I screwed up, help!

**ISLANDSBEST** · 08-18-2001, 04:21 PM

Views/experiences on MF wash mitts? Recommendations?

**Koyaanisqatsi** · 08-19-2001, 10:24 AM

I used it a few times. I found that it held the dbris too close to the surface. I have a 4x4 that sees some off road use while hauling my dirt bike. When I would wash the truck, if there were any small stones stuck in the mud it would grab them and hold them pretty close to the surface. They were pretty hard to pick out as well. I ended up switching to a cotton chenille mitt with better results. If you car isn`t too dirty the MF mitt would work great. Just be careful about debris getting stuck in it. I still us the MF mitt on the wife`s car and it works fine.

**bobdec** · 08-19-2001, 11:43 AM

I really like the mf mitts for interior cleaning. You can get down between seats and under the dash easier with the mitt on. Great for wiping the instrument panel and the dust off the dash. I don`t like them for washing the paint. I prefer a 100% rayon synthetic chamois to wash the outside. They hold lots of water and are easily rinsed to prevent scratching.

**Don2000g** · 08-19-2001, 12:22 PM

I would tend to agree with Koyaanisqatsi`s advice. If your car is a garage queen, then the microfiber wash mitts would be a good choice. Laters.

**YoSteve** · 08-19-2001, 12:32 PM

I use a mini-microfiber towel to wash my car. It sorta takes long (doing 1 panel at a time), but I like to baby my car. Check out the thread on how I use a foam despenser aided by a mini-mf towel.

In the picture, you can see it`s a very very light colored blue (ice blue) and you can easily see when there`s dirt on the towel. The dirt rinses clean when at almost every pass I dip it into a bucket of clear water.

**ISLANDSBEST** · 08-20-2001, 03:27 AM

Thanks for your experiences and advice.

Unless others report more favorable experiences with MF and paint, it looks like it is a "pass" at this time for using the mitts on the exterior.

**unexplainedbacon** · 11-13-2009, 01:36 AM

So i get around to claying today, first time ever for this. read the directions, have a decent idea about it from reading on here (plus its not the most complicated thing to do) and after its all said and done you can see tons of streaks all over the car. I used tons of lube (the whole bottle down to the last few drops) and It didnt seem to me like I used much pressure with the clay, kinda just let it glide, but I must have because you can clearly see these lines in the exact direction that i clayed in (straight lines back and forth) Ill have to post pics.

Advice? Do i need to go to someone to do some legit correction now on this? Is there anything i can do myself to fix it?

Thanks!

Signed,

Bone head.

**imported_Stokdgs** · 11-13-2009, 03:42 AM

Hey it will be alright.

While you were claying, did the claybar ever stop and stick to a place and you had to lift it off and keep going??

Whose claybar (brand) did you use?

What was the lube (brand) you used?

What color is the paint, did you wash the car first and then clay it, tell us the sequence you used to do this process.

Is the paint really smooth now since you clayed the car ?

Good luck with this..

Dan F

**dennn** · 11-13-2009, 05:21 AM

Don`t worry. Those may be just dried clay lubrication. Just wash the car again and see if the streaking go away.

Clay may cause marring on softer paints. That`s why you buff the car using a polish or a cleaner wax.

**gmblack3** · 11-13-2009, 07:58 AM

Its claybar marring. Some paints are just so soft, marring can be hard to avoid.

Do you have a PC, white pad and a finishing polish? A very mild polishing will bring it back.

**unexplainedbacon** · 11-13-2009, 10:55 PM

Originally Posted by Stokdgs

Hey it will be alright.

While you were claying, did the claybar ever stop and stick to a place and you had to lift it off and keep going??

Whose claybar (brand) did you use?

What was the lube (brand) you used?

What color is the paint, did you wash the car first and then clay it, tell us the sequence you used to do this process.

Is the paint really smooth now since you clayed the car ?

Good luck with this..

Dan F

Turtle Wax Ice, the "liquid" clay bar, and also the clay and turtle wax lubricant, paint is the dark metallic gray from a 01 Lexus IS300.

I will say the paint feels AWESOME it was ridiculous how much came off onto the clay bar, i sprayed a small surface several times then ran the clay in a back and forth motion until it didnt have any grit feel to it. I did wash it thoroughly before claying. It did snag at some places, either i accidentally crossed over into an area that hadnt been lubed yet or after making a clean surface on the clay it was rough for the first few strokes.

Originally Posted by gmblack3

Its claybar marring. Some paints are just so soft, marring can be hard to avoid.

Do you have a PC, white pad and a finishing polish? A very mild polishing will bring it back.

No but im seriously considering investing in a PC and doing this thing right. Might try and find a used one somewhere, either that or ill bite the bullet and spend the ~150

**imported_Bullitt** · 11-14-2009, 01:21 AM

Yep, it`s just marring from the clay bar. If you clay a softer paint it will happen easily, and on darker colors it`s hard to avoid, especially if it`s a medium or aggresive bar. This has already been said on this thread, just trying to back it up. A polish will clean it up with no problem.

**Todd@RUPES** · 11-14-2009, 06:32 AM

Claying is an abrasive process, although often very mild. If the paint is heavily contaminated it is almost impossible to remove the grit with out pushing some of it into the paint.

As Bryan mentioned a light polish will probably remove the scratches, unless you could `hear` the grit squeeking against the surface. Then the marks might be deeper.