Iron Remover Before or After Wash? Clay Bar?

[agdad]

After a wash , iron removal, and alcohol wipe.......

For a glass like shine with years of protection.......
All done by yourself......www.avalonking.com

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[ElleD]

I asked a similar question on Autogeekonline.net, an online forum for professional detailers and enthusiasts. The consensus was to 1) wash 2) iron remover and then 3) clay bar.

Your process sounds good. The only change I would make: I would not use After Wash as a claying lubricant or drying aid and I would not use the Black Light Car Soap. Both of these products contain gloss enhancers. When you are prepping a car to apply paint protection, you don't want to use any products that leave any kind of gloss enhancers or waxes behind. You want the paint to be as clean and bare as possible. My favorite wash to use before applying any paint protection is Mckees 37 Coating Prep Auto Wash. This is a powerful soap that will not only clean your paint but will also strip any previously applied waxes or sealants. So do not use it for maintenance washes. The After Wash and Black Light Soap would be fine to use for your maintenance washes after your sealant and wax are on the car.

If you prefer to do a rinseless wash, both ONR and Mckees37 N-914 can be used at a higher dilution to effectively clean and not leave anything behind. As for a clay lube, you can simply use ONR or Mckees37 at the clay lube dilution.

Thank you for these tips. I just did the ONR today because it took me a lot longer than it takes the experts on YouTube, and I also read that the iron remover can smell pretty bad. My work week is going to require all my little grey cells to be working, so I can’t risk a migraine today (which sometimes happens with strong smells). Also, I will be returning some unopened, unwrapped products and switching to others that you and others have mentioned, including the completely overlooked IPA. So when I get the correct line up, Darksaber will get the complete treatment.

I am happy to have gotten Darksaber a bit cleaner!

 

[ElleD]

After a wash , iron removal, and alcohol wipe.......

For a glass like shine with years of protection.......
All done by yourself......www.avalonking.com

I do not have IPA, that is in my shopping cart.

Pan speaks very highly of Avalon King. This whole car washing thing is new to me, as my poor Outback could tell you. I thought that I’d start with waxes as a more beginner approach, and then move to ceramic/graphene. The clay bar step is going to require some courage on my part.

Also, I have the pano roof. At 5’1” I had a hard time cleaning the windshield. The roof is a challenge for another day.

 

[ElleD]

I did forget to mention the IPA. Good call. Thank You for helping @ElleD out.
In my defense I was on a helipad somewhere waiting for a pilot to preflight so I could continue making use of my ENTIRE 24 hour shift.

And for anyone doubting the effectiveness…. Here’s a before and after of last weeks project. Got a 2010 charger for my son that appeared to have been scrubbed with a bbq brush.
Before/After:

Wow, you took the time to answer my question while on a helipad. Thank you! How cool is that? ? Also, that Charger

 

[ElleD]

I'm kind of surprise they said to use the iron remover first on a dry car. Iron remover is no contact, you just spray on and rinse off, so there's no risk of marring the paint other than maybe using more of the product.

General rule of thumb in car detailing is to follow the bell curve. Starting and ending with the least aggressive method which is to start with the wash and end with applying the protection. Removing the first layer of dirt and grime with the wash helps the iron remover to do its job.

I did my MME in early Spring, with Car Pro C-Quartz ceramic coating. Starting with a reset shampoo, iron remover, clay, polish, IPA wipe, two coats of CQuartz, and finish off with a spray on sealant which is to be done every 2-3 months to help prolong the coating.

I did my last car with CQuartz and had great results. Water beads like crazy even after 3 years. When I bought my MME last year, I tried the Turtle Wax hybrid ceramic spray. The same steps as above, just replacing the two coats of CQuartz with two coats of Turtle Wax ceramic spray. Water beading was essentially gone in less than 3 months, and I did use their ceramic detailer to top it off. Most of the work is in the preparation anyway, so might as well go with a proper coating rather than the spray on stuff, just IMHO.

I may have misheard or misunderstood, which is why I wanted to check here before starting.

