Paint cleanser/Clay....How often?

Jayda · 06-03-2011, 06:56 PM

For a car that is basically garage kept at home and work and not driven in snow, how often do you need to clay the car (or use a paint cleanser)? Said another way, can you continue to wax the car every two months or so without doing the clay (or paint cleanser) step? Thanks!

sonicbimmer19 · 06-03-2011, 07:27 PM

Yes, you can continue to wax the car every two months without doing the clay. You don't HAVE to clay, although for maximum result, you should clay wax before waxing. Honestly, unless you're a professional owner of a show car, there is no need to clay wax your car.

It's totally ok to:
Wash your car once every 1-2 weeks
Wax your car every 4-6 months
Clay wax before every other wax job (8 months or 1 year)
(keep in mind, excluding us guys on this board, most people never once clay wax their cars)

What I do is:
wash my car every 2 weeks
Clay wax and wax every 4 months

hope this helps!

TOGWT · 06-05-2011, 08:41 AM

A specific regime for car care is obviously on an as needed basis, but a typical cleaning / care schedule might be-

Exterior
Wash –bi-weekly
Chemical clean – twice annually
Detailer’s clay – every nine months
Wax – four times annually
Wheel surfaces – bi-weekly
Sealants – every two years
Polish paint - annually

Interior
Vacuum and Wipe down surfaces - bi-weekly
Protection product application – monthly (dependent upon climatic conditions)

Complete detail
Interior and Exterior - annually

06-03-2011, 06:56 PM	#1
Jayda Lieutenant 41 Rep 509 Posts Drives: 2009 Z4 35i Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SC iTrader: (0)	Paint cleanser/Clay....How often? For a car that is basically garage kept at home and work and not driven in snow, how often do you need to clay the car (or use a paint cleanser)? Said another way, can you continue to wax the car every two months or so without doing the clay (or paint cleanser) step? Thanks! __________________ 2009 Z4 35i, alpine white with beige leather and all the goodies (new to me with 4,500 miles in October, 2011)
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06-03-2011, 07:27 PM	#2
sonicbimmer19 Lieutenant 72 Rep 487 Posts Drives: E88 and F32 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Los Angeles, CA iTrader: (1)	Yes, you can continue to wax the car every two months without doing the clay. You don't HAVE to clay, although for maximum result, you should clay wax before waxing. Honestly, unless you're a professional owner of a show car, there is no need to clay wax your car. It's totally ok to: Wash your car once every 1-2 weeks Wax your car every 4-6 months Clay wax before every other wax job (8 months or 1 year) (keep in mind, excluding us guys on this board, most people never once clay wax their cars) What I do is: wash my car every 2 weeks Clay wax and wax every 4 months hope this helps!
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06-05-2011, 08:41 AM	#3
TOGWT Captain 11 Rep 770 Posts Drives: 630i Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Ponte Vedra Beach, FL / London, UK iTrader: (0)	A specific regime for car care is obviously on an as needed basis, but a typical cleaning / care schedule might be- Exterior Wash –bi-weekly Chemical clean – twice annually Detailer’s clay – every nine months Wax – four times annually Wheel surfaces – bi-weekly Sealants – every two years Polish paint - annually Interior Vacuum and Wipe down surfaces - bi-weekly Protection product application – monthly (dependent upon climatic conditions) Complete detail Interior and Exterior - annually
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