Does claying remove wax and sealants?

T

theBrat

New member
I've heard that claying can remove wax and and sealant like AIO or SG but I don't see how. The clay just glides over the surface and picks up small microscopic contamination, so how does it attack wax and sealants? I'd like to maintain my finish by using a clay bar often but not if it strips everything off.
 
I believe that it does. When I clay a car properly then the water stops beading when it was beading before I clayed it. I'm sure it has the ability to remove sealants and waxes.
 
Indeed! Is clay effective when the paint has several coats of wax/sealant?



Do you have to strip the surface to bare paint for the clay to get enough "purchase" on the contaminants to remove them or shear them off?
 
I can't speak about waxes, but I doubt that claying will completely remove polishers that are polymer-based (or whatever they are chemically made of). I say this because I asked Sal Zaino about claying a Z'd car - he said it would not remove the polish. He explained that the polish/sealant may get contaminated over a year or so and that claying would remove the surface contamination, not the polish.



From my own experience, I have found some polymer polishes/sealants are not as lasting or resiliant as others, but I would have to presume that if the polish is in decent shape, claying will probably not remove it.



But hey, this is just conjecture on my part....
 
Yes, to some degree. It may not remove ALL protectants but I would always follow with a protectant. I believe that if you remove surface contaminants that you can not help but remove a portion of the protectant as well.



Clays are intended to remove above surface contaminates that have bonded to the surface. The key word would be, “bonded�. If the contaminate has bonded with the surface, has it not bonded with your protectant to some extent? :idea



Better to be safe than sorry…



Lynn
 
I've clayed the Zaino'd car. My eyes and hands tell me the clay definitely did not remove the Zaino, though some have suggested it might "reduce" it somewhat. So I clayed, then added another layer of Z.
 
Even if it doesn't remove the wax in all the areas, I like to apply wax afterward. Simply because to me,theres no wax at the areas where the contaminents were removed.



So instead of having contaminents you'd have a small spots with no wax.

I know the wax would probably even itself out after a wash and a dry, but if I'm gonna take the time to clay I take the time to wax.
 
theBrat - As you can tell, this can be another one of those "contentious topics" where the best we can do is agree to disagree (or say that "experiences and opinions vary"). Jngrbrdman and I, for instance find ourselves on opposite sides of this one all the time :cool: . SO...in my experience, GENTLE claying does NOT remove an appreciable amount of protection. I spot-clay with every wash and the areas in question still look/bead/etc. the same as the rest of the car. The last coat of SG went on the WRX (and the last coat of BFII went on the S8) before Thanksgiving and even with all the claying they STILL doesn't need redone.



[/QUOTE]but if I'm gonna take the time to clay I take the time to wax.[/QUOTE] Heh heh, more power to you. I barely have time to WASH 'em!
 
clay removes wax.



if you want your clay to last as long as possible, do a dawn wash to strip off the wax *prior* to claying. otherwise, you will just pull all your wax into the clay bar, leaving less room for the nasty bits you actually want the clay to remove.



obviously, do a good wax job after claying to get the protection/shine back on your paint!



-zs

ps ... no experience here with zaino and clay, sorry
 
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