how much lsp does a clay job actually remove ? im curious ...

[RyansAutoDetail]

after claying and washing my car twice since my brother effed up my old washmitts and ruined the smoothness of my newly bought car, i clayed it and used spray wax after lightly polishing the worse areas, although im feeling the smoothness diminishing rapidly and im pretty sure i need to do a full re-detail including stripping off the old wax polishing and re-waxing ,.... fml

it feels like there is still protection left on the surface but ill need it all gone so i can do it again

[TroyScherer]

Well it really depends on a few variables.

1. How aggressive the clay you are using is. (Sonus clay is suppose to to be LSP safe on some finishes. Where as Clay Magic Red is very aggressive and sure to remove all protection and leave some marring possibly on softer finishes.)

2. How aggressively you press on the clay. (The firmer you press the more contamination and protection can be removed.)

3. The lube you are using could also be leaving a film or small amount of protection behind. (Most OTC kits include a QD type lube that leaves some oils and protection behind IME. I always follow-up with final wash or IPA wipe down to ensure everything is clean.)

[Concours.John]

I feel Troy hit the nail on the head here. It sounds like you take care
of things. You may just need to remove left over LSP. A polish then reapplication of an LSP and you are good.

[Todd@RUPES]

after claying and washing my car twice since my brother effed up my old washmitts and ruined the smoothness of my newly bought car, i clayed it and used spray wax after lightly polishing the worse areas, although im feeling the smoothness diminishing rapidly and im pretty sure i need to do a full re-detail including stripping off the old wax polishing and re-waxing ,.... fml

it feels like there is still protection left on the surface but ill need it all gone so i can do it again

Most protection (waxes and sealants) are sub-micron in thickness. I would say that in most cases you remove your LSP fairly quickly when using anything but the finest clay bars (and even then its only a matter of seconds).