Hi everyone, I hope this is not a repeat post....

I just clayed my car and used the Zaino wax on it-first time I've ever done this on any car-and it turned out so great! I mean, the paint might as well be glass, it's so smooth and shiny. As I'm new to this process, I wonder how often I should use the clay bar on my car? From what I've gathered, for a average driver, waxing it once a quarter should be sufficient. Would you recommend using the clay each time before I wax? And in that case, would it be okay to use the Dawn solution to wash my car each time before I use the clay? Thanks in advance for your input.

 

1. If you maintain the wax, you'll never need to clay unless you get some severe water spots (acid rain) or other surface type deposits.

2. No, I wouldn't clay ever again if you maintain the wax. Wash with the Zaino car wash or another good brand, but DO NOT use Dawn again.

The Zaino site gives some great tips.

My general MO is to wash the car with Zaino and put another coat of Z-2 on after the car has been dry. Let sit for about an hour and remove. Then spray down with Z-6. Since I usually wash the car every 2 to 3 weeks, I will sometimes skip the Z-2 and just Z-6 it.

Like I said, the DAWN will strip all the Zaino off and even though you've already clayed, it wouldn't be necessary to reclay unless you had some surface deposits that needed to come out, and even then, I would only do that specific area.

 

You should clay your car when you run your hand across the car after you have applied wax and it is still not smooth. i fully agree with NOT using dawn. I'd rather use a polish with some light cleansers in it.

 

Are you sure DAWN strips off wax? It's a mild detergent. I can't imagine is being capable of removing wax.

The only thing to get the wax off your car completely is by claying it. You wash before you clay because you want to remove as much dirt off the surface of your car to minimize scratching when claying.

I will be suprised to learn if this is true because there is more harmful chemicals picked up from the road during a rain storm then DAWN. So if ZAINO can stand up to that then it should stand up against DAWN.

 

Dawn may be mild but it's still a detergent. Most detergents are a "base" when it comes to PH levels. Bases are really good for degreasing things. But for the most part, will strip off the wax on paint. You may be picking up chemicals from the road, but it wont be dawn. If you goto a junk yard, you can give this a try. Wash and wax 2 small spots. Use dawn on one and let it dry, then see if the wax is still there. Compare it to the spot with wax still on it. You will see a difference.

 

Never use dishwashing liquid to wash cars unless u want to strip all the wax off!

 

I don't believe it... i have to see this to believe it. The only thing that will strip wax off completely is by claying it. You only wash the car before claying to remove any dirt on the finish.

 

Haven't you seen what Dawn will do to greasy dishes? If it will do that to dishes then why don't you think it will do it to your car? Ask any detailer and they will tell you that Dawn will strip oils from your car. That is mainly why Zaino recommends that you use it before using their products. Zaino won't bond to the oils so you want to strip them off first.

The jury is still out on whether or not Dawn will strip Zaino. Most of the people I have talked to say that Dawn isn't strong enough. Zaino and Klasse are pretty tough and it would take light polishing at the very least to remove them. Dawn might dent them, but it wouldn't remove them totally. Wax is pretty fragile so I don't see why Dawn couldn't remove that.

You should clay your car whenever it needs it. If you live near a freeway or a refinery then you are going to need to clay more than the guy who lives 60 miles outside of town. If you do a lot of freeway driving then you'll need to do it more than one who doesn't. It is cleaning off the Industrial Fallout that comes out of polluted air and the brake dust that melts into your clear coat. Wax and sealants won't protect you from that. I clay my car at least twice a year because that is how much my car needs it. I also change products twice a year so its just part of my preperation process. Its true that if you keep the surface clean and waxed then you will have to clay less, but its still something that you want to keep an eye on.

 

All I'm saying is DAWN will not remove Zaino... oil yes but not Zaino.

 

i think Dawn will NOT remove Zaino, but it will remove WAX... i would call Zaino a sealant rather than just wax....

 

Well, since Zaino has zero "wax" in it, then I would say that is a correct assumption. :p People use the term "wax" for lack of a better word. If they don't know what a sealant is then they just call it a wax. Kind of like how every tissue is called a Kleenex and every bandage is called a Band Aid.