Review: Meguiar's Clay Bar Kit

[kate_the_valkyrie]

So I tried my first clay bar session, after owning my beetle, Bobby Gutz, for over a year. I am SO impressed.

I'm telling you guys, if you've never clay-barred your car and are tired of dingy paint and hard water spots, anything of the sort, you need to try a claybar.

I picked up Meguiar's claybar kit at my local auto zone. It was this or the Mother's brand, but this came with 2 claybars, quick shine spray detail, a micro-fiber cloth, and also a small sample amount of wax! It was about 25$.

I went to a local car wash and just ran through to get the most part off. Had the hot car wash guys scrub and scrub for me. Took my gutz home, let him cool off in the garage, and I only really had time to do the hood area, trunk, sides slightly, and roof. I honestly had many spots I missed, but its 120 degrees here even at 4 pm, so I was done for the day.

I'm AMAZED.

The clay bar picked up red particles from the overspray when I painted a few interior pieces of my dash in my garage approx 3 MONTHS ago off of the hood area... WOW.

The paint is so smooth to the touch. I Feel like I got a new paint job almost.. WOW

If you have water spots, chips, tar, ANYTHING from your area that you scrub at and detail when you wash your car, I suggest you try it.

I was amazed with how easy and fool proof it was. I just had to learn to make sure the area was wet enough with the quick detailer otherwise the clay would get a little stuck to the paint and smear. Otherwise, it was a breeze, and wow... Just wow.

I can't say enough. Very very please. Don't know WHY I didn't try this sooner.

The clay took so much darn dirt and contaminants off. Awesome.

Thanks guys !!!

[Bella Sera]

How long did it take you to do your whole car? I used it on part of my car because i have some nasty hard water stains. It helped a little but not completely. I did not do the rest of the car because of time constraints, but I want to. I am just not sure how long it will take and I live in SUCH a hot area.

[Benderbeetle Rodrigues]

I took my friend's advice and tried the clay bar cleaning. I used the Meguires kit too and very happy with it. I thought the clay bars were going to be soap bar sized (but were a lot smaller, more like hotel soaps) and seemed not much different than a hunk of plasticine.
After washing with dish soap with bleach (to remove the old wax), I used the clay bar before the first big car detailing. I was surprised that it left a real smooth surface after removing a lot of stuff that looked like coffee pot sludge.
I'll be doing it regularly before every hand wax application.
Thumbs up

[Yello_jellybean]

I used the Meguires Clay bar kit, right before I went to Roswell.
I LOVED the results however, WHOOO! It was a TON of work AND it took FOR-EVAR! If you do it the right way... per the directions, You a are only supposed to do a VERY small area at a time. We are talking like a 12 x 12 inch square area at a time.
That said, it took me around 3 hours to do it.
The results were well worth it though. AND I would recommend this kit to anyone. But Oh man, your will be pooooped when you are all done.

My car looked like glass. Seriously, I have a platinum grey car, and I have never seen my reflection in it before, like I did with this kit.

Thumbs up too!

[Oldbugman]

Originally Posted by Yello_jellybean

I used the Meguires Clay bar kit, right before I went to Roswell.
I LOVED the results however, WHOOO! It was a TON of work AND it took FOR-EVAR! If you do it the right way... per the directions, You a are only supposed to do a VERY small area at a time. We are talking like a 12 x 12 inch square area at a time.
That said, it took me around 3 hours to do it.
The results were well worth it though. AND I would recommend this kit to anyone. But Oh man, your will be pooooped when you are all done.

My car looked like glass. Seriously, I have a platinum grey car, and I have never seen my reflection in it before, like I did with this kit.

Thumbs up too!

3 Hours, Jeez I just did both my wifes car last weekend took 1 1/2 days, and then did mine this weekend for around the same amount of time. Either I'm doing something wrong or you are.

[Benderbeetle Rodrigues]

1 1/2 Days? It only took me about 45 minutes . I did wash the car with dish soap and bleach to really strip the old wax off and must of taken other crap off with it. I just kept rubbing until it felt smooth and the bar no longer collected dirt. Then handwaxed later, another hour.
I wish I had that kind of patience to spend that much time like you guys. You guys must be true Beetleheads, cleanfreaks or live near a bird sanctuary .

[kate_the_valkyrie]

It took several hours, and I almsot was done with the whole car, I also live in 100+ degree weather so it was making it difficult, even though I parked in the garage...

Yeah, so it rained two days later.

Thanks.... lol

[TBUGS]

This product is mega i have been doing it to my car twice a year for the last 2 years and the results are stunning.Be prepared to spend the best part of the day and get ready for some hard work but the end results are so worth it.I finish mine off with a good coat of Meguiar's NXT polish and the paint is like velvet.
Thanks Meguiar's

[GINA]

The first couple times I used clay, it took me a couple hours to do the whole car. Now I'll clay once or twice a year when I wash and just use the soap as a lube - takes me an extra half hour or so.

[hestersu]

Do not use any dish soap with bleach in it. You will eventually ruin your paint. It's your car, but I would never put any bleach on my car even if it is in the soap product. I'm not even a fan of putting vinegar in my water either but I will do it if I can wash and rinse immediately.

Make sure your car is as clean as possible before starting. You can scratch your paint with the bar if the surface isn't clean.

