General Waxing Question

[ARizzle]

Hey there everyone, so I was reading an article off of another detailing website and was very curious afterwards. The gentleman was reviewing Pinnacle Signature Wax and said depending on the conditions in your area, this wax will last for about 4 weeks given certain circumstances. So let's stick with 4 weeks. So 4 weeks comes and it's time to re-wax the car... my question is do you need to re-clay the car before putting on the wax? I'm just nervous because even if I washed the car that day, I just don't want to be rubbing contaminants all around and into the paint.

[Ray@Autogeek]

The only reason you need to clay bar your car is to remove above surface contaminants. So after washing your vehicle, a simple baggie test will tell you if you need to remove above surface contaminants.

The Baggie Test - How to inspect for above surface bonded contaminants (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/27967-baggie-test-how-inspect-above-surface-bonded-contaminants.html)

Most likely you'll just need to use a chemical cleaner or a non abrasive polish to prep your paint for another coat of wax. Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion would be the perfect non abrasive polish to prep your paint for another coat of Signature Series II.

Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion (http://www.autogeek.net/pinpainclean.html)


If you start to notice very fine swirl marks or water spots, then you can use a chemical cleaner with ultra fine abrasives to correct and prep the paint at the same time like Dodo Juice's Supernatural Micro Prime.

Dodo Juice Supernatural Micro Prime (http://www.autogeek.net/dodo-juice-micro-prime-polish.html)

[truckbutt]

Hey there everyone, so I was reading an article off of another detailing website and was very curious afterwards. The gentleman was reviewing Pinnacle Signature Wax and said depending on the conditions in your area, this wax will last for about 4 weeks given certain circumstances. So let's stick with 4 weeks. So 4 weeks comes and it's time to re-wax the car... my question is do you need to re-clay the car before putting on the wax? I'm just nervous because even if I washed the car that day, I just don't want to be rubbing contaminants all around and into the paint.
Is this a daily driver or a garage queen? Does it need to look pefect? Only you can decide how you want your car to look. Claying can mar the finish. If you clay your car you might have to polish it with a mildy abrasive polish before waxing/sealing again. Personally, I only do a correction about every six months on my Mustang. It is only then that I clay. The rest of the time I just apply another coat of wax or sealant. If I want to completely remove what's down and start over, I do a Dawn wash.

[goldenlight]

I clay 2 a year.

[rmagnus]

After 1 month and just redoing the wax it is unlikely you will need to clay the vehicle again. A lot of variables can change this however. Feel the paint and it will tell you.

Personally I'd look for a different wax if it only lasted 1 month.