Clay and Wax Questions!

[Evil Red Demon]

Hey guys, I am planning on claying my car for the very first time this weekend, and I was wondering about a couple of different things. First off, should I wash my car with dish soap first, to strip of any wax on there, or should I use the regular car wash soap. Second, is it ok to use the NXT generation wax instead of the stuff that came with the kit. I ask this because I really dont want mothers wax on my car, because I will be using the NXT wax from then on after. Also if anyone has any other tips for me, please tell me! Thanx!

-Josh

[rs50fox]

dont wash with dish wash that is bad for the paint is what i have herd. all the was helps i guess

[F1GT]

As long as the car is clean, you can clay it. Hell, the other day, I washed, apply cleaner and then sealant. Then I went back and clayed it since it was still just sitting in the garage and then I reapply my sealant again. lol.

The wax that come with the clay bar is a cleaner/wax, you don't have to use it unless there are some light surface scratches you want to get rid of. NXT has some light cleaners in there as well, thats how it gets rid of swirl marks. But even before you apply your wax, the detailing spray will already make it very smooth after the clay job.

[Camarorulz]

First: I would never wash paint with dish soap. Just get some car wash soap as you said. Once the car is clean clay it (don't bother claying smooth panels, run your fingers along the clean paint to test it.) Then apply your sealant/wax.

Let me clarify something: Meguiar's NXT DOES NOT, I repeat, DOES NOT get rid of swirl marks. It will hide your swirl marks by filling them in temporarily, but the only way to get rid of swirls is by polishing or compounding. This is a common misconception. It's a great wax though, I definitely recommend it. It makes a great shine and protects your paint very well.

[articacid]

there is alot of people out there that are into the dish soap thing. i used to work at a body shop, it will not hurt the paint. but it will strip the wax. so if you do use it just make sure you wax it.

[shenanigans]

YOu can use the dish soap preferably Dawn, removes greases... It does remove wax, but that is what you are doing when you claybar, you are trying to remove wax and all other impurities off of the paint.

Then its just the paint clean and clear then you wax.

They say dishsoap will affect the clearcoat over time but that is if you wash your car with it like weekly.

Just use it everytime you clay, which will probably be twice a year or so.


I suggest wash the car, then wash it again, then use a soap, make it a stonger concentration in a spray bottle. Walk over the car and spray the an area with the concetration then use the claybar on the car. You are not "scrubbing" just sliding it around like a hockey puck on ice. YOu will feel where you need to fo over an area and where you don't need to.

Hotspots to hit... roof, hood, and defintely the rear bumper. But make sure you check your whole car. If you want to do a thorough job.


PS nothing removes swirls unless its some sort of harsher agent like a rubbing compound, likely with a buffer...

most cleaner waxes just fill in the swirls temporarily.

[Pewter2k Formula]

If you're planning on using Zaino or something different then what you're using for the 1st time then use the dishsoap. Like others said it will strip the car of what other stuff you have to start new. If youre not changing to a different polish then dont use the dishsoap and use the car wash. I always use a dime-size amount of the zaino car wash in a bottle of water and use that as a lubricant for the claying. I usually clay my car a few times a year. The back bumper always gets alot of tar on it.

[shenanigans]

I'd still dishsoap the car because by claying you are trying to remove the wax and everything dishsoap just removes more before you pull out the clay bar.

but don't use dishsoap as you clean it normally.

and wax/zaino/polish or whatever immediatlely.

[F1GT]

Originally posted by Camarorulz:
First: I would never wash paint with dish soap. Just get some car wash soap as you said. Once the car is clean clay it (don't bother claying smooth panels, run your fingers along the clean paint to test it.) Then apply your sealant/wax.

Let me clarify something: Meguiar's NXT DOES NOT, I repeat, DOES NOT get rid of swirl marks. It will hide your swirl marks by filling them in temporarily, but the only way to get rid of swirls is by polishing or compounding. This is a common misconception. It's a great wax though, I definitely recommend it. It makes a great shine and protects your paint very well.

