But if I have contaminants and where to do an AIO polishing. I want to the paint as clean as possible before I polishing it. It gets me more comfortable to polishing and knowing that the contaminants won't mess with me LOL. And often you notice it too late if the contaminants impact on the polishing or not. As then it has already happened. Personally I would only clay 1 time in between polishing if I would get a contaminants build up that a decon wash don't take care of but a claying would do. If I would get clay marring I live with it or starts to plan for a polishing of the paint.

Long answer as useally from me LOL. But I like to thoroughly explain how I see on it. Then we can have different opinions on how we sees of things. So it's up to you to decide what you think make sense for you. And since you have not been claying before if I understand it right. Test it out next time you are going to polishing. To see if makes a difference for you.

/ Tony

[TTQ B4U]

Yes. Better results and easier on pads.

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[fightnews]

I'm somewhat new to the detailing world. I don't have show cars or anything fancy, just daily drivers that get parked outside as often as they do in the garage. I live in the upper midwest where we can get 9 months of winter. I usually just machine polish with a one step product on a vehicle once or twice a year spring/fall. I've never clayed a vehicle before. For you guys that just maintain daily drivers to look nice, do you consider claying necessary?

Thanks.

Yes, you have to not only clay but decontaminate with an Iron remover. This is a must IMO! No matter what you drive. If its worth waxing then it is worth doing it right.

[Hermes1]

Yes, you have to not only clay but decontaminate with an Iron remover. This is a must IMO! No matter what you drive. If its worth waxing then it is worth doing it right.

Exactly and what I do. Understand that not removing atmospheric contaminants reduces the effectiveness of any polish you may apply, rough on your pads and reduces the effectiveness of wax or sealant.

[Northwoods]

Thanks for all the great replies and information! It looks like I should be considering clay'ing based on all the responses then. That BlackFire mitt looks to be a good option. And I'll have to look into some good lube to pair it with. Thanks again and please feel free to keep any more comments coming as I always learn a lot from this site.

[VISITOR]

Thanks for all the great replies and information! It looks like I should be considering clay'ing based on all the responses then. That BlackFire mitt looks to be a good option. And I'll have to look into some good lube to pair it with. Thanks again and please feel free to keep any more comments coming as I always learn a lot from this site.

here's a video with some good info...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c8L9WwwjFY