Clay Bar Car
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The 4 Steps of Car Paint Care

• Washing


• Cleaning


• Polishing


• Protecting

Use of the clay bar comes under the category of cleaning. While this may be somewhat confusing since many people would consider washing to be part of cleaning. When we refer to cleaning in the auto detailing business, we are referring to the removal of contaminates from our cars paint. Traditional washing and waxing of your car will not remove these forms of airborne contaminates, and therefore must be removed through the separate process of clay bar car. This process is critical to the health and look of your cars paint, and will be an ongoing part of proper car paint care due to the fact that this airborne pollution will be a constant battle.

Proper protection starts with proper cleaning and preparation of your cars paint surface. Just as it is necessary to prep wood before applying stain and varnish, or just as women would want apply moisturizer to clean skin versus dirty skin, the same holds true with the paint on your car. The pollution, also commonly referred to as fall-out, must be removed first in order to do a proper wax job.

This fall-out can be seen as little rust specs on light colored car paint, and can always be felt as texture on your paint, as though there were hundreds of tiny little specs of dirt, attached to the surface of your paint.

This process of cleaning, often referred as "clay bar car", or just “claying” your paint, will be ongoing maintenance. While traditionally it will not be necessary to use the clay bar before every application of wax, it will be an ongoing process as pollution is present everywhere, and at all times. Just as every city has varying levels of dirt and pollution in the air, so will each car have varying levels of this fall-out that will need to be removed as part of the overall clay bar car process.

• Clay bars are good.
• Clay bars strip away surface contaminates, commonly referred to as "fall-out".
• Clay bars will keep your paint smooth and clean prior to waxing.
• Clay bars need to be used periodically to keep your paint pollution free.

• The clay bar is a surface preparation bar used prior to waxing.
• The clay bar is used by rubbing back and forth over your paint until all contaminates have been removed.
• The clay bar is like a small, palm sized brick of firm "Play-doh" or "silly Putty".
• The clay bar is part of the cleaning process of correct paint maintenance.
• The clay bars purpose is to remove contaminates that are attached to your paint, e.g. pollution, fall-out, rail dust, exhaust gases, paint overspray, etc.
• Some form of lubricant is required to keep the clay bar from sticking to the paint.
• Most manufacturers of these surface preparation bars will have some form of clay lubricant.
• These contaminates which are usually referred to as pollution or fall-out, can be seen as tiny rust specs on light colored paint.
• Fall-out can always be felt on any colored paint as a surface texture that feels as though there are tiny specs of dirt stuck to your paint.
• If you don’t clay bar car prior to waxing, then guess what, you will officially be waxing right over the pollution that is embedded into your paint; this is not the recommended plan.

• Your cars paint will always be subject to pollution, and removing the pollution will be ongoing maintenance.
• Normal washing and waxing will not remove fall-out.
• Despite having bought yourself a new car, my experience has shown that virtually every new car will still have this “fall-out” in the paint.
• Using a buffer to remove fall-out is never recommended.
• By using the clay bar, you are literally shearing away, and pulling out contaminates and pollution attached to the surface of your paint.
• Fall-out will continue to embed into your paint further and further, the longer it is allowed to remain.
• Despite what manufacturers of clay bars will tell you, the clay bar will scratch, but this really depends on your interpretation of scratching.
• Sometimes in life we must simply choose between the lesser of evils; in this case “scratches” or pollution. We either live with the “pollution” that will continually become part of your paint, or do some micro-scratching by using the clay bar to remove the pollution. Professional car detailers are unanimous in this area, and agree that use of the clay bar is acceptable and the trade-off is minimal.
• Remember that wax is meant to “fill” in ultra fine scratches, imperfections, and scuffs, just the kind that is possible with use of clay bars.
• We need to remember to always stay realistic, and this area is no exception. The surface of your paint is made up of tens of thousands of ultra fine scratches. Don’t get so fixated with unrealistic expectations to the point where you think you are actually making the better choice, and that is to do nothing. Because I can promise you that doing nothing, will absolutely guarantee you unacceptable results long term.

I hope this has helped in your car detailing efforts and deciding whether to clay bar car or not. When it comes to auto detailing tips, I figure that unless you understand the full picture, it is hard to make an informed decision. I have listed out some quality clay bar kits over in the right hand column for your convenience. Use the secure links to shop online.

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