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So, I'm slowly getting my car-care habits into shape. Mostly (okay, entirely) this consists of a weekly wash culminating with the application of Hydro and then drying. I'm still getting the hang of things, and I've got it down to about 45 minutes. Not great, but there are all the little shortcuts and efficiencies one learns with time, so I'm good with this for now.
My problem, now, is that I can't bring myself to clay, polish, and wax my car. Part of this is fear that I'll mess up the claying and haze the paint (and part of this is not knowing what clay to go with -- I see Meg's recommended a lot, but Sonus has an "extra-fine" clay that might be better for a noob), but part of this sounds like claying/polishing/sealing would, frankly, take forever. I've read up on the elastrofoam "clay sponges" that Autopia/Ultima is putting out, and while it sounds like they'd be easier, neater, and faster than clay, they're getting pretty mixed reviews, so oh well.
I know Kenchan has said that he only uses Hydro on his daily drivers (mine, too, is a daily driver, btw); can I get away with this, or am I gonna regret it in the long run?
Now, I want to get my car as shiny as possible, and I do have some OCD tendencies, but I need one last push. Reassure me that the claying process isn't as scary or arduous as it sounds, nor as time-consuming. (Or, if that simply isn't the case, reassure me that Hydro's good enough. )
I already bought my Klasse AIO (true to its name, this is good enough, right? It doesn't need an additional sealant?), now I just need the last bit of motivation (and clay) to go the final mile. (Well, not the final mile, but I don't see myself getting a buffer or something, so it's as far as I can see myself going.)
you won't regret using just Hydro if you can keep applying it at least
every other week or so. it easily lasts 4weeks from my experient. My
commuters are parked out doors 24/7. in fact, they have never been
inside my garage.
as far as claying and polishing, you *should* do it on occasion to
remove contaminants and minor swirls. I have not done either on my
commuters this year (yet? never? oh well ) since Hydro has been doing
a FANTASTIC job protecting and making my car look absolutely nice.
First, do you need to clay?
I'd say probably, but do the "baggie test" to see to what degree you might or might not need to clay. BTW, the baggie test is also very handy as you clay, to help determine if you're done claying or not.
Second, is it safe to clay?
Yes! I understand that claying sounds intimidating but there's nothing to fear. Worst case scenario: when you clay you scuff (= very light scratches) the paint a little. Clay scuffs are very light and superficial, which means they are always very easy to remove by hand with a light abrasive. That said, as long as you use enough lube spray, it is unlikely that you will scuff the paint anyway.
Third, which clay do you use?
It sounds like your concern is which clay is safest for a newbie. From that perspective, close your eyes and grab one!
Yes, there fine and medium grades of clay, the former being less aggressive and the latter being slightly more aggressive. HOWEVER, aggression levels in clay relate more to how quickly the clay performs- and less to how safe vs. dangerous it is. In other words, a medium grade will do the job a little more quickly than a fine grade, yet the scuffing risk is nearly the same (plus, as I said before, clay scuffing is so light and easy to remove by hand).
Forth, how time consuming is clay?
It depends on how badly the paint needs to be clayed. If it's in decent shape, then it won't take very long. If there is a significant accumulation of "gunk" on and in the paint, then it will take longer. Note that if the paint's in bad shape and you're tight on time, a brief clay job can still be very beneficial.
Fifth, is claying easy?
Yes, extremely so! Although it can be time consuming (see above), it requires almost no muscle strength or endurance. Because of the lube spray, the clay just glides atop the paint with almost no effort at all. It feels like you're doing nothing at all, even though you realize that you have done a good deal when you wipe the panel you've just clayed.
Sixth (I didn't realize how many numbers I was going into! ), what does claying do?
If your paint needs to be clayed, clay will enable your wax to bond better to the paint- resulting in better durability and protection. And, claying will remove the tiny bits that interfere with a perfect reflection. We like to use a dusty mirror analogy... if a mirror is dusty, you can't see the individual particles of dust from a few feet away yet your image is affected by them. As everything we see is a reflection of light, gunk on and in your paint interferes with the way your paint looks.
Seventh (shwoo!), is Klasse AIO "enough" by itself?
Sort of. Although one of the best "all-in-one" products on the market, IMO, AIO had a slight formula change a few years ago, as required by California's VOC regulations. The new formula, while still excelling at cleansing and filling, does not last as long from the protection standpoint as it once did.
So, you either have to reapply every couple of months (actual durability depends on exposure, etc) OR top with Klasse Sealant Glaze (which can be a pain to work with, IMO) OR top with the Hydro you already have.
IMO, do AIO every 6 months and do Hydro at every month and you'll have PLENTY of protection from Hydro plus the cleansing/prepping/filling abilities of AIO.
In summary, here's what I would suggest, based on what you have and what seem to be your goals:
Do the baggie test.
If the baggie test tells you to clay, then clay using whatever clay is most handy to obtain. (just be sure to use a lube spray. Click here for more clay tips)
Use Klasse AIO every 6 months, primarily for its cleansing and prepping abilities and somewhat for its protection.
Use Prima Hydro every month (or more if you want to) for ongoing protection.
I hope that helps! Bottom line, have fun. (sorry that I'm so long-winded!)
Klasse All in One and Sealant Glaze do not fall into the "not arduous" camp when it comes to detailing. Neither is easy to remove, and SG is especially difficult.
I'd recommend Meguiar's NXT wax if you want something effective and easy to use. Once it dries you can remove it with almost no pressure, it almost brushes off. (Just don't get it on the black trim.)
