Questions about #20

[bluemoon]

Our car is now 8 months old and the last time I washed it, I could feel that is was time to clay it. I have been reading alot about #20 and very intersted in giving it a try. I was wondering if I should use a paint cleaner after I clay or are the cleaners in #20 pretty stong, that no other paint cleaner is needed?
Also is two thin coats a good idea or since #20 has cleaners in it, 2 coats would be a waste f time?
Our car also has lots of black plastic trim, would applying #40 on the trim before using #20 be plenty of protection against staining if some #20 happens to get on the trim by accident?

I live in the northen US and winters can get to be way too long and was looking for a product that can last a long time in the winter months, does #20 need to be topped off with something like #16 to make it or can it last a long time without being topped off?
Thanks for all your help.

[Mike Phillips]

Hi bluemoon,

The chemical cleaners in #20 are pretty light. After claying, I would evaluate the finish visually and if you have any kind of a paint cleaner, do a test spot with it. Typically, if a car is exposed to the environment long enough to have a build-up of above surface contaminant, it usually needs to have a paint cleaner used over it also.

The chemical cleaners in #20 are pretty light, I wouldn't put this product in the same category as a normal cleaner/wax.

Some people apply two coats working the first coat in really well using the product kind of like their paint cleaner, and then apply the second coat fairly gently using it as their last step products.

Meguiar's doesn't recommend treating plastic trim with dressings like #40 first to prevent wax from sticking if you should get it on the trim. Meguiar's recommends slowing down, being careful and maybe even taping the trim off with painters tape to avoid getting wax on the trim.

Sometimes when people pre-treat their trim with the hope of preventing wax from sticking, they tend to be a little more loose with their application of their wax. I'm not saying you would do this, but I know others have thought and applied wax this way in the past.

Hope this helps...

Mike

[bluemoon]

Thanks for the information