# How to clay, clean and wax paint working only by hand



## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

*How to clay, clean and wax paint working only by hand*

*Mom Tested & Approved *








If you're looking for a simple way to restore your car's finish and you prefer to work by hand, here's a simple approach that the average person can use to get professional results using something you already own... _your hands!_

This is a 2006 Lexus LX 470 Sport Utility Vehicle, it belongs to _*Barbara*_ and it's her daily driver. It's parked outside in the coastal Florida weather 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. She was looking for a way she could restore the paint herself without making the jump to working by machine. While she loves her Lexus, her primary goal is to maintain her investment and of course she also wants it to look pretty too!

She doesn't want to take on detailing cars as a hobby, like many people that hang out on detailing discussion forums, instead she wants a simple approach that she can do herself on the weekend.

So here's a _*system approach*_ using products from a premium line of car care products called Pinnacle. By using a system approach there's a _*synergistic chemical compatibility*_ between the products with each new product used in the system building off the results the previous product achieved.

*Here's Barbara's 2006 Lexus LX 470*









*The paint has lost it's gloss because the surface has been neglected to the point where it now has a light texture to it...*









Here's a close-up of the paint from the picture above, because there's loose surface dirt on the car, before starting you would want to wash the car using a normal car wash approach or in our case we're going to use a _*Waterless Wash*_ to just clean the front clip. 









Later we'll set Barbara up with some Pinnacle Bodywork Shampoo which she can use on weekends to wash her car using the normal car wash approach. 









Of course we'll share the below two videos with her to show her some of her other options for washing a car, but remember, she doesn't want to make detailing a new hobby, so we'll let her decide which approach she prefers for washing her Lexus...

*Detailer's Pride Water Auto Wash*









After cleaning the paint to remove any loose surface dirt, the next thing you want to do is to feel the paint to inspect for *Above Surface Bonded Contaminants*... 









You can do this with your clean hand or if you really want to feel the contaminants that have built-up on your car's paint then place your hand inside a clean plastic baggie and then feel the paint. The plastic will intensify your sense of touch and reveal contaminants that you otherwise couldn't not feel.



















Next, to show the owner the difference in _before and after_ I've taped-off half her hood and will go through the steps on just one side, then afterwards I'll remove the tape and let her see the difference that can be achieved using just a few high quality products and good technique.

First up we'll have her use *Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion* to remove any previously applied wax and embedded road grime and air-borne pollutants that washing and claying won't remove.

*Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion perfectly prepares the paint for application of wax. It will ensure the wax has a clean base to bond to.*









To use Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing lotion, apply using a clean, soft foam or microfiber applicator pad using a back and forth motion. While the goal is to always work clean, working in a back and forth motion will prevent you from instilling circular swirls just in case any dirt particulates enter the polishing process.

Because the Lexus LX 470 is a very large Sport Utility Vehicle it can be difficult to rub out an entire panel at one time, so for vehicles like this you can break a panel up into smaller sections.

*After the Paintwork Cleansing Lotion dries to a haze, buff off using a clean microfiber towel.*









*Next we'll move onto a new section and overlap a little into the previous section.*









*Then using an aluminum work platform to stand on to reach into the middle of the hood we then worked the inner back section of the hood again using a back and forth motion and overlapping a little into the front section where we started.*









*Then lastly, we worked the rear, outer section...*









*This half the hood is now clean and smooth and ready for an application of wax...*









*While claying will remove above surface bonded contaminants, Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion will remove embedded road grime and pollutants as you can see when we compare the applicator pad we used to a brand new, clean applicator pad.*









*New, never been used clean foam applicator pad*









Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion removes road grime and dirt that stains the paint and will hinder any wax from bonding to the paint. Besides helping your wax to bond better to the paint by removing embedded road grime and dirt staining, you create a more clear finish which will enable your eyes to see the beauty of the color coat under the clear coat as well as sharpen reflections and increase gloss.

*After cleaning half the hood...*









Now we're ready to apply a coat of wax, for this we're going to use the *Pinnacle Signature Series II* which is a high quality Carnauba wax that will really bring out a deep, wet shine now that we've properly prepared the finish for waxing.









Using a new, clean soft foam applicator pad, apply a thin even coating in a back and forth motion over the surface, work the wax gently as the idea is to coat over and seal the paint and create a clear, high gloss shine.









*Pinnacle Signature Series II Carnauba Paste Wax*









Pinnacle Signature Series II premium Carnauba Sax does not need to dry; after applying to a panel, use a clean, soft microfiber towel like the *Cobra Indigo Microfiber Towel* and immediately remove the wax and then move on to applying to a new panel.









*This is a simple approach that leaves a protective coating on the paint while creating a clear, reflective finish with a deep wet shine.*









Outside in natural light, it looks like the Pinnacle Signature Series II Paste Wax is floating over the paint... not bad for a simple approach anyone can do in their garage...









Not everyone owns a machine polisher and not everyone wants to take up detailing as their new hobby. The above article shows how you can still get show car results working by hand and keeping the process fairly simple.


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