Wash after clay

ACE

ACE

What's that smell?
Do most of you wash the car again after you clay, or do you just start your polish routine? It would seem to me that it would probably be a good idea to rewash just to get any crud off, as well as all that lubricant, which could cause bonding problems with certain products used after. BTW- I was practicing with some clay on my black 1989 Mazda and it made an amazing difference. The finish felt like it was compounded. Probably not a bad idea to practice on a station car before you try it on your new ride anyway!
 
Hey there ACE,

I usually don't wash after I clay...

I use a solution of car wash soap & water so that way, all I have to do is rinse the soap off after I am finished with each panel.

This saves alot of time...I don't believe there is a reason to wash after claying, IMO.
 
An interesting thought- after you wash your car, do you think it would work if you just resoaped a panel and clayed, rather than dry and then use clay with a QD spray? That would seem to save quite a bit of time and wash off any clay residue as well.
 
I used to wash after claying, but I have the same routine as 02 LTZ, almost...,
I clay, using Zaino Z-7 as a base for the clay lube. after claying, I use Meguiars final inspection to wipe the car down to remove any traces of clay.
I then go to buffing or whatever the "next step" needs:)
At one time I would rather buff or wax the car than wash it..., don't ask why, I have no Idea, I have always hated washing the cars...,
don't mind it near as nuch now that I have found an easier and faster way to wash and dry:)
 
ACE said:
An interesting thought- after you wash your car, do you think it would work if you just resoaped a panel and clayed, rather than dry and then use clay with a QD spray? That would seem to save quite a bit of time and wash off any clay residue as well.
Click to expand...

That's what I do! Saves a lot of time!:D Be careful though, mix another bucket of suds for this and go HEAVY on the soap. This will help lubricate the clay.
 
Typically a polishing follows claying, so a wash isn't really required. Too if you happen to have clay resudue on the paint, a wash generally won't easily remove it, but polishing will.

I think it ends up beng a choice of personal preference.
 
I usually do not have to wash after I clay (I do what ACE suggests with a qd). In case you want to be sure the surface is clean, I use Poorboy s&w (it is faster than washing and leaves the car clean in minutes).
 
I wash after.

I wash after clay. I clay with QD or other spray for lube and let it dry on the car (rather not stop the flow.) Then I wash again quickly . Advantage for me is it gets the car real clean before any other steps and makes sure I do not miss a spot. The second wash never takes very long as the car is pretty clean by then.

-Matt
 
I wash again after I clay as well. I have found that this is usually best, especially if the car was very dirty, because the ammount of residue can be ungodly.
 
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