Thanks for sharing your process. I have well water, and where I live in South Florida the untreated water smells sulphuric. My water is treated, including the outdoor faucet that I used today to rinse off the wheels (after applying P&S Brake stuff) and fill my buckets. With salt. A lot of salt. I used the ONR because in a number of videos the point was made that ONR encapsulates minerals in hard water, so no spots. But I would like to start with a reset shampoo next time, so I need to deal with the treated well water issues.

 

[joebruin77]

I used the ONR because in a number of videos the point was made that ONR encapsulates minerals in hard water, so no spots. But I would like to start with a reset shampoo next time, so I need to deal with the treated well water issues.

Another thing you can do is you can add an ounce or two of ONR to your regular soap bucket if you are doing a regular traditional soap wash. The ONR in the wash solution will help reduce hard water spots.

 

[ElleD]

Another thing you can do is you can add an ounce or two of ONR to your regular soap bucket if you are doing a regular traditional soap wash. The ONR in the wash solution will help reduce hard water spots.

i was wondering about that, thanks!

 

[River Rat]

ONR is?

 

[ElleD]

ONR is?

This stuff: https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-NR20...tive&sprefix=Optimum+no+,automotive,79&sr=1-2

But the consensus seems to be that this rinseless wash is better (no residue?): https://www.amazon.com/McKees-37-Ri...utomotive&sprefix=Mckee,automotive,100&sr=1-5

 

[agdad]

I do not have IPA, that is in my shopping cart.

Pan speaks very highly of Avalon King. This whole car washing thing is new to me, as my poor Outback could tell you. I thought that I’d start with waxes as a more beginner approach, and then move to ceramic/graphene. The clay bar step is going to require some courage on my part.

Also, I have the pano roof. At 5’1” I had a hard time cleaning the windshield. The roof is a challenge for another day.

You really don't need to Ceramic coat the pano roof as it is glass..... I used 303 ceramic coating from Wally for that

 

[ElleD]

You really don't need to Ceramic coat the pano roof as it is glass..... I used 303 ceramic coating from Wally for that

At this point, I’m trying to figure out how to clean it without banging into the car. My little step ladder is not very sturdy, and still does not give me enough height to be able to reach the entire roof to wipe off whatever.

I used to have a 17.3 hand warmblood, had to stand on my tip toes to groom his butt. Often I would (finally) get him all cleaned up and tacked up, get on, turn to check something and notice that he still had a stripe of dirt running down the middle of his croup (top of his butt). I just couldn’t reach, very frustrating. I feel the same way about my electric pony.

 

[agdad]

At this point, I’m trying to figure out how to clean it without banging into the car. My little step ladder is not very sturdy, and still does not give me enough height to be able to reach the entire roof to wipe off whatever.

I used to have a 17.3 hand warmblood, had to stand on my tip toes to groom his butt. Often I would (finally) get him all cleaned up and tacked up, get on, turn to check something and notice that he still had a stripe of dirt running down the middle of his croup (top of his butt). I just couldn’t reach, very frustrating. I feel the same way about my electric pony.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Werner-Aluminum-Work-Platform-250-Lb/5000905497

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

After a wash , iron removal, and alcohol wipe.......

For a glass like shine with years of protection.......
All done by yourself......www.avalonking.com

Jeep finished with Avalon King’s Armor IX.

 

[ElleD]

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Werner-Aluminum-Work-Platform-250-Lb/5000905497

Nice, thank you. Don’t have to drag the little two step ladder over a foot at a time.

 

[RMoore]

This stuff: https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-NR2010Q-Rinse-Wash-Shine/dp/B00D8DR0AO/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1VVO62SCCO7E4&keywords=optimum+no+rinse+wash+&+shine&qid=1656283274&s=automotive&sprefix=Optimum+no+,automotive,79&sr=1-2

But the consensus seems to be that this rinseless wash is better (no residue?): https://www.amazon.com/McKees-37-Rinseless-Waterless-Detail/dp/B08N845CMJ/ref=sr_1_5?crid=6DM3DHZ7AI2R&keywords=mckees&qid=1656283193&s=automotive&sprefix=Mckee,automotive,100&sr=1-5

Now you tell me?! You couldn’t have posted this a few days ago BEFORE I ordered my ONR from Amazon?

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