Clay it when your hand doesn't glide over the paint.
Clay Bar Question
I just received my clay bar kit from Adam's and I was wondering, how often do I need to clay bay my car? Does excessive clay barring hurt the paint's finish? Thanks.
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my dads ram is a 01', and has never been clayed, and even when i washed it, u could still fell stuff on the surface, and i clayed some on the hood, and it worked great, made the hood smooooooth as a babys.....well u know, lol, but i dont see how doing it alot would hurt, just wax after your done.
Slide your hand in a plasic sandwich baggie, then rub your hand lightly over the surface. You will feel so much more this way than just with a bare hand. Once you feel your finish becoming rough then it's time to clay.
jayincaliis correct and he has given you a great tip with the baggie!.You can use the clay bar to your hearts content without over using it, but you are not going to accomplish much gain after the first time you use. Depending on how and where you drive and park your car, a clay bar treatment can be beneficial using it anywhere from 6 month to a year. If your car is not exposed to the elements much and is garage kept, then once a year should suffice. On the other hand, if your car is parked under a tree that gives off sap, or you park in a smog area you may need to use more often. You will not ruin the clear coat with the clay bar, unlike polish, the clay bar is non-abrasive and doesn't remove layers of clear coat.
Thanks for your business and support!
Thanks for your business and support!
I know I am gonna get some grief for this...but what is clay and what does it exactly do for your paint? I live in L.A. , the truck is parked in an underground garage during the night and doesnt see the sun until about 3 oclock in the afternoon(graveyard shift). What do you think? How is it applied? Thanks guys...
Paint & Body product, most frequently used to remove paint over spray or contamination on a car. Clay bars have been used by professional detailers for years. These totally non-abrasive bars safely and quickly remove surface contamination, rail dust, industrial fallout and overspray by “pulling” if off the surface. Use prior to polishing your car for an ultra-smooth finish. Use a detailing spray when using it as well. If you want a demo of it check out Adams website ... http://www.adamspolishes.com/videos/clay_bar.cfm
If you are not familiar with the clay bar, go to the Adam's Website http://adamspolishes.com/ and on the right side of the page, there are free instructional videos including a video on "Clay Bar". The quick version: A clay bar is just that, a hunk of clay that you rub over your paint that will remove all the impurities from your paint. One bar, with normal use is good for about 8-10 uses.04_on_22s said:I know I am gonna get some grief for this...but what is clay and what does it exactly do for your paint? I live in L.A. , the truck is parked in an underground garage during the night and doesnt see the sun until about 3 oclock in the afternoon(graveyard shift). What do you think? How is it applied? Thanks guys...
Regardless of how clean you think your paint is, there is still contamination stuck on the paint that you need to remove before waxing or polishing your paint. Clay bars leave behind an ultra-smooth surface that will make your wax adhere better and last longer. It also makes the wax much easier to remove, reducing your "elbow grase" substantially. Clay is safe for all paint and also works great on glass to get it sqeaky clean. Clay bars are best used with a lubrant such as Adam's Detail Spray or soapy water. Follow up with a good polish or if you are satisfied with the finish after clay bar, use your favorite wax.
Over 70% of all new vehicles are shipped from the factory via rail, therefore infecting the vehicle before it even gets to the dealership.
Anytime a vehicle is parked or travels near a railroad it is subjected to rail dust contamination
Brake dust is produced from the friction of the brake pads rubbing against the rotor.
Since all brake pads are no longer made of asbestos, and are made of metal particles, during braking, metal on metal friction disburses tiny particles of bare metal onto the paint finish of all automobiles.
Industrial fallout is another term used to describe pollution, this contamination is settling onto the paint finish of all automobiles and causing equal damage as rail dust and brake dust when left untreated
Hope this information helps in your decision
VegasLightz said:If you are not familiar with the clay bar, go to the Adam's Website http://adamspolishes.com/ and on the right side of the page, there are free instructional videos including a video on "Clay Bar". The quick version: A clay bar is just that, a hunk of clay that you rub over your paint that will remove all the impurities from your paint. One bar, with normal use is good for about 8-10 uses.
Regardless of how clean you think your paint is, there is still contamination stuck on the paint that you need to remove before waxing or polishing your paint. Clay bars leave behind an ultra-smooth surface that will make your wax adhere better and last longer. It also makes the wax much easier to remove, reducing your "elbow grase" substantially. Clay is safe for all paint and also works great on glass to get it sqeaky clean. Clay bars are best used with a lubrant such as Adam's Detail Spray or soapy water. Follow up with a good polish or if you are satisfied with the finish after clay bar, use your favorite wax.
Over 70% of all new vehicles are shipped from the factory via rail, therefore infecting the vehicle before it even gets to the dealership.
Anytime a vehicle is parked or travels near a railroad it is subjected to rail dust contamination
Brake dust is produced from the friction of the brake pads rubbing against the rotor.
Since all brake pads are no longer made of asbestos, and are made of metal particles, during braking, metal on metal friction disburses tiny particles of bare metal onto the paint finish of all automobiles.
Industrial fallout is another term used to describe pollution, this contamination is settling onto the paint finish of all automobiles and causing equal damage as rail dust and brake dust when left untreated
Hope this information helps in your decision
That is awesome! I didn't know you guys had instructional videos.
On a side note. There was a guy a while back who had a white jeep wrangler. The rail dust that was embedded in his paint started to rust, leaving behind rust speckles all over his paint. Nasty. Claying would have prevented this.
is clay safe to use on painted plastic/polyurethane parts(bumper covers, grilles)?
If the clay bar is less abrasive than polish as stated in post #5 why would I use a polish after the claybar as stated in post #8? I've never heard of going from a less abrasive product to a more abrasive product in finishing paint (or wood for that matter.)
Two excellent questions on the clay bar process
1. Clay isn't just for paint. You can use detailing clay on any smooth, hard surface, including glass and chrome. Do not use clay on clear plastic, such as headlight lenses.
2. Clay is not a cure-all or a replacement for polishing. It's a tool for quickly and easily removing surface contamination. One of the many reasons for using clay is the removal of brake dust. Brake dust contamination, which attaches to painted rear bumpers and adjoining surfaces, is a metallic surface contaminant that can be removed safely and effectively by using clay. When contaminants get a solid grip on your car's paint, washing alone may not be enough to remove them. Pre-wax cleaners also may not be able to exfoliate large particles. In this case, you have two choices: use a polishing compound, which removes a lot of paint material, or use a clay bar. Clay isn't a polish or a compound, it is a surface preparation bar that smoothes the paint and exfoliates contaminants.
Using a polish after a clay treatment will remove swirls out of the paint finish that will make your paint optically improved as clay bar will not remove swirls.
1. Clay isn't just for paint. You can use detailing clay on any smooth, hard surface, including glass and chrome. Do not use clay on clear plastic, such as headlight lenses.
2. Clay is not a cure-all or a replacement for polishing. It's a tool for quickly and easily removing surface contamination. One of the many reasons for using clay is the removal of brake dust. Brake dust contamination, which attaches to painted rear bumpers and adjoining surfaces, is a metallic surface contaminant that can be removed safely and effectively by using clay. When contaminants get a solid grip on your car's paint, washing alone may not be enough to remove them. Pre-wax cleaners also may not be able to exfoliate large particles. In this case, you have two choices: use a polishing compound, which removes a lot of paint material, or use a clay bar. Clay isn't a polish or a compound, it is a surface preparation bar that smoothes the paint and exfoliates contaminants.
Using a polish after a clay treatment will remove swirls out of the paint finish that will make your paint optically improved as clay bar will not remove swirls.
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