Claybar FAQs

[pdoel]

Since this topic comes up often, thought it'd be a good idea to have a sticky on the subject.

A claybar is basically what it sounds. A little bar of clay. It is a non-abrasive tool used to clean the finish off your car. It'll remove airborne contaminants, paint overspray, water spots, rail dust, residue, dirt, tar, etc. It will not hurt the clear coat or the paint itself. It will get your finish smooth as glass.

The claybar will also remove any old coats of wax/polish. So it's always a good idea to claybar your vehicle prior to applying a new wax/polish.

When using a claybar, you want to make sure the surface you are about to address is wet/slippery. Mix some car soap with water in a spray bottle. Spray a small area at a time, and rub the claybar on that area. You'll be amazed at how much the claybar removes.

Many claybar kits come with a detail solution. Be very careful using this. If you are claybarring in order to remove an old coat of wax, keep in mind these detail solutions typically contain wax. So using it may defeat the purpose. May be best to just mix some soap with water instead.

Be very careful not to drop the claybar on the ground. If you do, just discard. You may have picked up rocks/stones, etc, that will scratch your paint.

Each Spring, I go through the following process:

1.) Wash the car using Dawn dish soap. This is not recommended as a daily cleaner as it is a bit acidic, and will remove your wax. However, if you are trying to remove an old coat of wax, it's perfect.

2.) Once washed, I begin the claybar process. Doing a small section at a time. Going over the entire car.

3.) Wash the vehicle again using a car wash soap and water.

4.) Dry vehicle.

5.) Apply new wax/polish.

[JonK]

Hi Pete,

Great Post, I am going to try this!!


John

[iScott]

Agreed. You da' (wo)man, Pete!

[GINA]

The claybar process is described on any box you buy that has some clay, but here's what I do...

- I get a bottle of Quick Detailer, spray a section of the car to lube it up.
- Take a peice of clay and start rubbing over the wet portion of the car (make sure it's wet!!)
- Keep rubbing until the surface is smooth and contaminent free
- I wipe everything away with a microfiber, but some skip this step and just rinse off a big section of the car when finished.

I do, however, rewash the car when I'm finished. Just gets all the little craps out of it and shines it real nice :)

[Breez]

Great post Pete! I sure know my new beetle needs to have a weekend morning with a claybar!

[miu_son]

Interesting!! now i know what to do b4 waxing my buggie!!

[iScott]

In preparation for H20, I'm gonna do the whole shebang. I am wondering one thing, though. I'm gonna do a rubbing compound treatment to help with oxidation and light scratches. Which should come first? Claybar or compound?

[GINA]

Probably claybar

[Breez]

I own compound (both kinds)

I was wondering if someone has done a "how-to" on not only how to use it, but where I can use it on my sweet little beetle...

PS: CLAYBAR ROCKS... talk about smooth!

[iScott]

I was wondering if someone has done a "how-to" on not only how to use it, but where I can use it on my sweet little beetle.I will this weekend whilst I'm doing it.

If I may, I do not believe Gina is right (this is a first, I'm sure). My theory is that doing the rubbing compound first will do it's job and then not be affected by the claybar. In the reverse order, the claybar will probably be affected by the rubbing compound and therefore will really cancel itself out if done first.

[GINA]

WRONG?! :eek:

I'm actually not totally sure, but I was just thinking that using the claybar would get all the craps out of the car so it's totally clean before you start compounding. But I could be wrong...I guess ;)

Found this site, it's pretty good at explaining things: http://www.racewayatv.com/car-care/car-care-blog/index.html

[Breez]

:eek:

hehehehe.
I think I might just wait this one out...
:popcorn:





PS: Thanks for the detailing link Gina, I THROUGHLY enjoyed the article titled: "When a Cat Has Sprayed Your Interior" ;)

[Dorado]

The clay bar works great. I would just add that it's good to give the car two coats of wax after the clay bar, instead of just one, especially if you're using a quick and easy liquid wax.

In my experience, the clay bar will not really work on some tar and oil based stains. For those, it's best to use clear coat safe "cleaner wax" like that of Meguiar's.

