Remove wax before clay??

**DAVESCHIM** · 03-04-2005, 07:47 PM

Just a quick newb question. Should I remove any wax on my car before I clay it? Like a wash with Dawn?? Thanks.

**Bill D** · 03-04-2005, 07:58 PM

Welcome to Autopia Daveschim :wavey

I`ve found ,depending on the last step product that is on the car, Dawn may or may not totally remove it. Some here may use a decontamination 3 step wash such as Valugard`s A-B-C system and clay during the middle step during a full detail

My approach is to wash as usual, clay using a QD as a lubricant and dry and then start working a panel at a time. I wipe down the newly clayed panel with Prep-All, a wax removing solvent,dab my finger in an isopropyl alcohol and water mixture and press them against the paint making sure I feel some tension or hear them squeak, that way I know there still isn`t anything on the paint. Once that is a go, I begin my polishing regimen.

**TW85 HHI** · 03-04-2005, 08:09 PM

Bill D,

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn`t polishing (abrasive and cleaner) remove any protective products that are on the paint?

**gto78** · 03-04-2005, 08:29 PM

for my personal preferance, if i`m worried about the wax not coming off completely to provide a clean base for the new wax, i use alcohol to remove the old wax.

**Bill D** · 03-04-2005, 08:30 PM

Originally posted by TW85 HHI

Bill D,

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn`t polishing (abrasive and cleaner) remove any protective products that are on the paint?

I don`t jump right into the polishing process because I want to inspect the condition of the paint without the sealant /wax first.

**imported_BadSL65AMG** · 03-04-2005, 08:39 PM

Originally posted by gto78

for my personal preferance, if i`m worried about the wax not coming off completely to provide a clean base for the new wax, i use alcohol to remove the old wax.

Wait! What?!?! Correct me if I`m wrong guys but alcohol is going to harm the finish. :nono I would wait on the alcohol until someone responds. I`m not a master detailer in any way shape or form, but acohol on the finish just sounds like disaster waiting to happen.

**Bill D** · 03-04-2005, 08:49 PM

A 50:50 mix of isopropyl alcohol and water is quite common practice in detailing.

Procedure using isopropyl alcohol

**imported_BadSL65AMG** · 03-04-2005, 09:10 PM

Wow, just shows I have alot to learn in the detailing field. Thanks for that info though, informative read. :up

**Lowejackson** · 03-05-2005, 10:33 AM

You do not need to remove wax before claying, it will not really alter the performance of the clay

**Accumulator** · 03-05-2005, 01:05 PM

For me it depends on what I`m trying to accomplish. I generally clay so gently that it won`t compromise my LSP. If you want to use the clay on contamination that`s *under* the LSP this won`t work. I don`t just "clay harder", IMO clay shouldn`t be used aggressively. If the LSP is "dead" this isn`t an issue, you can just clay normally and you`ll clay off the degraded remnants of the LSP along with the other contamination.

Whether I cut through my LSP with polish or use a solvent (like the alcohol mix or PrepSol or whatever) will depend on the job. If there`s still a good layer of LSP on there I`ll use the solvent.

Using a mild polish on a healthy LSP (e.g., 3M PI-III MG on KSG) can result in a bit of a mess, including residue that does *not* wipe off very easily. Not a huge problem, but a hassle nonetheless.