Simoniz

[z12358]

"you should always clay bar your car before waxing/polishing. "

OK, perfectlap, I give up.
What is the SOFTEST (least abrasive) clay bar that you would recommend? May not be a bad idea to clay the car before the last waxing and storing it for the winter.

My car spends all week in storage and is outside only on weekends in the country. I remember you mentioned Klasse AIO would do the job of a soft clay bar on a relatively clean car.

Thx.
Z.

[Perfectlap]

Sonus Green is very very soft clay. Many have complained it's too soft.
You have to use a nice size clump otherwise it will break apart. a bit extra lubrication is not a bad idea.
I don't think you'll get any benefit from waxing the car for storage. Probably do more harm than good. If you don't need to touch the paint, don't. Leaving it as is after claying is not a bad idea. Sometimes debris will sit too long on the paint and etch tiny dimples into the clear coat when it finnaly removed.
If you want it to sparkle in the garage, I might try a less invasive spray wax like your NXT spray which last forever. Very good stuff for an over the counter product.
Spray the panel and the towel before touch the paint, always.

and the Klasse All in One(which has a new eco friendly formula--mixed reviews) is not a substitute for claying, just a great paint cleaner. The car should be clayed before rubbing on the paint no matter what product is used. If you want to go one better after claying on an older vehicle try a decontamination kit like FK1.
Claying dislodges debris but sometimes the debris is below the surface, a decon kit will flush out ferrous particles and chemicals contaminants from swirl channels that cut their way down to the base layer, which leads to rust.

[z12358]

perfectlap, thx. Very useful, as usual.
I still can't see how a good coat of wax will not be helpful for storage. The parking space is a self-storage unit, and eventually there will be dust on the car after a month-two. For that reason I was planning to get a light indoor cover for the car and the wax can add another layer of protection between the cleacoat and the cover (or the dust, if no cover).
Can I use the Optima car wash as a lubricant for the claying?
Thx again,
Z.

[Perfectlap]

yes you can use the the No-Rinse as a clay lube. I haven't done it but really any soap or quick detailer will work. At $13 a bottle I'm might try something cheaper like an over the counter quick detail spray like Eagle one or Mother's. I use FK 425 for claying slickest product I've tried no other product has that slippery a feel when its dry.
Unless the car cover is protecting you from sunlight I don't think you will be doing anything other than saving yourself a few minutes of cleaining dust off the car.
Car covers are risky, the car has to be 100% CLEAN before it goes on. I'm sure you will do this to your new baby but allot of people who use them regularly are ironically doing more harm than good.

Paints nowadays are very resilient and can withstand lots of Sun and rain. A car that is rarely washed, ironically, is in better condition after one year than one that is frequently detailed.

as far as the benefits of pre-storage waxing you might try the Autopia site and ask those who store cars on what their methods are. Some waxes which are mostly acrylics break down at a much slower rate than natural carnauba blends.
Maybe they might say to use a sealant depending if its not a climate controled container.

p.s.
I tried Poorboy's Trim Restorer this weekend (poorboysworld.com) after dying my windshield/window trim and bumperetes with Forever Black. A great 1-2
I also washed the top with Raggtopp cleanser after a bird a-bomb and it looks brand new again. Great product.