[Lugnutx5]

Using a clay bar prior to compounding or polishing is important. The clay bar pulls contaminates out of the paint prior to the grinding action of compounds. It really is much safer for your paint.

Having just completed a clay bar/polishing/glazing session, I can tell you that there was small metal filings that had rusted embedded in the paint. That is the last thing I would want to grind into my my cars finish, or worse yet, have to use more compound to get the resulting swirls out.

Compounds remove a small amount of paint/clearcoat with every application. Definitly a product to use as seldom as possible, and with the finest grit that will get the job done.

Try the clay bar first prior to compounding or polishing. I think you'll be impressed!

[2003TurboGurl]

I bought a Mother's Clay Bar Kit yesterday.

I've only had my NBC for about a month and it's been in the shop the majority of the time. All the bugs worked out now, I hope. :p

Anywhoo, my NBC had small orange spots all over it and the surface was so rough. Made it nearly impossible to clean because everything clinged to it.

After 5 hours of clay bar and waxing, my car looks like it rolled off the factory line. This works wonders!! All the spots, tar, etc. is gone. I am a firm believe in the Clay Bar method!!! My husband couldn't believe the detail job that I
did. Pics will be posted this evening in the photos area.

Clay bar rocks!!!

[who_me285]

Wow I cant believe how much it got out of my paint! It alraedy looked so clean. But I started to notice little rust spots in my pant after I started now Bailey looks so much better! I have the after pics now up on Baileys page. Link in sig

[scarabY2k]

Pete...Awesome thread:bigthumb:

I just recently Claybar'd Buttercup using the Meguiars' kit (17.50 @ Advance Auto Parts), and i was blown over at the results. I've always used Zymol cleaner wax and thought it was the beat all/end all. Being that I can't find the Zymol Detail Spray anymore, I thought i'd give the Meguire's a try. I'm a Meguire's man from now on.

I highly reccomend claybar. It's worth every dollar and then some.

[digitalputty]

Something else I have learned from using claybar ... use it gently. According to some detail freaks on the net ... my car has been damaged from using the claybar too aggressively thus causing my clear coat (which may have been damaged previously) to peel and do horrible things.

As seen in this here picture:

http://www.digitalputty.net/car_blem/bumper_02.jpg

[SilverSportNOLA]

I have done my car twice and my truck once ... out of clay now ... but the Maguires kit is good.

That paint damage looks more like it came from sandpaper, could have been clay if it was really contaminated, like dropped in sandy dirt.

My Truck looked great for a few weeks, after 2 coats of wax .... I think it needs a few more coats now 2 months later, that poor paint must have sucked all the wax lube in, probably hadn't been waxed in years. Zymol is for the Beetle, the trucks paint doesn't rank it.

[digitalputty]

Zymol smells so good ... like bananas. :D

If I drop the claybar it goes in the trash. :( I think the clear coat job was crap and my clay barring worsened it. :( So ... oh well I guess. Nothing I can do now. *cry*

[Breez]

If I drop the claybar it goes in the trash. :( I think the clear coat job was crap and my clay barring worsened it. :( So ... oh well I guess. Nothing I can do now. *cry*

I clay bar about twice a year... but the dealership said that I need to stick with them doing the wool buffer and "no claybar until further notice" :( :o They said I "didnt cause the clearcoat issues with the claybar... just the AZ sun" :(

[digitalputty]

WOOL BUFFER! that just sounds painful. :(

[Breez]

WOOL BUFFER! that just sounds painful. :(

It helped A LOT... but my clearcoat is showing different signs of stress then yours... my dealership has been WONDERFUL trying to help me keep the paint in a decent condition on the roof, but it seems I will have to repaint once the summer sun of Arizona hits :(

PS: I COULDNT watch the wool buffer... Someone mentioned wet sanding... which you have to have a real expert do.

[scarabY2k]

I have done my car twice and my truck once ... out of clay now ... but the Maguires kit is good.

That paint damage looks more like it came from sandpaper, could have been clay if it was really contaminated, like dropped in sandy dirt.

