Clay, Polish wax?

powellt28

New member
I love a clean car. I usually wash at least once a week and wax pretty often. My car has 30,0000 miles on it and im wanting to clay and polish it. Can i clay, polish and wax it all in the same day? is this safe for my clearcoat. i plan on using a polish that isnt abrasive as my car's paint is in very good condition IMO. I am switching over the NXT wax to see how weel it works. Any help on the matter would be great! :xyxthumbs
 
I love a clean car. I usually wash at least once a week and wax pretty often. My car has 30,0000 miles on it and im wanting to clay and polish it. Can i clay, polish and wax it all in the same day? is this safe for my clearcoat. i plan on using a polish that isnt abrasive as my car's paint is in very good condition IMO. I am switching over the NXT wax to see how weel it works. Any help on the matter would be great! :xyxthumbs
 
Powell ,

As long as your paint is the original , clay your car & glass & then use a paint cleaner such as Meguiar's California Gold #30 ( step 1 of 3 ) with a blue pad afterwards washing it .

Then a good polish such a Optimum polish with a blue pad at slower speed or final finishing pad if you have no marrs swirls or otherwise .

Have you considered a good sealant such as Meguiars #21 so you don't HAVE To wax your car weekly ? You can still apply the NXT over top of it after every wash for a little extra protection if you like ( with quality car wash not dishliquid ) but #21 alone will last a STRONG 3 months + if applied right
 
:welcome



If the finish is in good shape you should have no trouble washing, claying, polishing and waxing in one day, on a normal sized car anyway.



If you had a few defects to remove or just have a big vehicle it could be a long day.





PC.
 
powellt28- Welcome to Autopia!



Doing all three steps in one day would be a considerable undertaking and most people find that this stuff takes far longer than they expect it will. I'd allocate two days if only so you don't feel rushed/under pressure. You'll see how long it takes *you* and then you'll know for next time.



Even mildly abrasive polishes are safe for clearcoats. You can polish many, many times without taking off too much clear as long as you're not too aggressive about it. I've polished some of our vehicles dozens of times without trouble. And often, polishes containing (mild) abrasives are easier to use. Just don't use something very harsh (those aren't suited to hand use anyhow) and you'll be fine. But there are many good choices both with and without abrasives.



If you really want to try a nonabrasive polish, one that would compliment your NXT would be Step #2 in the Meguiar's Deep Crystal line. You might even want to use their Step #1 first, right after claying. Most people find these products quite easy to use and they're commonly available.
 
#21 is sort of "the professional version of NXT", you get from Meg's pro dealers like body shop and paint suppliers. It comes in half gallon jugs.



It's is a somewhat different formula from NXT but the changes are more for the professional application environment (you can use a rotary) than protection. If you're already using NXT it's not likely you'll notice a significant difference.





PC.
 
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