Claying / Detailing in stages
Discussion
Hello again,
In relation to my previous topic, I am wondering if there is anything wrong with claying / touching up and detailing individual parts of the car on their own?
Sadly I don't have the time to do the whole car so was planning on doing the front one weekend, middle the next etc etc.
Anything fundamentally wrong with that?
This will be a full clay detail wax etc etc
Cheers
In relation to my previous topic, I am wondering if there is anything wrong with claying / touching up and detailing individual parts of the car on their own?
Sadly I don't have the time to do the whole car so was planning on doing the front one weekend, middle the next etc etc.
Anything fundamentally wrong with that?
This will be a full clay detail wax etc etc
Cheers
Nothing wrong with it at all. Just make sure that after claying the next panel ensure you go over to the previous panel slightly with the wax in case you ended up claying a bit of that one again (if that makes sense?).
I do this towards the end of the year with the LC in the garage. Generally the weather is turning & nights drawing in so I'll wash it outside then get it in the garage & clay/wax it over the course of a few days. I don't want to leave it unprotected by claying it fully but also don't really want to have to wash any dust off to wax it so do a bit at a time.
I do this towards the end of the year with the LC in the garage. Generally the weather is turning & nights drawing in so I'll wash it outside then get it in the garage & clay/wax it over the course of a few days. I don't want to leave it unprotected by claying it fully but also don't really want to have to wash any dust off to wax it so do a bit at a time.
As someone who has clayed cars previously I can't recommend one of these highly enough:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...
Loads of talk about them on Detailing World and the responses are generally positive. Instructions state to use with the special quick detailing spray which does work well. However, the easiest and cheapest way is to dunk the whole thing in a bucket of PH neutral shampoo. Use the microfibre side to wet part of a panel and then gently start to wipe with the clay side of the mitt - use straight strokes in line with the panel. Straight away you'll feel and hear the mitt lifting the contaminants. Make sure the panel stays wet (use quick detailer or more shampoo mix to do this) and keep going until the area you're working on is done. Trust me, you'll just know when it's time to stop - the sound and feel is completely different. Wet next part of panel, repeat the above process, and then when you've finished, dry the whole panel down.
The big advantages of mitts (and cloths which are also available) over traditional clays are that they're much easier to use, there's less risk of marring, they can be reused, and if you drop one, just dunk it back in your water and rinse out. When using it for the first time I washed and dried the car first, but next time I'd probably just wash using the two bucket method and start claying without bothering to dry the vehicle - it's only going to get wet anyway.
Total time to clay a car with one of these is probably thirty to forty minutes depending on the size of vehicle. Don't rush but no reason you can't do the whole car in one go. Alternatively, no reason you can't do a panel a week followed by a polish and wax.
Claying a car might seem like a lot of hassle but the finish you can get when a decent polish and wax is then applied is definitely worth the effort. Describing the finish as being like glass really is the only way to describe it.
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...
Loads of talk about them on Detailing World and the responses are generally positive. Instructions state to use with the special quick detailing spray which does work well. However, the easiest and cheapest way is to dunk the whole thing in a bucket of PH neutral shampoo. Use the microfibre side to wet part of a panel and then gently start to wipe with the clay side of the mitt - use straight strokes in line with the panel. Straight away you'll feel and hear the mitt lifting the contaminants. Make sure the panel stays wet (use quick detailer or more shampoo mix to do this) and keep going until the area you're working on is done. Trust me, you'll just know when it's time to stop - the sound and feel is completely different. Wet next part of panel, repeat the above process, and then when you've finished, dry the whole panel down.
The big advantages of mitts (and cloths which are also available) over traditional clays are that they're much easier to use, there's less risk of marring, they can be reused, and if you drop one, just dunk it back in your water and rinse out. When using it for the first time I washed and dried the car first, but next time I'd probably just wash using the two bucket method and start claying without bothering to dry the vehicle - it's only going to get wet anyway.
Total time to clay a car with one of these is probably thirty to forty minutes depending on the size of vehicle. Don't rush but no reason you can't do the whole car in one go. Alternatively, no reason you can't do a panel a week followed by a polish and wax.
Claying a car might seem like a lot of hassle but the finish you can get when a decent polish and wax is then applied is definitely worth the effort. Describing the finish as being like glass really is the only way to describe it.
Gassing Station | Bodywork & Detailing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff