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  1. #1
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    Wash, then Straight to Claying; Skipping Rinsing & Drying

    So, I watch more than a few detailing channels on YT and recently I've noticed a trend amongst these full-time detailers which is to clay the vehicle while there is still a wet layer of dust/dirt on the paint. These detailers claim that on a slightly dirty car, you can get away with claying a vehicle before rinsing the soap/rinsless-formula during a wash & wax. They will apply soap/formula, move a wash mitt over the vehicle, then go straight to claying before rinsing.

    Obviously, this saves them time & allows them to work faster and fit more into their workday, but are they onto a good thing for those who are concerned with saving as much time as you can, while still being reasonable? This question is asked when there will not be paint correction performed afterwards because in the videos, there is no paint correction afterwards.

    I've seen written here that polishing always follows claying because there will be some marring, and I have always agreed. I've agreed because I always notice a lot of marring after I clay. I used to over-tighten bolts too, when I was younger. Maybe some of us are claying too hard, with too much pressure?
    What do you guys think?
    "I've seen a good quality car wash look better than some guys complete detail jobs."
    Mike Phillips 10/21/09

  2. #2
    Super Member swanicyouth's Avatar
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    Re: Wash, then Straight to Claying; Skipping Rinsing & Drying

    Ill wash & rinse w/ DI water & clay. No reason to dry.

    Clay a dirty car? No.

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  4. #3
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    Re: Wash, then Straight to Claying; Skipping Rinsing & Drying

    That is a method that you risk alot of scratches on the paint you working on. At least do the rinse thoroughly. The only risk with leaving the paint wet before claying with clay bar. Would be that you dilute your claylube a little more. If you use a clay alternative and your clean wash solution that would be no problems. As rule of thumb I go after is to touch the paint when it's as clean as possible before touching it or do anything else mechanical on it. Now I don't detail for money. But still if I would to handle a customers car as safe as I could. Leaving back a car with more RIDS than when I started would be a total failure.

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  6. #4
    Super Member acuRAS82's Avatar
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    Re: Wash, then Straight to Claying; Skipping Rinsing & Drying

    I don’t see claying prior to rinsing as much of a time saver. Rinsing, then reapplying soap back onto the panel for lube will only cost a few minutes extra per vehicle and will ensure any remaining dirt in the original suds has been rinsed away.

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  8. #5
    Super Member Belo's Avatar
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    Re: Wash, then Straight to Claying; Skipping Rinsing & Drying

    my mitt allows me to use soap suds vs a spray detailer. What I do is presoak with foam gun, wash with mit. rinse and then resud with foam gun and then synthetic mit wipe.
    2009 Pontiac G8GT
    2015 Ford Explorer Limited
    2019 Chevy Silverado RST Z71

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  10. #6
    Super Member Farmallluvr's Avatar
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    Re: Wash, then Straight to Claying; Skipping Rinsing & Drying

    No matter how dirty a car isn't would I do this
    One chunk of dirt in your clay could cause damage that will take you twice as long to correct.
    I do rinse and then spray my lube on without drying first.
    On car that has a lot of tar as well I dry,remove tar and then clay
    “I have trouble with names and faces, but I never forget a car.”

  11. #7
    Super Member sudsmobile's Avatar
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    Re: Wash, then Straight to Claying; Skipping Rinsing & Drying

    not worth the risk. rinse first. And this should probably be relocated to Auto Detailing 101, well, because it is.

  12. #8
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    Re: Wash, then Straight to Claying; Skipping Rinsing & Drying

    Quote Originally Posted by sudsmobile View Post
    not worth the risk. rinse first. And this should probably be relocated to Auto Detailing 101, well, because it is.
    The topic is obviously relatable to 101, but I chose here since my original post question is regarding certain professional detailers skipping a step--under certain conditions--to save time, and/or because rinsing can be viewed as unnecessary, supposedly.
    Hopefully, someone who has actual experience, successful, or unsuccessful can chime in. And, BTW, don't assume that just because I started this thread means that I agree with skipping rinsing. I found the practice of skipping the rinse by professional detailers odd, and especially odd when they put it up on YT, and other sites for others to see.
    "I've seen a good quality car wash look better than some guys complete detail jobs."
    Mike Phillips 10/21/09

  13. #9
    Super Member FUNX650's Avatar
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    Re: Wash, then Straight to Claying; Skipping Rinsing & Drying

    •Personally:
    -I really don’t see how ”The Baggie Test”,
    (a determinant if the vehicle actually needs
    to be clayed, or not), can ever be properly
    performed on a dirty vehicle.


    Bob
    "Be wary of the man who urges an action in which he himself incurs no risk."
    ~Joaquin de Setanti

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  15. #10
    Super Member Eldorado2k's Avatar
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    Re: Wash, then Straight to Claying; Skipping Rinsing & Drying

    The way I see it, why even bother washing, if all you’re going to do is leave the dirt on the surface anyways? Might as well save even more time and simply rinse the dirty vehicle and go straight to claying... You’ll wind up at the same result, jacked up marred paint thanks to claying with dirt in the mix. Stupid idea, it only takes a minute to rinse a vehicle after washing it.

    Some of these youtube guys seriously run out of ideas sometimes and wind up with stuff like this...

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