My Truck looked great for a few weeks, after 2 coats of wax .... I think it needs a few more coats now 2 months later, that poor paint must have sucked all the wax lube in, probably hadn't been waxed in years. Zymol is for the Beetle, the trucks paint doesn't rank it.

I wish Zymol had a claybar kit. No matter- the Meguires does the trick. and The Zymol will be a great follow-up. I'll have to search the web and see if there's any other Zymol products.

And yes Zymol does smell like:banana:

[The Cheat]

something else to add:

when i claybar, usually i soap up the car, then while it's still soapy, i clay it. of course, if it's very dirty, i'll rinse and then re-soap, but i've never used anything but soap and water for a clay lube. the quick detail solution is way too expensive, because you want to be VERY liberal with it...

also, claybarring shouldn't take more than 1/2 hour tops. if your surface is slippery enough, you should be able to just glide while still removing all the gunk off the surface. i learned from a detail shop that the slower you go, the less likely you are to remove all the contaminants. you want to go hard and fast, like you're scrubbing 4-day-old lasagna off mom's baking pan.

your mileage may vary, but i've never seen a car that didn't look awesome from following these steps and this advice. ask toad, he was quite shocked when i had karen's car completely done in 11 minutes, with only need to touch up the rear fenders. i'm going for 6 minutes with the saturn...my record is 7:15 with a saturn coupe.

you can tell i worked at a detail shop that did complete outsides in 90 minutes or less with a 3-step.

[scarabY2k]

something else to add:

when i claybar, usually i soap up the car, then while it's still soapy, i clay it. of course, if it's very dirty, i'll rinse and then re-soap, but i've never used anything but soap and water for a clay lube. the quick detail solution is way too expensive, because you want to be VERY liberal with it...

also, claybarring shouldn't take more than 1/2 hour tops. if your surface is slippery enough, you should be able to just glide while still removing all the gunk off the surface. i learned from a detail shop that the slower you go, the less likely you are to remove all the contaminants. you want to go hard and fast, like you're scrubbing 4-day-old lasagna off mom's baking pan.

your mileage may vary, but i've never seen a car that didn't look awesome from following these steps and this advice. ask toad, he was quite shocked when i had karen's car completely done in 11 minutes, with only need to touch up the rear fenders. i'm going for 6 minutes with the saturn...my record is 7:15 with a saturn coupe.

you can tell i worked at a detail shop that did complete outsides in 90 minutes or less with a 3-step.

I guess I did it right. One, the results and TWO, it took me about 30 minutes to clay it.

[larryziegler]

Has anyone tried the liquid claybar product yet or heard reviews of its use? Looks like a much easier alternative.

[digitalputty]

I bought some but due to the rain and homework I havent had time to try it out. I am hoping this weekend I can!

[GINA]

the quick detail solution is way too expensive, because you want to be VERY liberal with it...

You got that right. It's not odd for me to go through almost an entire bottle of QD when I clay.

[scarabY2k]

Has anyone tried the liquid claybar product yet or heard reviews of its use? Looks like a much easier alternative.

Funny I was just viewing a commercial for that liquid claybar just yesterday and was wondering how good is it. Hopefully the reviews will be good.

[wawalker]

Usually I can get 2 cleanings each on my NB and the wife's Jetta before I buy a new claybar, but today I was trying to clean up a '99 S-10 w/ 89K miles that my dad bought to drive summers while he's in Ohio. It has never seen a claybar I'm sure--I completed toasted a claybar and tomorrow I will be getting out the kerosene to clean the bottom foot or so all the way around that the claybar couldn't even touch. It literally sounded like I was crunching rice crispies while using the claybar and this was after a pressure washing and a hand washing! My dad better appreciate all the time I put into cleaning up his truck!;)

I've got to get another claybar so I can do the NB and Jetta.:o

[LadybugEwa]

I did the Spring claybar & wax job on Ladybug last week.
I have to say, for a 9yo car her paint's smooth as satin.
My thanks to Justin (The Cheat) for his 'tough love' claybar tip. Took me a lot less time once I went about it more agressively. :kult:

[vibelife]

