Drying before claying - Necessary?

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eleven11

New member
I've read of some people who list drying before claying. Others who clay when they wash. If I plan on rewashing after I clay, is there any advantage to drying before I clay? Personally, I would think that the extra water would help with lubrication to a degree (versus a completely dry surface). Any input is appreciated. Thanks! :thx
 
I am quite anal about stuff and I wash, dry, clay, wash dry and then polish, probably not needed but I need something to fill my days :p
 
Ive always washed, dried, clayed, then straight to polish.



I know of people who clay while they wash though. For me its just easier to clay as a separate step.
 
If you are going to rewash after claying as you say, I see no reason or need to dry before claying.



But .... everybody has their own favorite way of doing things. No harm either way IMO.
 
smprince1 said:
If you are going to rewash after claying as you say, I see no reason or need to dry before claying.
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Very true, I suppose its habbit that I dry after I wash.



I guess its also to see if I have missed any areas when washing. Yes it is a big sin and I look a fool for doing so but on a dark car it can happen.



I think its best to pick that up when drying, rather when draggin the clay across the car along with the dirt.........



Dave
 
Thanks for all of the input. I've never thought of claying after one wash/rinse/dry cycle - another method to consider. :up
 
stiffdogg06 said:
All you really need to do is.



Wash, Clay, Wipe off Clay Lubricant Lube, Polish.:secret
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Its imperative to rinse before claying. It makes for longer lasting clay, as well as reducing marring from the actual claying process. One would not want anymore fallout on the surface then what your trying to remove.
 
eleven11 said:
I've read of some people who list drying before claying. Others who clay when they wash. If I plan on rewashing after I clay, is there any advantage to drying before I clay? Personally, I would think that the extra water would help with lubrication to a degree (versus a completely dry surface). Any input is appreciated. Thanks! :thx
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If you're gonna clay after you wash, drying would be a waste of time.
 
i wash the car, rinse then clay ....i clay with water....lubricating products dont make the clay as effective....OF course there are different cases ...a dark car i would use water with some( a drop in a spray bottle) baby shampoo in it and a milder clay bar....again other conditions can change that for me also ....but with my own silver car its wash rinse clay rinse dry ...
 
Do you guys clay the whole car or just spots that are rough? This seems like a very long process. So you guys wash, rinse, clay, dry, and polish in one day? I haven't waxed my car before but I heard it took my friend like 4-5 hours to do it.
 
matryx said:
Do you guys clay the whole car or just spots that are rough? This seems like a very long process. So you guys wash, rinse, clay, dry, and polish in one day? I haven't waxed my car before but I heard it took my friend like 4-5 hours to do it.
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my car is clayed and waxed once a month washed one to two times aweek....so doesnt take me long to clay and wax at all...i am using a very nice clay bar ...i do this for a living though.....I clay the whole car :)
 
matryx said:
Do you guys clay the whole car or just spots that are rough? This seems like a very long process. So you guys wash, rinse, clay, dry, and polish in one day? I haven't waxed my car before but I heard it took my friend like 4-5 hours to do it.
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I wash, rinse, soap, clay, rinse, dry, polish. The foam gun has really made it a lot easier to clay the vehicle. I just spray down some thick suds and go to work. Takes me about a half hour to clay my entire 5-door hatch, a little more if there's some nasty stuff on the bumpers.



In general, I tend to spread my detail over a weekend. I'll wash and clay on a Friday night, then polish/wax on Saturday, followed by another coat of wax on Sunday and touch ups where necessary. I would say the whole process takes 10-12 hours start to finish, but I'm a perfectionist with my black metallic paint and will work an area until I'm satisfied. Plus, I don't have a rotary, so I need to work the PC to get the results I want.
 
matryx said:
Do you guys clay the whole car or just spots that are rough? This seems like a very long process. So you guys wash, rinse, clay, dry, and polish in one day? I haven't waxed my car before but I heard it took my friend like 4-5 hours to do it.
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Depends on the car. If it's a car that's 10 years old and has never been polished/waxed, I'll do the whole car. If it's a car that's taken care of then I'll just hit the spots that need it.



Yes, the whole process as you stated above is completed in a single day, as well as sealing/waxing, cleaning the glass, wheels, tires, cleaning and protecting the interior, etc. I did have one car that took me two days to detail, a total of about 16-17 hours in total. But that car was swirled to the high heavens, was black, and needed every single hour I spent on it.
 
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