Ok guys, I need your help. I just brought my car to a professional detailer on 4/22 for detail job. He told me he used a scratch remover and that's all I heard. I assume he waxed it to. It's not smooth anymore after washing it more then 5 time since. I even used Mother's showtime after each wash. So this weekend I plan on doing the whole works myself. Should I :

1. Wash
2. Clay
3. polish
4. wax

or no need to clay just wash , polish and the wax the car ?

Thanks

 

If you want that smoooth feel when you run your hand along the car, claying will do an excellent job of that. You may not need to polish it though, since it was done earlier. Polish removes minor scratches. Happy detailing!

 

You need to evaluate the condition of the surface. You mentioned it's not smooth anymore and that would warrant claying. Claying prepares your surface and will remove contaminants especially brake dust that adhere to the paint. Refer to this link about claying.

 

If it has recently been polished then you will just need to

1. wash
2. clay
3. wash
4. wax

 

First I would take it back to the detailer and ask him what the deal is with his or her work? Did they wax it and if so what did they use?

If you want to tackle it yourself then I personally would use a fine polish, like Menzerna FPII and then wax it.

Also no need to wash the car, clay the car and then wash the car again. If you want to clay then wash the car, rinse it down and then clay it. Rinse it down again and then dry it.

Anthony

 

When I clayed my trunk lid this weekend, it left this weird milky residue on (the lubricant). Does that mean I should wash it all off again before polishing?

And where would the paint swirl repair product go on the list up top?

1.Wash
2.Clay
3.Paint Swirl
4.Polish
5.Wax

Sorry about the hi-jacking

 

1. Wash
2. Clay
3. Wash
4. Polish
5. Wax/LSP

 

When you polish, you are basically preparing your finish for wax. You are cleaning the paint, removing oxidation and minor swirls. More info about polishing can be found here. Hope this answers some of your questions.