So i live in an apartment building next to my college and its pretty much impossible for me to wash my own car. As an alternative though, i found this place about 5 minutes away that hand washes/dries for pretty cheap. They've yet to scratch/cause any major damage to the paint so i'm satisfied up to this point.

The question i have is though, if i wanted to clay my car after i had them wash it, would i be able to do it after driving back to my building? or would the 5-7 minute drive pickup enough dirt to cause problems with the clay?

 

why don't you just clay it right after they wash it? better safe than sorry.

 

well they do clay/wax/polish/everything so wouldnt doing it myself in their parking lot be kind of a slap in the face? "i'll let you guys wash it but you sure as hell cant do anything else to it"

i guess ic ould ask them if i could borrow their lot for a few hours after they wash it.

 

wait, if they clay it, then why do you need to clay it again?

 

i dont want to pay them $80 just to clay it; sorry for the confusion on the last post. i meant that they offer those services, but i only pay them to wash.

if i'm going to get my car detailed, i want to do it somewhere i know knows what they're doing.

i've actually watched these guys clay/wax/polish some other peoples cars, and they dont do a very good job.

 

Its going to be a little hard to have them wash the car, then go home and clay it.

What you should do is find a self carwash. Wash your car, then clay it, and if there is any residue from the clay wash it again. Sometimes the car gets streaks if you dont use enough QD, and you need to wash it again.

You will also need to wax it after you clay, because the claybar will remove the wax.

 

what about a friend's house? a girlfriend? mom and dad? uncle? cousin?

I've gone down to my uncle's house and borrowed his driveway..

 

tried to find a self wash.. couldnt find any within a 30 minute drive.

well, i'm originally from hawaii and i go to school in stl, MO now.. so no family even remotely close. broke up with the girlfriend a few months back. lol.

 

damn... 80 bucks to clay?

that does seem weird if you clay in front of them... especially since they offer the service. there isn't any water source in your apt complex?

i remember someone on the forum offering full details (wash, clay, wax) for $100... how much are you paying for just the wash...?

 

if i remember correctly, here are there prices.

i know for sure the wash is $15, but i tip them $5 so $20 i guess.

wash + wax = $40
wash + clay + wax = $120
wash + clay + wax + polish = $210 (i think)

the problem with washing it in my complex is that all the parking is garage.. there isnt like an outside lot or anywhere that i would even have space to really wash the car without getting every other car around me wet.

 

use a quick detailer or something to wash the area you plan to clay before claying.

i use some car wash mixed with water in a squirt bottle to clean the area, then use that same bottle for lube when i clay. works good for me

unless its one of the lower panels or something that really gets dirty. then i'd just fill a bucket with water, use that same soap / spray mixture to spray the panel, and use a wash mit to wash the area using the water from the bucket

 

i know how to prep for clay and how to actually do the claying, but i wasnt sure if washing, then driving 5 minutes back to my house and then claying was even worth it.

i guess i could just have it washed, drive back home, QD the whole thing, and then clay?

 

what exactly are you wanting to clay for? is there a spot on the car that won't come off, or are you just wanting it squeaky clean or something?

 

I have the same issue. The car wash (spray-off) I use is about 3 miles from my apt. I typically wash the car by hand myself, drive back home and use m/f towel and a very good detail spray to remove any water spots or dust etc. Once that is done I then go back with another detail spray and use the clay bar. Its a process that works for me. I have PG with absolutely NO scratches from this process.

I've found it best to go very early in the morning as there is not a lot of traffic to contend with.

 

sounds like thats what i'll be doing from now on.
i like to go early in the morning too; that way i know the towels they're using arent full of dirt from other cars