Just bougt my claybar. Should I use the solution and wax that came with it> I got a mother's kit.We will see how it turns out over the long weekend!!! Must show wife more love than the car ;-)

[Calicrewzin]

Has anyone tried the liquid claybar product yet or heard reviews of its use? Looks like a much easier alternative.
Funny I was just viewing a commercial for that liquid claybar just yesterday and was wondering how good is it. Hopefully the reviews will be good.
I have to be honest..when I saw the product, I wondered how on earth it could remove embedded contaminants without the physical "scrubbing" of a clay bar. I figured it was just a gimmick to sell a product to those that were intimidated by the claying process. So last week a buddy asks if I can stop by with my PC polisher to help clean up a car he just bought, an 04 Toyota Corolla, with white paint that badly needed help. When I got there, he was looking thru my detailing supplies and saw I brought my clays. He then showed me the Turtle Wax Liquid Claybar he bought the night before. So I figured why not try it out? We washed the car with Dawn, then I started on the hood. I took a plastic baggie over my hand, and noticed a very rough surface feel. Then I first clayed 1/2 of it using a blue claybar and some QD. I noticed a lot of dark brown coming off the paint and into the clay. Then I soaped on the Turtle Wax Liquid Claybar on the other 1/2, following the mfgr's instructions. We dried off the hood, and did the plastic baggie test on it again. This surprised me, as both sides felt identical! The skeptic in me still didn't believe it worked, so I grabbed another blue claybar, and went over the side we had used the TW on. The clay showed about 1/4 of the amount of brown coming up that the other side previously did..I was stunned. So what I can only reason in the comparison is that the Turtle Wax DOES work, and is fine if you don't worry about deep contaminants that the real clay would pull out.

[digitalputty]

Sweet. Two more weeks before I can try mine (when school break comes).

[Calicrewzin]

Just to add to my opinion on this, I think claying is still the better choice of the two, as there was still a small amount of contaminants left behind after the Turtle Wax. But for those who are intimidated by the clay process (which is honestly really easy) it works pretty good.

[who_me285]

Just bougt my claybar. Should I use the solution and wax that came with it> I got a mother's kit.We will see how it turns out over the long weekend!!! Must show wife more love than the car ;-)
No expert on this but I think the solutions that come with them sometimes have wax in them which doesn't help when you claybar. When I did mine I jsut mixed dawn and water in a spray bottle and used that when I clayed. Anyone want to back me up or tell me how stupid I am?

[scarabY2k]

No expert on this but I think the solutions that come with them sometimes have wax in them which doesn't help when you claybar. When I did mine I jsut mixed dawn and water in a spray bottle and used that when I clayed. Anyone want to back me up or tell me how stupid I am?

Okay, you're stupid...I kid, I kid:p. You're a friend of mine, so I thought you could take a joke:).

Just bougt my claybar. Should I use the solution and wax that came with it> I got a mother's kit.We will see how it turns out over the long weekend!!! Must show wife more love than the car ;-)

Ah, to find the balance of your last statement:pinch::D.

[who_me285]

Straight to the moon!

[scarabY2k]

Straight to the moon!

Bang, Zoom!!:D

[2003TurboGurl]

Just bougt my claybar. Should I use the solution and wax that came with it> I got a mother's kit.We will see how it turns out over the long weekend!!! Must show wife more love than the car ;-)

I used the Mother's kit on Skeeter a couple of months ago and followed the directions to the tee and it turned out beautifully. I used the wax kit and everything. It had about 3 years worth of grime on it where the previous owner didn't properly care for it. I took me much longer than 30 minutes as posted by a previous person, but like I said it was pretty bad. Now, Skeeter shines like a new penny! Overall, it took me about 4 hours for wash, clay bar, and wax. 'Course, I could be slower than the average detailer. :rolleyes:

[d_merry]

So I washed, clay barred and waxed my first car yesterday! I did it to my mom's 2006 Honda Accord coupe and it was amazing how nice it looked afterwards. The wax even got a bunch of the scratches off!

