Polish or Clay

Danase · 01-07-09, 12:10

I was just reading another site and someone on there is pushing that you don't need to clay because polishing does the same thing as claying. I explained the whole embedded rail dust and stuff and they said that a polish will go deep enough to remove the containments. What do you guys think?

From my experience:
We had a local dealer that was getting some new white and light colored trucks back in because of "rust spots" all over the paint. The dealer would polish the truck, they'd go away and the customer would be back in a month with the same spots. It wasn't until they learned to clay the trucks that they stopped returning. I say that the polish just leveled off the rail dust, polished the rust off and it just came back where as the clay bar removed the dust all together.

D&D Auto Detail · 01-07-09, 12:18

If you dont clay, all you're going to do is drive the contaminants into the paint and marr the crap out of it. As if rubbing a dirty car with a rag. What board is this on?

zxpwr · 01-07-09, 12:24

clay then polish...

when i was first trying out my PC on a buddy's commuter car i find it hard to polish the panels i didnt clay. the pad was barely spinning with minimal pressure and took longer to remove defects. the car was heavy on fallouts, the qd turned rusty brown during claying.

contaminants may also get on the pad it not clayed which in turn cause marring

Danase · 01-07-09, 12:32

It's on a ford focus board I'm on.

D&D Auto Detail · 01-07-09, 12:45

Not claying may also cause problems during the polishing process. The paint should be the cleanest of clean prior to even starting the polishing process. Thats why many wipe the car down with alcohol after claying, prior to polishing. Some cars also require a 3 step decontamination process such as the FK or valugard kits, in addition to claying.

Rafter · 01-07-09, 01:34

Ive got a new car and have used the clay bar 2x in the past 4 months. I used Meguiar's® Quik Detailer® as the lubrication for the clay and followed up the clay by wiping the car down with the same Quik Detailer product prior to using a polish and then wax.

Do you think I should be washing and drying the car after the clay or can I stick with my Quik Detailer spray/wipe prior to the polish?

Also, this is a black car and has (so far) almost none of the issues of tiny scratches or spiderwebs Ive seen on some black paint. How often should I be polishing? Is it wrong to polish every week? I'm using Meguiar's® Deep Crystal® system Polish.

'Black Beauty'

Less · 01-07-09, 03:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rafter

Ive got a new car and have used the clay bar 2x in the past 4 months. I used Meguiar's® Quik Detailer® as the lubrication for the clay and followed up the clay by wiping the car down with the same Quik Detailer product prior to using a polish and then wax.

Do you think I should be washing and drying the car after the clay or can I stick with my Quik Detailer spray/wipe prior to the polish?

Also, this is a black car and has (so far) almost none of the issues of tiny scratches or spiderwebs Ive seen on some black paint. How often should I be polishing? Is it wrong to polish every week? I'm using Meguiar's® Deep Crystal® system Polish.

'Black Beauty'

Claying twice within four months is probably overkill. Unless you routinely park next to an industrial smoke stack, or next to a body shop with lots of paint overspray flying everywhere.

Normally I won't re-wash the car after claying. As long as you buff off the lube after each panel with a good MF cloth, you should pick up 90+% of the contaminants. Polishing should take care of what's left, if anything. Now if I was going straight to waxing after clay (no polishing), then I would DEFINITELY re-wash.

How often should you polish really depends on the process used and the car. Every week is definitely too much. You are wearing away a tiny amount of your clear coat every time you polish, so there is such a thing as doing it too much.

Basically you should polish when you notice your paint starting to get swirled, marred, or spider-webbed. If you don't see those things, then you don't need to polish. I do it twice per year on my car. If you're doing it more often than that, it probably means you are doing something else wrong. For example bad washing technique, or inferior materials will introduce defects on to your paint and increase the need for polishing.

04v8s4 · 01-07-09, 03:01

I am just getting into detailing at the autopian level. The first time i clayed my car i also did a quick detailer wipe down after i clayed the car just to get any loose contaminants off the surface.

But i think when i completely detail the car this spring i'm going to wash the car after claying...prior to the polishing process. It makes perfect sense for the paint to be a clean as possible prior to polishing.

Just my two cents.

t-bird · 01-07-09, 03:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danase

It's on a ford focus board I'm on.

I thank i know what ford focus board you are on . I go on it all so and some of the Kids you can not tell anything. But it is a fun forums

Less · 01-07-09, 03:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by 04v8s4

I am just getting into detailing at the autopian level. The first time i clayed my car i also did a quick detailer wipe down after i clayed the car just to get any loose contaminants off the surface.

But i think when i completely detail the car this spring i'm going to wash the car after claying...prior to the polishing process. It makes perfect sense for the paint to be a clean as possible prior to polishing.

Just my two cents.

You yourself called them "loose contaminants". So think about this logically, step-by-step.

Contaminants are embedded in your paint/clear coat.

Clay pulls them out and traps them in the clay leaving the finish smooth.

What doesn't get trapped in the clay is still loosened from the paints surface.

Then you buff off the QD/Lube residue with a soft MF cloth. Anything loose on the paint is going to get picked up by the QD wipedown.

After that, there should be VERY minimal, if any, contaminants on your car. And if t here is anything, they are, as you said, "loose". So a pressure rinse is going to be just as good as a wash.

If you are going to wash after claying, you could save time by not buffing off the QD residue. Just spray, clay, then wash. That will probably be faster, and work just as well.

tnforever · 01-07-09, 07:17

Just to refer to OP, they're probably right in that polishing CAN go deep enough to remove the fallout , but that would mean it's their practice to polish aggressively and take off a lot of clear.

Plus, the contaminants are of a different composition than your paint, and the polish you use is formulated for paint, not contaminants. Who knows what possible effects there could be.

04v8s4 · 01-07-09, 07:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Less

You yourself called them "loose contaminants". So think about this logically, step-by-step.

Contaminants are embedded in your paint/clear coat.

Clay pulls them out and traps them in the clay leaving the finish smooth.

What doesn't get trapped in the clay is still loosened from the paints surface.

Then you buff off the QD/Lube residue with a soft MF cloth. Anything loose on the paint is going to get picked up by the QD wipedown.

After that, there should be VERY minimal, if any, contaminants on your car. And if t here is anything, they are, as you said, "loose". So a pressure rinse is going to be just as good as a wash.

If you are going to wash after claying, you could save time by not buffing off the QD residue. Just spray, clay, then wash. That will probably be faster, and work just as well.

Oh i agree completely. I wouldnt take the time to go through the QD wipe down and buff. I'd just roll it outside and give it a quick wash. You're right...any loose contaminants should come right off with a pressure wash...but not everyone has a PW. A quick wash would be the next best thing.

Cheers