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The fact is, you should never clay bar your car and stop there. Clay bars are abrasive and will mar your paint while they remove the contaminants. You need to polish the paint afterward in order to maintain a perfect finish.
Can clay bar scratch your car?
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.
Does clay Bar damage car paint?
What Is an Automotive Clay Bar? Clay bars used by professionals will be more “aggressive” in their ability to cut contaminants from auto finishes, but they can also cause damage to paint in the wrong hands.
What does a clay bar do for your car?
A clay bar is either a natural or synthetic engineered resin compound designed to remove or ‘lift’ contamination from your vehicles surface to provide a contamination free, smooth surface to apply protection to. Contamination such as: industrial fallout, rail dust, honey due, tree sap and bitumen tar.
How often should you clay bar your car?
Once you’ve clay barred and protected your paintwork, you should only need to do it twice a year – once before winter and once after. Obviously, you’re welcome to do it more often. This is simply the minimum required.
Does Claying a car remove wax?
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.
Does Clay Bar damage clear coat?
Clay bars are not supposed to damage the paint or clear coat finish, the particles that are being removed by the clay bar might remove some of the clear coat (see image below for example) the the damage these particles can do over time is worse than the clear coat being removed – and this valleys will be filled in with Jul 19, 2007.
Do you wash car after clay bar?
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.7 days ago.
How long does a clay bar last?
clay bar will last you 18 months to 2 years if used on the same vehicle. If you buy clay in an 4 oz. bar, like Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay or BLACKFIRE Poly Clay, cut it in half and keep the unused portions moistened with lubricant in the storage case.
What can I use instead of a clay bar?
There are different styles when it comes to clay bar alternatives. Sponges, mitts, towels, blocks, and even discs for your DA Polisher are now available. These can make decontamination much quicker and easier, but you still need to be careful.
What liquid do you use with clay bar?
Q: What can I use to lubricate a clay bar? You can use a specifically formulated lubricant, a quick detailer, or soapy water. All of these will sufficiently lubricate your vehicle so that the clay bar can glide over your vehicle’s surface without damaging it.
Can you clay bar with water?
All clay bars require a lubricant. Some can be used with water, some work better with a quick detailer spray (liquid suspension of carnauba). The single most important factor when claying is to ensure the surface being clayed is well lubricated.
How much does it cost to Clay wax a car?
Expect to pay around 150.00 for a wash/clay/wax. Head over to Autopia and hit up the regional section. Lots of local detailers that w/ plenty of experience looking for side work. Forget wax entirely, try a car polish instead.
Do you have to buff after 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.
Can you reuse car clay?
Improper Claying “The fact is, clay needs to glide over the surface to be effective in cleaning the paint.” As simple as it sounds, it’s the truth. Jim also strongly advises against reusing clay bars. “Once a clay bar has picked up debris, it’s contaminated,” says Jim adamantly.
Is it necessary to polish after Claying?
The clay bar if used properly should not be marring the paint. You should not have to polish after claying, unless the paint was already bad. Sometimes, using a clay bar will reveal hidden damage underneath. There are different levels of clay bars.
Does clay bar remove ceramic coating?
Since clay is so sticky, it can even absorb particles that are bonded with the car’s clear coat. Many professional automotive detailers prefer to use surface clay bars over polishes, since clay bars do not remove any clear coating from your car’s surface – as long as it is used with clay lubricant.
Can you clay bar glass?
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.
How do I know if I need to clay my car?
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.
Do I need to dry car before Claying?
The medium grade clay is used for more heavily contaminated vehicles (cars that have gone many years without claying), and it has a greater risk of marring the finish. Before you start, you’ll want to thoroughly wash and dry the vehicle as you normally would. This is all you need to do to prep the surface for claying.