Quick question though...does anyone sell just the clay bar? It seems I can only find the whole wax, solution, and clay bar kit which runs close to 20 dollars. I like to buy my own wax and use the soap solution...any ideas/suggestions?

[GINA]

www.autodetailingsolutions.com

You can buy a can of clay

[Lnzbug]

I put a can of clay in my cart and it was $9.99 to ship! BS!! I'll just get the whole kit at the store. Thanks for the link though.

[GINA]

Yeah, shipping is expensive, but I usually buy a ton of stuff and the shipping stays the same, so it works out for me :dunno:

I'm sure there's some other place on the web that sells that stuff, it was just the first link that came to mind.

[d_merry]

So I take it that it is normal for auto parts stores to ONLY carry the kit, not just the claybar? That sucks:(

[GINA]

I'm going out today or tomorrow to buy some more clay, I'm specifically looking for JUST clay. I'll let you know how it goes.

[d_merry]

I'm going out today or tomorrow to buy some more clay, I'm specifically looking for JUST clay. I'll let you know how it goes.

Gina, Did you ever know that you're my hero? You're everything that I would like to be, blah blah blah, you are the wind beneath my wings ;)

[GINA]

:kiss:

[TechnoTrix'd]

Show Car Glaze

Legendary on the show car circuit. For those of you who love a hand-rubbed finish, this superb glaze is guaranteed to give you that deep, wet shine prized among car collectors. This polish will outshine all other hand-applied polishes, glazes, waxes or sealants. It won't dry white, and it's safe and effective on all paint finishes. Used as part of your 5-Step Surface Care Cycle, Show Car Glaze is just one of many Secrets of the Pros that add up to a superlative appearance for your treasured automobile. For use by hand, orbital buffer or dual action polisher.

Made for professionals and GINA.



Now I know how GINA get's Pepper looking so good.:wink2: Great site GINA, lot's of great products for detailing ones cars.

TechnoTrix'd...:wave3:

[GINA]

haha I'm actually getting ready to use some of that now! ;) Are you stalking me?!

David, no luck on the clay. Only thing the stores seem to have are kits, what a PITA!

[Trey[eclectique]]

I lovee it! I got the liquid clay bar and polish and I highly recommend both products! I had some light scrathes on the over coat that I couldn't just rub out and the combination rid of them! I am sooooo happy it also made a really rough patch on the front of my car like glass or, ice! haha but anyways I HIGHLY recommend this to anyonee:D :D :D plus no worry of rubbing to hard with a clay bar :)

[TNM]

Yeah I'm a little scared to use the claybar on our plum monster. I've been using the meguiers soap and water then drying it off with a chimos.

I'll try it out on my exploder first, but it is so dirty I'll probably need two just for it. :D

[MtnVariant]

For those looking for just clay but no wax look for a product called Claymagic. I think I found it at Autozone here in Denver. The kit is just clay and their spay/lube. Retails for about 10.00. Then you can use whatever wax you want. The box was right next to the mothers kit and since I have many other waxes I went with this kit. Good stuff.

I clayed my inlaws Subaru yesterday. That plus the Porter Cable Buffer made a huge difference to how it looked. In the 4+ years they owened it no wax! I had 4yrs of grime and oxidation to take off. Even with the most aggressive pad and polish I could not get ever water spot out but it sure looks much better and it ALL STARTS WITH CLAY!

good luck
Rob

[pdoel]

Zaino (http://www.zainostore.com/) and Griots (http://www.griotsgarage.com/index.jsp) also sell just the clay. Online only.

I've never used the Griots claybar, but I use the Zaino one all the time. It's top notch. Much better than any I've ever bought in a store.

[OldSkoolVWLover]

more info on buying clay can be found on these forums, also more info about products such as Turtle Wax (personally won't touch the crap).


http://autopia.org/forum/index.php

also from autopia
http://www.autopia-carcare.com/son-3200-r.html

shipping is under $6 and this is supposed to be some of the better clay on the market (even though there is really only a handful of companies that make the stuff).


good general info on clay here
http://autopia.org/forum/member-polls/5164-favorite-claybar.html?highlight=clay+bar