I wash my car about once a week with Turtlewax soap. I notice a lot of stubborn grime spots that remain after washing, and I have to go back and scrub them hard to remove them. I'm probably incorrect in using my clay bar to remove some of these stubborn little bits of grime. I feel roughness on the paint only months after clay barring. So what I'm wondering is.....

Is my soap too weak? Should I wash the car with something strong like DISH SOAP to really get it clean, then follow up with a coat of wax? I'm thinking I'll start using dish soap for the pre-wax washes, and use something more gentle for the regular washes.

Any thoughts here?

Kenny

 

I'm not a big fan of using dish soap. This is a big debate. Really there is no need to use it. Just wash the vehicle and then claybar. If there is any clay residue left the polish will remove that. Then just top with your wax or sealant. I only clay about every 3 months.

 

wats up with ur sig!!

 

Part of the equation you have not mentioned is if your car is a daily driver and if it is garaged or not. That along with other environmental conditions will play into feeling the "grime" sooner than other times.

Clay works wonders to remove surface contamination. Improperly used however it can damage the finish. Over the past two years I have only clayed my car weekend toy two or three times. For me it is on an as-needed basis, especially if it involves more than spot cleaning.

Use a good car wash like Meguiars Gold Class or the like. Something that offers a lot of lubrication between your wash mit and the car's surface. Use a quality wash mit as well and think about using the two-bucket method. (soap in one, rinse water in the other). This will help prevent marring.

As Juztang said, there is a great debate about dish soap and its uses to clean automotive finishes.
I understand that it will eventually dry out rubber components on the car.

Also consider a quality sealant instead of just wax to help protect the car for much longer lengths of time.
An example and one that I have used is PoorBoys EX. On a daily driver that sits outside constantly I am seeing better than three months protection as the water is still beading nicely. I topped a 1991 Nissan Maxima car with PB EX on August 16th, 2006 and was told by the owner last week that the water is still beading very nicely.

HTH.

 

My car is a daily driver so unfortunately, it has to deal with frequent rain and snow. I do garage it, however. I work hard to keep it spotless, doing as you suggest, good soap and a good mitt. I like to wax it frequently with Meguiar's step 3 carnauba.

I'll probably start clay barring more often, with extreme caution. I'm noticing good clay bar lubrication with ordinary car wash soap and water. The expensive spray that comes with the bar doesn't seem as slippery as soap.

Kenny

 

It's generally accepted (but much debated as well) that you should use the lubricant that's included in the clay bar. When you run out of lubricant (usually an instant detailer), it's an indication that your clay bar is probably due for replacement... it could be leaving a sticky residue itself.

And since you have problems, I'm thinking that if you leave soap residue on the vehicle after claying, likely it'll attract dirt.

And don't forget to wax after claying as the bare finish will attract dirt.

There is also some debate as to how often you should clay... under "normal" conditions, a couple times a year. But dealing with rain and snow (and the resulting road debris and sludge), you might have more of a reason to clay more often. If you use a good, clean clay bar, there isn't any foreseeable problems with claying as often as necessary.

But try this... before washing, use the car wash concentrate to pre-treat those grimy areas... I do this with Mothers California Gold Car Wash and it works pretty good... I'll go around the car with my bottle and hit problem areas with just a dab of soap on my hand.

And when you do wash in the winter, use warm water in your wash bucket if you can.

You might try using a spray wax after washing, something like Mothers FX would be suitable to offer some quick protection with the ease of an instant detailer... you can do it while you dry the car.

 

Spray wax would be a whole lot faster, good suggestion. I rarely have the time to do a proper wash (1 hour) and a wax (another hour).

Ken