__________________
A car is safe in a garage, but that is not what cars are for.
I was scared of claying my car too. But I bought the meguairs clay kit and my friend showed me how to do it. Its very easy to do and its safe. Just remember to keep spraying the quick detailer.
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04 MCS IB/W, Bonnet Stripes, Premium, Sport, and Cold pkg, HK sound system Added: Aero Kit, Angel Eye Turn Signals, Dinan CAI, Dinan 15% Pulley, Ian's V6 Mini Circuit, Invidia N1 Exhaust, JCW 380cc Injectors, JCW Carbon Fiber Dash Set, LOTF Engine Damper, MINI Auxiliary Input, MINI Cooper Armrest, M7 antenna stubby (stolen), RMW Tune, and more to come :)
My experience with NXT is that it doesn't last very long. If I were going to recommend an easy-on-easy-off wax/sealant it would be Epic, because it will last 3-6 months. Then you can Hydro over it for added protection and shine.
Whoo, what a nice batch of responses! Thanks to everyone -- especially the very pleasantly and welcomedly (yeah, that's not a word but oh well) long-winded Heather!
I got to read (though not respond to) some of those great replies before I left work yesterday, so I stopped off at Autozone and picked up Meg's clay kit and Meg's Ultimate Quik Detailer (which was $9.99 before a $5 rebate, and was thus a no-brainer).
I think I'll have free time this Sunday for the popping of the clay & Klasse cherries, but first one more question! How much time would I need to set aside for everything, keeping in mind that I'll be erring on the side of caution and slowness this first time around? Gotta tell the gf how long she's going to have to miss me, after all. ;)
Oh, one more minor Q: Any minor scuffing I may inflict on my poor Mini should, assuming I don't seriously bollocks up the works (don't worry, it's not like I'll be dropping the clay then picking it back up for use or anything), be taken care of/filled in by the AIO?
so I stopped off at Autozone and picked up Meg's clay kit and Meg's Ultimate Quik Detailer (which was $9.99 before a $5 rebate, and was thus a no-brainer).
what??!! you're suppose to order things from here:
you said you wanted to be OCD. off-the-shelf is junk. now go return it
and order the real products from www.detailersparadise.com
you must now order one gallon of each: Slick, Hydro, Clarity.
go do it now!!! hehehe
Slow down, Kenchan! He only bought his clay and lube at Autozone... not other supplies. Clay is clay for the most part so he can buy it wherever he wants. The quality difference in clay is nonexistant. Besides, we can't ship it in time for his weekend project.
Thanks for the plug of course, but at least wait until he's going beyond clay! Jeesh.
OMG WTF did the Hydro gallons go on the DP website..... I need to order it!!! I need my Hydro fix
The gallons of Hydro will be back online again very soon. While we were busy scrambling to get new labels for Clarity made, we neglected poor Hydro. Now we're waiting on a new shipment of Hydro labels. So, we have the gallon jugs but no labels for them. I'd offer you the gallon without the labels but we'd get in trouble.
Give me a couple of weeks and we'll have the jugs back up again. Sorry!
Slow down, Kenchan! He only bought his clay and lube at Autozone... not other supplies. Clay is clay for the most part so he can buy it wherever he wants. The quality difference in clay is nonexistant. Besides, we can't ship it in time for his weekend project.
Thanks for the plug of course, but at least wait until he's going beyond clay! Jeesh.
-Heather
PrimaClay and QD is still better.
actually PrimaClay is real nice in warmer months. it's soft and
stretches and kneads like other clay without being too sticky.
it's perfect for me.
The gallons of Hydro will be back online again very soon. While we were busy scrambling to get new labels for Clarity made, we neglected poor Hydro. Now we're waiting on a new shipment of Hydro labels. So, we have the gallon jugs but no labels for them. I'd offer you the gallon without the labels but we'd get in trouble.
Give me a couple of weeks and we'll have the jugs back up again. Sorry!
-Heather
I have to ration my remaining 8oz until then:impatient
__________________ 07 MC LB/W Bonnet Stripes, Comfort Access, Fog Lights, Cold Weather, Premium, HiFi, Rear Spoiler, Bel STI Driver RD, Dual Laser Interceptor LIDAR Jammer
Oh, one more minor Q: Any minor scuffing I may inflict on my poor Mini should, assuming I don't seriously bollocks up the works (don't worry, it's not like I'll be dropping the clay then picking it back up for use or anything), be taken care of/filled in by the AIO?
The clay's not going to scuff anything, but if it did the AIO probably will clean it up fine since it would be really minor.
__________________
A car is safe in a garage, but that is not what cars are for.
Hey now, don't go talking about me in the third person yet. It takes more than that to scare me off.
Kind of ironically, given the current state of supply and demand, you posted that shopping list as I had my delivery of a gallon of Hydro sitting right next to me.
And don't worry, I'll be ordering more Slick and Hydro sooner or later. Nero is, what, tires? I've never been that picky about my tires, to be honest. So, hey, maybe that's the next part of this thread title -- getting me to be OCD about tires!
And depending how the claying/AIOing goes, I could see myself maybe ordering a bottle of Epic to seal the works next time around, as I remember seeing Heather say somewhere around here that Prima/Epic and Klasse play very well together.
)
(sorry that I'm so long-winded!)
you're suppose to order things from here:
07 MC LB/W Bonnet Stripes, Comfort Access, Fog Lights, Cold Weather, Premium, HiFi, Rear Spoiler, Bel STI Driver RD, Dual Laser Interceptor LIDAR Jammer
