Iron-X, Clay Question

[SATracker]

As I understand things:
1) Iron-X dissolves iron based pollutants that are embedded in the clearcoat. Iron-X does not dissolve pollutants below the surface of the clearcoat. Is that correct?
2) These iron particles can discolor a white (perhaps very light color) car and so, Iron-X removes them.
3) Clay acts like Iron-X in that it removes pollutants embedded the surface but not below the surface. Since darker cars won't show iron pollutants, darker cars can be clayed and don't need iron-X.

Am I correct, incorrect, partly correct?

[wdmaccord]

As I understand things:
1) Iron-X dissolves iron based pollutants that are embedded in the clearcoat. Iron-X does not dissolve pollutants below the surface of the clearcoat. Is that correct?
2) These iron particles can discolor a white (perhaps very light color) car and so, Iron-X removes them.
3) Clay acts like Iron-X in that it removes pollutants embedded the surface but not below the surface. Since darker cars won't show iron pollutants, darker cars can be clayed and don't need iron-X.

Am I correct, incorrect, partly correct?

Clay removes above surface contaminants. IronX gets below the surface because the hot particles have "burned" into the clear coat creating a small "pit" in the clear coat where the particle has embedded, and thus are below the surface. So any car that has been exposed to iron particles should be IronX'd first, then clayed. Yes, it is easier to see the orange/rusty colored spots on white cars, but still good to IronX black cars that have had high exposure to iron particles. At a minimum, I like to IronX any car getting a first detail regardless of the color.

[Just02896]

Clay removes above surface contaminants. IronX gets below the surface because the hot particles have "burned" into the clear coat creating a small "pit" in the clear coat where the particle has embedded, and thus are below the surface. So any car that has been exposed to iron particles should be IronX'd first, then clayed. Yes, it is easier to see the orange/rusty colored spots on white cars, but still good to IronX black cars that have had high exposure to iron particles. At a minimum, I like to IronX any car getting a first detail regardless of the color.

^^^ Nail on the head!^^^

[SATracker]

Thanks, man.

[SATracker]

As I understand things, "detailing" used to mean, and for some still means: wash, AIO or polish & wax, but then came the introduction of detailing clay so now the process seems to be: wash, clay, AIO, polish & wax.
Is the next development in detailing: wash, Iron-X, clay, polish, wax? I'm curious how many mobile detailers have access to the water needed to use Iron-X and how many detailers use it when detailing "daily drivers".