The key to the clay bar is using a good wetting agent. You can use the quick detailer spray or you can use tap water with several drops of dish soap (without bleach). Deminerlized water works well too. I use Dawn or Joy. You want the water to have a certain slipperiness to it. Spray an area - I work in 2x2 squares and start at the top of the area and work my way back and forth. Keep spraying if your bar drags. The bar should not drag across the paint. Drag=possible scratches. My hardwater stains will lessen but they will not be removed.

If you drop the bar on the ground, you need to consider getting another bar. It will now have debris in it that will scratch your paint.

Remember to kneed the bar turning it inside out so that you don't scratch your paint with all of the junk you are taking off of your car.

I rinse the car and dry immediately. From this point, it is polish, quick detail spray, polish, quick detail then wax. This will give a nice deep shine.

I can clay my whole car in 45 minutes or so. I've done 3 cars in one day but my back was screaming at me when I finished.

I like the Meguiars bar, but my personal favorite is the Zaino Brothers. I can buy the bars without everything else.

[Yello_jellybean]

Hey Oldbugman, I think the amount of time you have to clay a car must vary on the car. I don't think it's a matter of right or wrong. I had never clayed my car until this spring so, it was my first time. So, I may have been slow due to the fact I was a rookie. I may have also needed it more, due to the fact that my car was 3 1/2 years old. OR most likely I am a detail oriented person that took my time, and made sure it was perfect before I hung up my microfiber. I honestly don't think you have any right to tell any of us we did it wrong, unless you were there to see it. Who says you were doing it right? I did not see anywhere in the instructions, that it said contact the oldbugman for expert advice. (I am kidding to a degree) but really I think is all about who does it, how much work the car may need and, how anal you are about it.

Originally Posted by Oldbugman

3 Hours, Jeez I just did both my wifes car last weekend took 1 1/2 days, and then did mine this weekend for around the same amount of time. Either I'm doing something wrong or you are.

[Lmhansen]

I think I read somewhere that you can wash the car with Dawn dish soap to get rid of wax prior to claybar'ing the car. I've done this myself (claybar'ing), and it's very hard work and it does take a while, depending on the state of the car. Mine had probably never been claybar'ed before, so it was disgusting(!) and took a long time to do. Weather here in the summertime isn't really very good for this either. The humidity + hard physical labor makes for lots of sweat...

[Yello_jellybean]

You are correct. Dish soap is okay to do before you clay to remove the wax, but NOT the bleach. I don't really know about the bleach, myself but I think that is was she was saying in the above post. No bleach.
The dish soap is fine, but together with bleach, over time, it may ruin your paint.

[Benderbeetle Rodrigues]

Originally Posted by Yello_jellybean

The dish soap is fine, but together with bleach, over time, it may ruin your paint.

This was just a one-time thing I did since I got the Beetle and was the first time I was giving the car a good detailing (probably the first time in it's 9 year life). I live in a rainy area and lots of slime-mold can fill gaps in body work (there were big chunks of moss that sprayed out from around the windshield gap). It was only a small splash in the bucket, just enough to make the soap "slipperier" between your fingers.
That's one of the reasons I stopped going to the touchless car washes years ago. I get gassed sitting inside from the chlorine fumes. Does anyone know if this is a routine procedure for these kind of car washes??
Cheers.

[Yello_jellybean]

I think you are fine, your paint should not be harmed, I would not think. I was just saying that the post that Hestersu made was merely saying that dish soap is fine for removing wax. Just don't put the bleach in with it, because over time, it may do some damage to the paint. That's all. I doubt that a one time application would do very much, if any damage.

[Oldbugman]

Originally Posted by Yello_jellybean

Hey Oldbugman, I think the amount of time you have to clay a car must vary on the car. I don't think it's a matter of right or wrong. I had never clayed my car until this spring so, it was my first time. So, I may have been slow due to the fact I was a rookie. I may have also needed it more, due to the fact that my car was 3 1/2 years old. OR most likely I am a detail oriented person that took my time, and made sure it was perfect before I hung up my microfiber. I honestly don't think you have any right to tell any of us we did it wrong, unless you were there to see it. Who says you were doing it right? I did not see anywhere in the instructions, that it said contact the oldbugman for expert advice. (I am kidding to a degree) but really I think is all about who does it, how much work the car may need and, how anal you are about it.

Lighten up Francis. Apparently you chose not to read that I first stated "THAT I MAY BE DOING SOMETHING WRONG"

[Yello_jellybean]

Old bug man, I was kidding to to a certain degree. I even said that.

[Oldbugman]

Originally Posted by Yello_jellybean

Old bug man, I was kidding to to a certain degree. I even said that.

Hey, It's all good. I was just makin a comment, I work near a coal fired generating station so I get alot of crap built up on my car. So I would actually love to be able to claybar my car in 45 minutes.

[norcalturbobug]

the first time i used it i feel in love with it...leaves the paint surface so clean and smooth...wish they thought of this a long time ago...but i use it on all my cars both new and old...

[AlienBug2000]

I don't know if I like the Meguiar's or the Mothers clay bar better. I've used both and I tend to alternate. The Megs has a soapdish to keep your clays from drying out, but the Mothers clay just seems nicer. It's bigger and softer and seems to pull more gunk out.