Dawn vs Clay Bar

[jnelson1118]

Easy question for you all but need an explaination...Whats the difference between washing the vehicle with Dawn and Claying the vehicle?

[GTO Guy]

dawn strips all the wax and grease chemically. Clay removes all the embedded contaminants physically.

[Ashley@Adams]

Easy question for you all but need an explaination...Whats the difference between washing the vehicle with Dawn and Claying the vehicle?

 

Hi Justin,

 

Good question and Kris answered it perfectly. Clay removes things above the surface such as fall out, over spray, tree sap, caliper dust, etc. These are contaminants that only a clay bar can remove. Dawn will strip the wax and most of the chemical agents on the surface.

 

Claying will give you that smooth glass finish! You won't be able to keep your hands off your car! :2thumbs:

[EdH63]

There are chemical fallout removers (oxalic acids) that can be sprayed on the paint to soften and remove fallout in the wash. However, oxalic acid is not typically found in over the counter dish washing soaps.

 

Oxalic acid is a powdered crystal in its raw form, then emulsified into a liquid solution so that it can be sprayed from a decanter. Once sprayed onto the paint, you leave it to dry completely and then wash off in the bay. It will look like crystals, or ice, all over the paint once dried. It helps the clear to relax and release the particulates that contaminate the paint. A large percentage of these contaminates will disperse after this treatment in the wash process, but there really is no substitute for clay for 100% results.

 

As stated above, clay will give you a fantastic soft feel even before waxing, so once you've waxed, you'll have that WOW! moment. Keep this in mind also, once you've detailed the paint, you DO NOT want to continue to wash it with dish soaps. They are strippers, as mentioned already. They will diminish your wax finish everytime you wash with them. Use a neutral PH balanced soap, like the one Adam's has designed specifically for automotive paint finishes, to wash your car in between wax treatments. I believe Adam's car wash soap is around a 7 on the PH scale. PH starts at 7, and then moves up (+) or down (-) depending on the desired acidity or alkalinity that the manufacture wants to create. Road grim has been determined to be more alkaline based, so good car wash soaps should be developed to be as close to neutral or just above neutral on the alkaline side. Use dish soaps to strip the wax build-up before you detail again.

[Chris@Adams]

dawn strips all the wax and grease chemically. Clay removes all the embedded contaminants physically.

[Junkman2008]

Easy question for you all but need an explaination...Whats the difference between washing the vehicle with Dawn and Claying the vehicle?

 

One word: SWEAT.

 

However, claying removes all the impurities from the clear coat. Washing with Dawn does not. That would be the #1 major difference between the two processes. That would be another way to say what Kris said.

 

... Use dish soaps to strip the wax build-up before you detail again.

 

That totally depends on what you are doing. You would only use dish soap if you wanted to completely strip the finish of all wax, not necessarily if you're just going to detail the car. This is usually done when switching product brands or removing a wax build up problem. If you were to go over the car with just the Fine Machine Polish to enhance your shine before waxing again, that will also strip the wax off the car so washing it with Dawn is not necessary, nor is it the only way to remove wax.

[Chewy]

More than not, I'll use a 50/50 mix of water and ISPA. Especially if all I'm doing is the hood. It lets me see the paint for what it really is. No fillers from the BG and such making it look better than it is.

 

Chris

[EdH63]

One word: SWEAT.

 

However, claying removes all the impurities from the clear coat. Washing with Dawn does not. That would be the #1 major difference between the two processes. That would be another way to say what Kris said.

 

 

 

That totally depends on what you are doing. You would only use dish soap if you wanted to completely strip the finish of all wax, not necessarily if you're just going to detail the car. This is usually done when switching product brands or removing a wax build up problem. If you were to go over the car with just the Fine Machine Polish to enhance your shine before waxing again, that will also strip the wax off the car so washing it with Dawn is not necessary, nor is it the only way to remove wax.

 

The OP wasn't asking about using a buffer to strip wax, so I offered the easiest solution, washing with dish soap and one that actually addressed the original question. Of course there are a number of ways to strip the car down. Personally, I would strip it down everytime before I resealed it. But, I would do it the easiest way, washing it, rather than laboring over it with a buffer. I wouldn't want any wax build-up on the finish.

 

That's the neat thing about detailing, there are a variety of different methods to achieve the same results.

[Junkman2008]

The OP wasn't asking about using a buffer to strip wax, so I offered the easiest solution, washing with dish soap and one that actually addressed the original question. Of course there are a number of ways to strip the car down. Personally, I would strip it down everytime before I resealed it. But, I would do it the easiest way, washing it, rather than laboring over it with a buffer. I wouldn't want any wax build-up on the finish.

 

That's the neat thing about detailing, there are a variety of different methods to achieve the same results.

 

I wasn't suggesting that he use a buffer to strip the wax, I was just stating that it does.

 

What you have to realize is who your targeted audience is on this forum. This is not Autopia. You don't want to talk over their heads. A lot of folks do this for fun, convenience, therapy and as a past time. They are not trying to be professional detailers.

[Kingsford]

Now instead of Dawn vs Clay Bar.... Dawn + Clay Bar = AMAZING!

 

I did a Dawn Wash about 3 months after I started using Adam's Products and it was like a fresh canvas and it took all the old crappy wax off, then the clay bar took care of the rest.

 

I did this.....

 

1. Dawn Wash

2. Dried

3. Adam's Wash

4. Dried

5. Clay Bar

6. SHR

7. Revive Polish

8. FMP

9. MSW

10. Americana (2 Days Later)

[Osok]

Now instead of Dawn vs Clay Bar.... Dawn + Clay Bar = AMAZING!

 

I did a Dawn Wash about 3 months after I started using Adam's Products and it was like a fresh canvas and it took all the old crappy wax off, then the clay bar took care of the rest.

 

I did this.....

 

1. Dawn Wash

2. Dried

3. Adam's Wash

4. Dried

5. Clay Bar

6. SHR

7. Revive Polish

8. FMP

9. MSW

10. Americana (2 Days Later)

 

Almost exactly what I do although I do my 2nd wash after I clay.

[Kingsford]

Almost exactly what I do although I do my 2nd wash after I clay.

 

I take that back thats what I did too.