turtle wax ice products

wondering if anyone has used the liquid clay bar in the turtle wax ice line.

ive got the wax already, figured i would give it a shot. guinea pigging it whooohoo!

the wax isnt as impressive as it sounds. looks good for a short time but thats about it.

I tried the liquid clar bar... Preferred a REAL clay bar so I pitched it. Real clay bar has much better smoothness after proper use and makes less mess. The liquid, IMHO, is one of those "it seems like it would be less work for the casual detailler, but actually it's more work" products...

Much like all of the other Ice brand products. Seriously, I'd just use real clay bar with a good detailing spray like Detailers Paradise's Prima Slick, then wax with a quality synthetic like Prima Epic. To give you an idea of how well the Prima stuff lasts (as opposed to Ice, which I had to re-apply every 2-3 weeks), check out the mirror-like shine on the side of my car:



Now keep in mind that I put on that coat of wax in OCTOBER and drove every day all winter in Ohio in the grime and the salt. All I did to keep up the shine was wash it when it got above freezing and use Prima Slick as a detail spray. Even after 6 winter months the Epic is still almost as smooth as glass.

PS - If you want to know if it's time to re-clay the paint ir not, try the "baggie test" (this is what several professional detailers I know do):

1. Get a thin sandwitch baggie or peice of thick Saran-type wrap.
2. Drag your fingers across the paint, inside the plastic.
3. Does the plastic "hitch" on the paint? Or do you feel small "bumps" or other imperfections?

If so, it's time to re-clay.

Good luck!

I prefer a real claybar as well...I dont know what the chemicals have in them that would take out the dirt etc that a wash mit will not get....Claybar lifts it out because it is tacky...I dont see a spray doing anything more than just polishing the surface like a quick detailer...

let us know how it works though

02BlueStang wrote:

I prefer a real claybar as well...I dont know what the chemicals have in them that would take out the dirt etc that a wash mit will not get....Claybar lifts it out because it is tacky...I dont see a spray doing anything more than just polishing the surface like a quick detailer... let us know how it works though

Here's a great exerpt from my favorite How-to/explaination of clay bar:

+++++++++++++++++

HOW DOES A DETAILING CLAY BAR WORK?

I frequently see detailing clay marketing information that reads something like this: "clay pulls contamination off of your paint..." This statement sounds pretty ridiculous when you realize that you must lubricate the surface you're claying. How in the world do you pull on something that's wet and slippery? This myth was born from a fear of telling people the truth. Clay is an abrasive paint care system. Yet used properly, detailing clay is not abrasive to your car's paint; it is abrasive to paint contamination.

Oh my goodness! did I really say that clay is an abrasive? You bet I did.

Read the patents on detailing clay and they describe very clearly that it is a mixture of a clay base (polybutene) and various abrasives. The primary detailing clay patent (U.S. Patent No. 5,727,993) identifies three unique elements (claim 57) used in concert:

"A method of polishing a protrusion or stain from a surface comprising;

applying a plastic flexible tool to the surface, the plastic flexible tool comprising a plastic flexible material having mixed therewith an abrasive comprising grains from about 3 to 50 m in diameter and;

applying a force to the plastic flexible tool such that a polishing force per area is applied by the plastic flexible tool to a protrusion or stain on the surface, and such that the amount of force per area applied to the surface is less than the amount of force per area applied to the protrusion or stain."

Detailing clay is an abrasive system. If not used properly, detailing clay can cause light surface marring. There's no need to fear if you use proper lubrication.

An easy way to think about detailing clay is simply this: detailing clay is a 'selective polish' with a built-in applicator. Its job is to 'polish away' dirt and surface contamination from paint, glass, chrome and plastic without polishing the surface itself. A pretty simple concept, isn�t it? Detailing clay technology has been around for many years, with roots dating back to the 1930's. That's when the idea of combining polybutene (a soft plastic resin material) with abrasives was first put to paper.

Enough with the techno-speak; how does detailing clay really work? That's what I wanted to know when we (the Sonus team) set out to create a new clay formulation for car enthusiasts. What I determined is simply this:

1. Detailing clay works by hydroplaning (floating) over the surface you're cleaning on a thin layer of clay lubricant.
2. When the clay (polish) encounters surface contamination, it abrasively grinds it away.
3. Detailing clay shears off any foreign material above the level surface of the paint.

Those are scary words to a car enthusiast, but it's an accurate description. You can see the end results of this 'grinding' work by inspecting your clay. Does your clay have large particles sticking to it or does it have what appears to be a dirty film? It�s the latter, of course, and it�s proof that your clay is doing its job gently polishing away contamination.

(from: http://autopia.org/forum/guide-detailing/80231-...iling-clay-pre-wax-cleaning.html)

its an impala. if its moderately shiny im ok.

the paint is clean as it is, the dealership did a great job at detailing it - i just need to remove some scratches.

Clay won't help you with scratches, sorry.

Start with Meguiar's Scratch-X (a relatively mild polish) and a good towel - either a microfiber or a 100% cotton towel with NO shiny edge stitching or border (that's nylon and it scratches paint). Work the Scratch-X in a 1-foot X 1 foot patch, max, for at least 2 minutes to allow the compund to break down, check, and keep working until the scratch improves or goes away.

Note that if the scratch is through to the metal or primer, nothing will get it out except for a repaint or touch-up paint. If you have to re-touch, do NOT use the brush in the touckup paint bottle - use a toothpick instead to carefully fill in the scratch. Allow to dry overnight then use Scratch-X to smooth the touchup paint down to the existing paint - works every time.

Also remember that the Scratch-W will strip off any wax you have there, so re-wax after you get trhe scratch polished out.

Good luck!

hmm.

too much reading done elsewhere leads me in the wrong direction.

i dont think i need touchup paint, as these scratches were somehow well hidden when i bought the car, now they just show up.

ive got 3m finish restorer, a similar abrasive to scratchx? its worked for some stuff in the past, but not for others.

today is the day to get this ***** cleaned up im debating if i will exchange the liquid clay for a mothers "complete system" w/ claybar and detailing spray, for the same price.

look, shiny!
(before anyone comments, yes my headlights fog up - they need replaced!)





comments:

as suggested previously, liquid clay isnt a replacement for a clay bar. it works great, however, as a deep cleaner - a second stage wash if you will. there is still garbage on my clearcoat that will only come off with a real clay bar, i imagine - the liquid clay does a great job at getting the car clean otherwise.

steps used:
1. hand wash at the car wash, using a microfiber mitt and high pressure hose
2. hand wash at home with liquid clay
3. hand buffed out scratches with microfiber cloth/3m finish restore
4. ice polish

i also used dupont teflon wax on the hood just to see if i liked it initially, and to see if it sticks around longer than the ice polish (wax?) does.

there are some significant scratches on the hood, which were covered up nicely in the process. not gone, but to someone not looking, they dont exist.

time to buy a real clay bar setup. live and learn! and yes, you told me so mr ive got a book and a shiny orange mini....