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The good news is that you can easily determine for yourself when you need to clay. Simply feel your paint after each wash. If it feels rough or bumpy, it is time to clay! As a general guideline, claying 3-4 times a year will keep your car’s paint clean and smooth.Oct 1, 2016
That said, there’s no absolute number of times you clay bar your vehicle. Your car is just a simple process to remove bonded contaminants particles and dust from the paint to the clay bar. Particles that would otherwise not come off in a standard cleaning. Most other forms of dust can easily wash off.
Although using a clay bar on your car is an essential part of detailing, it shouldn’t be done unless absolutely necessary. The clay bar has a specific job – to remove bonded contaminants from your paint. Even when used properly, it should be considered a necessary evil since it can be abrasive.
When you’re finished claying your car, you may need to wash it to remove any lubricant film. If you plan to use a pre-wax cleaner polish, it will remove clay residue so there’s no need to wash. Last but not least, after using clay, seal your freshly cleaned paint with your choice of wax or sealant.
Timing is Key – When to Clay Bar
Claying should always come after a good wash. … Unfortunately, regular washing procedures can only do so much to remove the harsh surface contaminants on your car. For heavy-duty clean up, nothing beats the clay bar.
To answer your question, yes you can reuse a clay bar. If you drop it on the ground it is done, throw it away. You will also want to throw it away if it starts to take on a grit to it. The key is to fold over your clay and knead it.
I’ve never had a bar go bad. Once they get a lot of grit in them dedicate them to wheel cleaning or trash can. That’s the thing, I used a TON of lube.
The price depends on the size of your vehicle. For small to midsize cars, expect to pay $50-$125. For a larger car, the price will be around $75-150.
Glass does not need a special clay bar, and most clay bars are safe for glass. … They may leave marring on the glass and need to be polished afterwards. With any clay bar, make sure to use the proper clay lubricant. Soaps and water-less washes can often breakdown the clay bars, causing them to crumble and fall apart.
Not Really. The fact of the matter is that water on its own isn’t enough to act as a lubricant for clay. As water is not “slick”, it will not allow the clay to glide over the paint with ease.
When you clay your vehicle, you remove the contaminants, making the coat easier to wax. … The detail clay also removes tar, sap, bug remains, wax, and sealants from the coat of the car. With these substances removed, waxes and sealants will adhere to the surface better.
When Should You Use The Clay Bar? The detailer’s rule of thumb is to always decontaminate the surface with a clay bar before putting on a new coat of wax, or polishing any exterior paintwork. Those foreign particles block wax from sticking to the paint, making it last for a shorter time and not shine as bright.
A clay bar does NOT remove any scratches from the surface of the paint because it contains no abrasives. A clay bar is useful for when a car’s paint feels rough and is no longer smooth to the touch as it can help restore that nice smooth feeling you once knew and loved.
Take the wet clay bar and move it in straight motions back and forth over the wet two foot square section. The clay bar should erase away the overspray. … Any smooth surface on a vehicle, such as the glass and plastic, can be cleaned using the clay bar.
Clay bar detailing is an effective means of removing the embedded particles from the clear coat. The clay encases and adheres to the tiny bits of debris and literally yanks them from the clear coat. If performed correctly, you can remove particles without leaving any traces on the clear coat.
Claying is sunlight isn’t a problem. Just rinse more frequently. Better to remove contaminants before polishing. This is where an ez-up can help.
Obvious response: You can polish without claying if it doesn’t need claying. But if it needs it, it needs it.
An unopened bottle of ceramic coating should be able to last 1-2 years. Once it’s opened though, that time can drop quite a bit. … Unlike most other detailing products, this isn’t just a matter of the coating not working as well once it’s expired – those shards can and will scratch your paint badly.
What is a Clay Bar? A clay bar is an engineered resin compound that can be synthetic or natural – although most manufacturers use synthetic versions. A somewhat elastic product, the elasticity gives the detailing clay great durability as it is repeatably rolled, flattened, and stretched over your car’s bodywork.
Swirl marks are potential with clay bar decontamination if you get a piece caught between the clay bar and the paint. At the same time, unless the paint is fairly hard and plenty of lube is used, clay will almost always leave at least some marring and swirls of its own.
How Often Should You Detail Your Auto? For the average vehicle, detailing at the very least, once a year is recommended. Most auto experts recommend getting a car detailed at least every 6 months. It is always wise to get your car detailed before selling.
If you have an average-sized vehicle and you opt for the basic car detailing services, you can expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $125. If you have an SUV or a van, you can expect to pay anywhere from $75 to $150.
The main difference between wax and a clay bar is that wax is first and foremost a protectant, while automotive clay is not. … Clays are formulated to remove contaminants waxes can’t, while cleaner waxes are meant to protect, while also removing minor surface defects.
Vinegar in this case is acidic. White vinegar, the type that is most commonly used in cleaning households has a PH of 2.5. When sprayed on your car at full strength, vinegar will corrode or burn into your car paint. … Though not all that acidic by volume, spraying vinegar on your car paint is likely to damage it.
You shouldn’t use a clay bar, mitt, or cloth on a ceramic coated car because it will break down the coating, or cause swirl marks. You can use an iron fallout and tar remover instead to safely remove contamination without using clay.
However, a clay bar is far superior for removing bonded contaminants (if you run your hand across the paint and it has a gritty feel, you have bonded contaminants) and paint overspray. Compounds are typically more used to level your paint to remove swirls, scratches, etc.
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