Iron remover, Claying, Optimum No Rinse and Sealant?

[BuffaloBill]

My plan is running the vehicle through a touchless wash to loosen up any debris/dirt. Then right after head to a wash bay. I'll start spraying a panel at a time with iron remover, waiting for the penetration to kick in and agitation (light scrub with sponge I'm guessing), then rinse each panel as I go. Once that's done, lubricate and clay each panel, dry. Then Optimum No Rinse each panel, dry.

Will paint sealant or paint coating adhere to Optimum No Rinse?

[RFrommann]

You would want to polish after using clay, as you're likely to get marring.

[MDX Detailing]

What kind of vehicle is it? If it's not a show car or in prefect shape don't worry about the clay causing marring, it will be minimal if not terribly contaminated. I would not trust the touch less to remove enough dirt to go to iron x and agitating then clay . I would do the onr or traditional wash before iron x and clay or ironx during wash. Look for Mike Philips article about an aggressive wash. Spray with iron x, wash as normal, rinse, clay, dry. With Regular sealant I wouldn't worry about onr causing issues, but megs d114 would be better if worried. Don't use onr then go straight to coating, that will cause problems.

[BuffaloBill]

2nd Gen Tacoma, daily driver, 42k, two scratches since I bought it new, I think the paint is perfect. One should polish out as my fingernail barely catches it. The other might not. Some others might not think it's perfect here as its been about a year since the last LSP. It looks outstanding to myself and all my friends and family. A couple members think I've neglected it. It's been clayed a few times and waxed a few.

[BuffaloBill]

You would want to polish after using clay, as you're likely to get marring.

Can you define this? If it's super lubricated is marring avoided? The truck is silver and defects are hard to find, at least for me.

[BMW435]

If you use a fine grade clay like Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit, are careful and use enough lubricant, you shouldn't get any marring.

[BuffaloBill]

If you use a fine grade clay like Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit, are careful and use enough lubricant, you shouldn't get any marring.

I have Mother's right now. 1 and 2/3rd of bars. Used the third on my motorcycle (black tank and front fairing), didn't notice a flaw, but I coated it really well with the supplied Instant Detailer. I have a jug of Clay Luber I need to use too.

[Chris Thomas]

Ideal:
Pre wash with touch free but no sealant, wax, or spot free options.

Then on each panel:

No Rinse® Wash & Shine, Spray Optimum Car wax for clay Lube, mild clay towel, spray Ferrex on a separate sponge and apply to the panel, then rinse, and use Opti Seal as you dry.

decon should be in this order: remove dirt, remove above surface contaminants, remove below surface contaminants, rinse and protect.

Most damage from using a clay bar is because the car was not cleaned to be free of dirt particles prior to beginning the clay process and they play bar drags that dirt all over the paint. Using Optimum wax as the Lube will be more forgiving if you aren't polishing as well simply because wax is slick. Also, Ferrex will do a better job on paint cleansing if it doesn't have to go through the stuff clay will mechanically bring off. And, you'll get better results with less Ferrex if you apply it with a sponge vs letting it bleed.

Hope this helps.

[BuffaloBill]

I should hand wash it then. I have three ways to scrub the vehicle, the octopus fingered sponge with bug scrub on other side, microfiber mitt, and Lake Country quarter cut "cubed" sponge. It'll save me 7 bucks. I have a lot of Gold Class shampoo. The fingered sponge is new so I'll use that for halfway down to the doors and then work the rocker panels and down with the cubed sponge. Wash down to the doors dump my wash and rinse buckets then restart for the rockers/bumpers.

[BuffaloBill]

Ideal:
Pre wash with touch free but no sealant, wax, or spot free options.

Then on each panel:

No Rinse® Wash & Shine, Spray Optimum Car wax for clay Lube, mild clay towel, spray Ferrex on a separate sponge and apply to the panel, then rinse, and use Opti Seal as you dry.

decon should be in this order: remove dirt, remove above surface contaminants, remove below surface contaminants, rinse and protect.

Most damage from using a clay bar is because the car was not cleaned to be free of dirt particles prior to beginning the clay process and they play bar drags that dirt all over the paint. Using Optimum wax as the Lube will be more forgiving if you aren't polishing as well simply because wax is slick. Also, Ferrex will do a better job on paint cleansing if it doesn't have to go through the stuff clay will mechanically bring off. And, you'll get better results with less Ferrex if you apply it with a sponge vs letting it bleed.

Hope this helps.

I thought I read where you should spray iron remover first as the clay will slide better over the surface as the remover wil remove say 75-80% of the contaminants?

[MDX Detailing]

Yeah, if trying to reduce marring I would not use ferrex or any iron remover after claying. Do it before, it will save your clay and your paint.

[Chris Thomas]

You can use it before or after, before AND after, or just let it bleed at any point during the wash process...but it will be most effective at removing iron deposits if it doesn't have to dissolve through built up debris that can be removed by a good wash and clay towel.

I've trained many people who didn't see the value of claying before compounding until I showed them better results, more consistent cutting, and I much cleaner pad. This is the same thing, everything has an appropriate place and time in your procedure.

[MDX Detailing]

You can use it before or after, before AND after, or just let it bleed at any point during the wash process...but it will be most effective at removing iron deposits if it doesn't have to dissolve through built up debris that can be removed by a good wash and clay towel.

I've trained many people who didn't see the value of claying before compounding until I showed them better results, more consistent cutting, and I much cleaner pad. This is the same thing, everything has an appropriate place and time in your procedure.

Claying before polishing removes contaminates before the more aggressive touching of paint. Least aggressive steps first. So I don't see how that correlates to claying before chemical iron decontaminaton. I would think dissolving hard iron particles before rubbing a clay bar over them makes much more sense than rubbing a clay bar over the iron, dragging the iron through the paint, then after that use a less aggressive chemical decontaminaton.

[Mantilgh]

Thank you for the tips Chris. I like doing the clay with Optimum Car Wax.

Is this your typical recommendation for a decontamination process or, is this a modified aggressive approach for the OPs situation? Ie. Trying to get it done quickly at the coin op wash

[Chris Thomas]

Claying before polishing removes contaminates before the more aggressive touching of paint. Least aggressive steps first. So I don't see how that correlates to claying before chemical iron decontaminaton. I would think dissolving hard iron particles before rubbing a clay bar over them makes much more sense than rubbing a clay bar over the iron, dragging the iron through the paint, then after that use a less aggressive chemical decontaminaton.

My correlation was that things need to be done in sequence for best results. And contamination needs to come off in layers so that each step fulfills its intended function. While Ferrex does clean and degrease well, it's not a wash product. It specifically reacts with ferrous materials so they can be neutralized and rinsed away...no so that clay can pull them out. Claying is more of a shaving action. Think of it as exfoliating your skin to remove the debris before you chemically clean below the surface (you pores)

A couple of things to note is that you do a really good job washing the car and don't leave dirt behind tha could be picked up in the clay. That's where a lot of guys miss it and get excessive marring. The second thing is that clay marring will come out very easily with one polishing step.

For the OP, he said he wasn't going to polish, so I had him us a spray wax as clay lube to reduce marring potential as much as possible.

But please don't take my word for it. Give it a try my way and report back. I may just surprise you. :xyxthumbs: