A Guide to Claybar your Car..
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When you wash your car next, take a closer look at your paint work. Try running a finger across it. I can almost guarantee that it feels anything less than pristine. The paintwork will still feel rough to the touch. This is because it’s still dirty!! Shock horror!!
The reason for this is that there are particles which are not visible to the naked eye, stuck in all the microscopic bumps in the paint. These particles are stuck in a way which normal washing is ineffective.
What’s happened is that all the crap –that’s a technical reference by the way, have actually jammed themselves in to the paint. Wash mitts and sponges; just don’t have the grip or suction, to remove these little sods. So you’re left with a clean car that’s still dirty.Welcome the peoples champion….The clay bar
What has clay got to do with cleaning your car? You may ask. Well the clay bar runs over you paint and when teamed up with a good lube, the stickiness combined with the suction created, is strong enough to remove minute contaminants embedded in the paint. That's what a clay bar does: cleans the paint surface down to its pure paint self
Automotive paint clay is a very fine grade of fine , a bit like some clays used by geeks in model making. Used by valeters and detailing freaks for ages , the clay bar and its usefulness has only in recent years been bought to the public’s attention. Used with a lubricating spray (often a detailing spray is suffice - ) that allows the otherwise super-tacky clay to glide without marring the paint itself, the clay bar can be the tool to step from having a clean car to having a CLEAN car
Using clay is remarkably simple… First start off with a freshly cleaned vehicle, wet a section of the vehicle's paint (do one section at a time) with the clay lubricant and after warming the clay bar up in your hand by turning it on its self a few times, and rub the clay on the paint. As you use the clay, keep turning it on its self to keep it clean. Do this after each panel. You want to have fresh clay touching the paint. Dry off completed portions of paint with a fresh clean microfiber cloth. As you get used to the clay you can hear it. When it’s picking up the dirt, it may sound rough, and once all contaminates are collected, it will run across the paint fast and smooth.
Don't forget to use plenty of lubricant. Too much can be mopped up with the towel. Using too little risks allowing the clay to stick your paint. If this happens just spray a little bit of lube and wipe off. Also most paint over spray can be removed with clay bar. Note that clay can strip wax from paint, so be prepared to re-wax the vehicle's surface after using clay on it. Some clays are harder than others and leave less margin for error between effective lubrication and not enough. Again, use some detail and wipe of any clay from the paint
Clay bar treatment kits are available that provide you with clay, lube and a microfiber for under £15. I personally use a megs clay bar and use Demon Shine quick detailer as a lube. Solely for the reason that the detailer is cheap and works really well as a lube
What have you got to lose? Give it a go, I then recommend using a 3 stage polish system of a paint cleaner, polish and wax for the best results.
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Used this last week. And after use did notice all the grime had been removed from paint work especially front bumper and bonnet. But on rest of paint work it did expose some swirl marks which had been covered by years of polish!. However after a good wax looks good as new.
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glad to hear Garfy mate, it does give good results for little money in my opinion …
Take note those of you who have a red car this will bring up you faded paint a treat but be careful please as your paint will be quite soft due to the faded surface so use lots of lube and dont over rub...after clay baring remember to seal the paint with a good wax..