Do you clay or do you use a decontamination product?

[Striker]

That black fire mitt looks great! So I guess the only difference is that the kit comes with a soap for the mitt?


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[Striker]

Just to bring this one back up again- I might be sealing my fathers 2016 Accord that is pearl white.

The car was decontaminated twice since he took delivery of it in September of 2016.

Am I okay to give the car a dawn wash-blackfire mitt posted above-Collinite 845 and call her a day?


If I wash it with dawn soap-


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[MattPersman]

It would be ok if that’s all you have not sure about the lubricity of it compared to car wash soaps


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[MattPersman]

You could also use some detail spray with the clay if you rather


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[Striker]

Yes of course I’d use a lubricant of some sort absolutely. I think that mitt works with just your wash media right ?


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[Lonnie]

Like Mary B, I, too, am late to this conversation/discussion about claying versus the new nanoskin decontaminant clothe/sponges.
I like using clay because I SEE the contaminants in the clay being removed.
The (big) downside/disadvantages are:
1) the time it requires to clay an entire vehicle
2) The physical effort
3) The marring it induces in softer paints (or "other" paints if you use too much rubbing force to remove stubborn contaminants, like baked-on bug guts or tree sap)
4) The cost of clay itself.

I use the Blue (fine grade) Clay Magic, which I learned about in this forum. It`s was available over-the-counter at Auto Zone in a 50 gram bar and lube bottle kit that could do 2-3 medium sized vehicles or MAYBE two trucks.
I found that dirty clay bar pieces could be re-purposed (re-used) for road tar-laced lower rocker panels or the lips of fender wheel wells.


That said, I think ALOT of detailers have migrated to the nanoskin decon clothe/sponge for the time-saving it provides with very good results over claying. Any why not, if its more efficient, as many of you have commented above. I am just an "old school" hobbyist who still likes the clay. For that matter, I still like carnauba waxes (Collinite 915, specifically) and I have yet to try any of the coatings that, for the most part, have largely supplanted/obsoleted waxes and sealants for many of you as well. Sometimes you`ve got to let go of the past tried-and-true methods or products and get with the times.

[Dan]

I am just an "old school" hobbyist who still likes the clay. For that matter, I still like carnauba waxes (Collinite 915, specifically) and I have yet to try any of the coatings that, for the most part, have largely supplanted/obsoleted waxes and sealants for many of you as well. Sometimes you`ve got to let go of the past tried-and-true methods or products and get with the times.

I love trying new stuff, but I`ve grown up a bit from my younger days. There is just so much new product hype, it is tough to figure out what is a gimmick and what isn`t. For that reason I held off on the nanoskin sponges. I could have saved so much time, it really was a dumb move. Coatings, I`m still on the fence, especially if a car is garaged.

[MattPersman]

Yes of course I’d use a lubricant of some sort absolutely. I think that mitt works with just your wash media right ?


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Yep wash as usual to get the normal dirt off, then use your clay mitt to follow it up


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[Striker]

I love trying new stuff, but I`ve grown up a bit from my younger days. There is just so much new product hype, it is tough to figure out what is a gimmick and what isn`t. For that reason I held off on the nanoskin sponges. I could have saved so much time, it really was a dumb move. Coatings, I`m still on the fence, especially if a car is garaged.

So you’re saying the towels saved you a lot of aggravation over clay?

I think I despise claying the most out of all the detailing processes.

I also couldn’t not agree more with you regarding this new hype of detailing products. I literally go on autogeek and I get anxiety thinking and guessing what I’d need to order hahaha.

I’d definitely be down to try a clay towel like this new black fire one.


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[Dan]

So you’re saying the towels saved you a lot of aggravation over clay?

I think I despise claying the most out of all the detailing processes.

I also couldn’t not agree more with you regarding this new hype of detailing products. I literally go on autogeek and I get anxiety thinking and guessing what I’d need to order hahaha.

I’d definitely be down to try a clay towel like this new black fire one.


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They changed claying from cursing to "hey this isn`t so bad." Clay is ok when it is mild outside. When it gets cold or hot, I really start cursing. Cold clay is a bear to knead and it refuses to stick to itself. When it is hot, they clay sometimes grabs and smears on the paint. Those are the two biggest gripes I have about clay.

The nanoskin blue sponge is less than $10 now, you really have nothing to lose.

Regarding the hype, I try to avoid anything that has just been released. For example I really want to believe the Griots Rinseless Wash and Wax is the greatest thing out since ONR, but I`m going to wait a year and see if people are still talking about it.

[Accumulator]

Eager to hear feedback regarding any towel-induced marring.

No, no..not hoping anybody has issues, I just can`t get figure out how it`d be possible to avoid it the way I (mostly) do with (the way I) clay.

For something that`ll be corrected anyhow I`m already sold on the Towels being a good way to go

[Striker]

Dan- what towel do YOU use (or towels?) that in YOUR experiences have not caused marring on paint yet provided good decon?

If you can shoot us a list. That would be great.




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[Dan]

Dan- what towel do YOU use (or towels?) that in YOUR experiences have not caused marring on paint yet provided good decon?

If you can shoot us a list. That would be great.




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I just got onboard the towel wagon a month or so ago, so I`ve only used one the Nanoskin AS-019 Fine Grade Sponge. Most of my cars have rock hard clear but I used it on my Nissan and I didn`t see any additional marring after I was done. I also used a block of Mother`s yellow while doing the same car to compare, no marring from that. I did not check with any swirl finding lights or anything but it was in bright sunlight.

The only way I can see it marring anymore than clay is if somehow you pick up a big chunk of something and the sponge rubs it around, but that seems unlikely if your car isn`t a big mess. The way it is supposed to work is it is shearing the contamination, not sucking off pieces of it. TBH I don`t recall seeing chunks of anything on real clay, just lines from where the contamination was rubbed off.

As always, YMMV but at $10, you don`t have much to lose.

[Striker]

OP here after a few months.

If we are talking a brand new vehicle. What’s the best treatment for this ?

I plan on applying a ceramic coating.

What’s the best approach?

1-decon(iron x)- clay glove
2-just glove it and apply my ceramic coating?




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[TroyScherer]

OP here after a few months.

If we are talking a brand new vehicle. What’s the best treatment for this ?

I plan on applying a ceramic coating.

What’s the best approach?

1-decon(iron x)- clay glove
2-just glove it and apply my ceramic coating?

I would test a vertical and a horizontal panel for a chemical deacon like IronX. But in reality if I’m doing that I might as well just do the deacon.

Then an I would move on to your clay bar or clay mitt.

But if your using clay the chances are you will need to lightly polish as well. For me even using a lite grade clay mitt leaves some marring. I would not coat over that without polishing.