Is Iron-X really necessary?

[AutoApollo]

Hi guys, I see a lot of people using iron-x here on the forum but how often do you use it? Because where I live its expensive af to buy and just doesn't seem like its worth the money. Let me know your thoughts, thanks!

[Dapper Don]

I prefer Sonax Plus. Id it pricey? $20 a bottle /per car ? A little, but very much worth it.

[AutowerxDetailing]

Yes. It is really necessary.

Clay only removes the top portion of embedded contaminates by sheering them off the paintwork. That means ferrous iron particles can still be present in the pores of the paint, slowly causing irreversible damage.

Especially if you are installing a coating you want the paint to be as clean and contaminate free as possible so you aren't locking anything underneath the ceramic layer.

[dcjredline]

I only use if the customer is willing to pay for it. You shouldnt use a 16oz 500ml bottle per car but you wont get more than 2 cars out of it normally.

Necessary NOPE, Good idea when you are going to polish YES for sure.

[TheAverageMan]

On a practicality level, not necessary, but on a high end detailing competition, maybe. Reality of the matter, only you and other detailers can appreciate. Average joe likes a shiny car thats swirl free, but wont be able to see or feel a iron free car.

[rcoops77]

I believe it is essential to both mechanically and chemically decontaminate the paint prior to a polishing and coating session. I always apply this process

[VW Drew]

do you need to both iron x and clay? If so what would be done first?

[choijw2]

do you need to both iron x and clay? If so what would be done first?

I say iron X is optional but clay is must if you feel roughness on surface
(taking about average daily driven cars)

if you choose to do both, Iron X and then Clay.

[Paul A.]

Necessary? I would say no. Advisable? Definately. I mean, we never did this years ago because the products weren't out to know better. Sure, we clayed but sheared off any metallic bits. Now we can penetrate each one and "dissolve" it away. Because of that function i always Iron X first then clay. I like the order of removing any hard metal that i might break off and imbed into my clay piece first, then go after the other more organic fallout with my nanoskin or clay.

I look at it this way...for long term paint health i like to get subsurface with removing stuff buried in the clearcoat that might cause problems later on during the car's life. I do my '07 black BMW about twice a year and thats in FL. If i lived in the Rust Belt or up north during winters, i might do it more often. The cost doesn't bother me for what it does...or better yet, prevents. Maybe 6-8 ounces 3 X a year is like insurance to me.

[Klasse Act]

IMO if your applying a coating that's supposed to last years your going to wanna get EVERYTHING off of and out of the paint.

When you apply IronX and see it doing it's thing you feel so much better. Then do a final clay after rinsing it all away and move on to polishing and sealing for the best, most complete job you can currently do💡

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