Is only Washing + Waxing bad?

**lp2137** · 07-17-2006, 11:27 PM

Hey guys, well i`m a newb to the site and i`ve been reading and learning lots of new stuff.

Unfortunately, i cant afford alot of the detail producs...all i have right now is

meguiars nxt generation wash

calfornia water blade

enough MF towels

armor all wipes and tire shine and

black magic liquid wax

so basically since i have no money to buy a clay kit or a dual action polishers. i was just wondering since my paint will be dirty after the wash is it okay to put a protective barrier like a wax on top of that?

**velobard** · 07-17-2006, 11:42 PM

No, it shouldn`t really hurt much if you can`t come up with $10-15 for a clay kit for now, but it`s worthwhile when you can afford it to remove more contaminants and such. It`s nothing to stress over. If you can manage $5 or so, go by WalMart and pick up a Eurow wool wash mitt.

I`ve found that my water blade doesn`t see action anymore. With a nice, slick layer of wax the simplest way to get most of the water off is to take off the hose nozzle and flood the surface. Enough water sheets off that there really isn`t any point to using the water blade. You should be able to do a perfectly passable job with what you have on hand, so keep studying here to refine your wash technique to minimize adding more swirls.

**jdhutchin** · 07-17-2006, 11:43 PM

If you do a good job washing, it`ll be fine to put on wax. Clay and polishing will certaintly help, but as long as you wash the car, you won`t grinding dirt in to the car and scratching it that way.

**lp2137** · 07-17-2006, 11:48 PM

alright man thanks. i`ve been looking at either a mothers or meguiars. i saw one of em for 17.99 and the other for 25.99, i was just debating which would i should get. and i have 2 hand wool wash mitts

**velobard** · 07-17-2006, 11:55 PM

That`s the price you`ve seen for clay? Check around for a kit from Clay Magic, they`re usually closer to $10. I know I`ve seen them at AutoZone. You could probably order a Clay Magic kit for less than the others even after shipping and it`s a fine product. Just don`t use the whole clay bar at once and if you drop someon the ground, throw it away.

**tustah** · 07-17-2006, 11:56 PM

Clay Magic at Autozone for 10.99. Should be fine using half the clay.

**lp2137** · 07-18-2006, 12:14 AM

and thats as good as meguairs and mothers?

**lp2137** · 07-18-2006, 12:17 AM

oh yeah i forgot, how often should i be washing/claying/waxing?

**velobard** · 07-18-2006, 07:35 AM

Clay Magic invented detailing clay and they hold the patent. That`s why they can sell it for less. It`s a fine product. I use 1/3 bar at a time.

Wash your car as often as you want a clean car. :getdown Wax it depending on when the protection appears to be dropping, e.g. water not beading, slickness/shine gone, etc, or when you get the itch to baby your ride. :waxing:

**bjackson8** · 07-18-2006, 07:39 AM

Originally Posted by lp2137

Hey guys, well i`m a newb to the site and i`ve been reading and learning lots of new stuff.

Unfortunately, i cant afford alot of the detail producs...all i have right now is

meguiars nxt generation wash

calfornia water blade

enough MF towels

armor all wipes and tire shine and

black magic liquid wax

so basically since i have no money to buy a clay kit or a dual action polishers. i was just wondering since my paint will be dirty after the wash is it okay to put a protective barrier like a wax on top of that?

If you just wash and wax your car on a regular basis, you have a better looking car than 95% of the people out there.

I would suggest, when you have some extra cash later on, getting a clay bar and a good paint cleaner. The clay bar will be very useful at times, but is not something you will need every week. A paint cleaner like Klasse AIO or Poorboys Professional polish will certainly take your detailing process to the next level.

You don`t have to spend a fortune to get really great results.

**RAG** · 07-18-2006, 08:26 AM

On most non-autopian, daily driver cars, I thinking waxing without proper prep is just about pointless. Honestly.

**bjackson8** · 07-18-2006, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by RAG

On most non-autopian, daily driver cars, I thinking waxing without proper prep is just about pointless. Honestly.

I would have to disagree with this statement. Sure you will get much better results with a properly prepped surface, but will still be getting a benefit from "just waxing". The ultimate goal is to protect the paint, and waxing will do that. A cleaner wax will probably prep the surface to an acceptable level for most non-autopians.

IMO, you will really never be able to maintain a daily driver to "autopian standards", it`s just not practical.

**Accumulator** · 07-18-2006, 10:21 AM

lp2137- Welcome to Autopia!

I`m with bjackson8 on this- I`ve known plentyof people who kept their cars *VERY* nice with just regular washing and cleaner wax. I`ve watched some of them keep their cars showroom new for many, many years with just this simple regimen. The trick is to never let it get so bad that you really *need* something more than the cleaner wax.

Yeah, clay is beneficial and the regulars here know that I`m very clay-centric in my detailing. But it`s not like people *have* to clay to have a decent looking car, after all, we got by without clay for a long time before "detailing clays" got popular in the early `90s.