Fill in with what? Wax? lol

Please, continue clarifying [img]graemlins/popcorn.gif[/img]

[Camarorulz]

Yes, exactly. The wax fills in the swirls. It hides them. That's why after a proper NXT application you don't see as many swirls. When you first apply NXT, you will not see swirls. If you immediately washed your car with something like Dawn to remove the wax I guarantee you will see all those swirls again. So YES, the wax fills in the swirls.

Originally posted by shenanigans:
PS nothing removes swirls unless its some sort of harsher agent like a rubbing compound, likely with a buffer...

most cleaner waxes just fill in the swirls temporarily.

I'm not the only one that knows this..

[articacid]

^^^ you are 100% right, the wax just fills in the swirls.

rubbing compound, polishing agents(the ones with very mild/light abrasives) are the only way to really get rid of swirls.

theres products like Scratch out that are very good at filling in swirls to hide them, but you have to put wax over top other wise its effect dont last very long.

[shenanigans]

Hence why if your oging to fill swirls you need to use something like Z5, that lasts a long time...


BOOYAAAHHH!!! I know you guys were waiting for me to mention a zaino product in this thread!

[F1GT]

Originally posted by Camarorulz:
Yes, exactly. The wax fills in the swirls. It hides them. That's why after a proper NXT application you don't see as many swirls. When you first apply NXT, you will not see swirls. If you immediately washed your car with something like Dawn to remove the wax I guarantee you will see all those swirls again. So YES, the wax fills in the swirls.

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by shenanigans:
PS nothing removes swirls unless its some sort of harsher agent like a rubbing compound, likely with a buffer...

most cleaner waxes just fill in the swirls temporarily.

I'm not the only one that knows this.. </font>[/QUOTE]So, according to your theory: If I have a Black car with swirls, I then apply this wax and it FILLs in all my swirls, correct? Then when this wax that is in all these swirls dries up, what happens? Exactly.
There are color waxes from Turtle Wax that FILLS scratches. And of course it has it's limits. But this is swirl marks we are talking about, on the clear coat.

Do you know what a cleaner is. NXT is a wax with slight cleaning properties, which means it has slight abrasives to rid the swirl marks. You mention polishing compound, rubbing compound, hell throw in paint cleaners and paint polishes. All the same thing, just different levels of abrasiveness. You said it yourself:

"but the only way to get rid of swirls is by polishing or compounding"

What do you think they contain? Exactly, abrasive cleaners. Again, NXT has slight cleaning properties, which means a light amount of abrasives. Thats how it rids the swirls. But it's not enough to put it in the cleaner/wax category. Eagle One Wet is another with cleaning properties as well. This is why Meguiars don't recommend you to use NXT to top of your sealants.

[F1GT]

Originally posted by Camarorulz:
If you immediately washed your car with something like Dawn to remove the wax I guarantee you will see all those swirls again. So YES, the wax fills in the swirls.

BTW, those are newly formed swirl marks. Since you stripped all the wax there is nothing to protect the clear coat. Don't believe me? Dawn a panel next time, but wash it and dry it in one direction. You will see for yourself.

[Camarorulz]

Dude, stop arguing, you're WRONG. I'm not going to swirl my panel with Dawn if I use the right kind of towels. Meguiar's NXT is not NEARLY abrasive enough to GET RID OF swirls, and yes I know what a cleaner is. The purpose of the cleaner properties in NXT is to clean contaminants off the paint and smooth it over, not to remove swirls. NXT only fills swirls, it cannot remove them: The Z5 does it too, if you read shenanigans' post. Do you seriously believe it's that easy? Why do people buy orbital and rotary buffers and polishing products out the *** if Meguiar's NXT rids paint of swirls? You have three relatively experienced people in this thread telling you one thing, and you're still arguing. Give it up and admit you're wrong.