[mitch88]

I just clayed my hood in prep for clear bra tomorrow and realize quite a bit of clay residue streaks. I washed after claying and that didn't take the streaks off and I tried to clay over streaked areas thinking it might take it off but it didn't. I'm using zaino which is a good clay so I don't know why this happened. Anybody that can help me out would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[BzsBimmer]

sounds like you didn't use enough lube and used too much pressure.
Strip it all down and start over

[sinnet112]

+1
You definitely need to use more lubricant. Re-claying will get rid of the clay residue.

[mitch88]

Thanks for the quick replies but I did use a lot of lube. I used the meguiar's quick detail and the bar wasn't sticking very much. I did reclay over some areas that looked smeared but it didn't do anything. I just tried wiping with my microfiber detailing towel and it seemed to remove most of the residue but not all. Would alcohol remove this?

[schneid4323]

they make lube just for clay, Mothers makes some alright bar/lube combo.


Please dont ever use alcohol on your paint....

[normtrum]

Originally Posted by mitch88

Thanks for the quick replies but I did use a lot of lube. I used the meguiar's quick detail and the bar wasn't sticking very much. I did reclay over some areas that looked smeared but it didn't do anything. I just tried wiping with my microfiber detailing towel and it seemed to remove most of the residue but not all. Would alcohol remove this?

The clay bar shouldn't stick at all.

[OC Guy]

Are you sure it is residue? Pics?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by schneid4323

Please dont ever use alcohol on your paint....

Using a combination of water and alcohol is a very common practice in the detailing industry. Many professionals will perform a water / isopropyl alcohol (50/50 mixture) wipe down when they are completed polishing to reveal the true condition of the clear coat without any fillers or oils, etc. It is a versatile tool when used correctly. It also works well for prepping trim, removing old wax build up, and has many other applications. It will remove any protective coatings that are on the paint (sealants or waxes), so you always want to make sure you follow up with your choice of paint protection after using ISA on your paint.

As far as the clay streaks is concerned, did you wipe off the clay lube after each pass of the clay bar? I know you said you rewashed but I was wondering if you let the clay lube sit on the surface prior to the wash. I've also had streaking problems when I last tried the Meg's QD as a clay lube, but were quickly removed as I began the polishing steps.

I also agree with normtrum, you shouldn't have experienced any sticking of the clay bar. This typically indicates that you either went beyond your area you lubricated, there were missed spots in the paint with clay lube, or not enough was used, but it sounds like you used enough.

Pictures may be helpful or go into a little more detail on your clay bar process.

George

[mitch88]

my process was as follow
wash
without drying I moved onto claying with meguiars lube and didn't feel like it was sticking
washed pretty much immediately
dried with MF waffel weave
then left with streaks that almost look like clear scratches or swirls but really bad ones
I then tried to clay over the streaked area which did nothing
I then tried a MF detail towel (damp) and it seemed to take out most of them except a few stubborn ones.
So should I try some 1:1 rubbing alcohol and water and MF detail towel.
I am prepping for clear bra tomorrow so I need to get the clay residue off soon!!
Thanks for all the help.

[Detailed Image]

I'd try the Alcohol / Water mixture first to see if that takes care of it, if not, switch to a non-abrasive cleaner polish and see if that does the trick. Worse comes to worse, do a pass of a light finishing polish. If none of those work, you must have done some serious damage somehow, which I highly doubt is the case.

Were you working outside when you did the process? Was it hot and sunny? I think the cause could have been because the clay lube wasn't immediately wiped off after you clayed an area. Unless you washed after each pass, a quality clay process takes roughly a half hour to an hour and a half or more if heavily contaminated. Just trying to help narrow down what went wrong so that it does not happen to you again.

George

[picus]

Originally Posted by schneid4323

they make lube just for clay, Mothers makes some alright bar/lube combo.

Please dont ever use alcohol on your paint....

As George mentioned, there isn't a single detailer I know, anywhere, that doesn't use the alcohol/water solution at some point. I use a 50/50 solution to wipe down polish residue on every car I detail; it's less harmful than most automotive soaps.

It sounds like this is just qd residue; alcohol/water should remove it; if not a light polish will.

[TRICKE90]

I've tried several clays and spray detailers for lube, so far the best combination IMO is Griot's clay and thier speed shine to me it works great, and it doesn't remove wax. Although I haven't tried The Zaino clay yet.

[TiAg335i]

You probably used too much lube which created the streaks. That's fine, just go over the car with a QD and MF.