Clay Bar Process Tips

Detailing clay is a much heated debate amongst car enthusiasts. My clay bar process tips will take you through some of the common misconceptions as well as offer some additional tips taken straight from the world of professional auto detailing. This magical little wonder of firm Play-doh like substance is a critical step in what is considered proper car paint care. I still get a kick out of the feel of freshly clayed paint followed by a coat of quality wax. If you are new to the world of car care and have not experienced the amazing results possible by use of a quality clay bar product, then you absolutely must experience this first hand for yourself! Shop any of the clay bar kits over in the column to the right with the secure online links!

Let's Become an Informed Consumer

You will know when it is time to replace when the bar starts to fall apart: Most packaging will tell you to replace as soon as the bar gets "too" dirty. Most people will tend to replace much earlier than actually necessary, thinking that too much pollution in the bar will damaging to their paint. I use until the bar starts to fall apart.
Replace the bar if it falls on the ground: Fine if you have money to burn, but you can simply slice off the contaminated section with a razor blade; or cheese slicer if your mom or wife aren't looking. My experience has shown that most often, only one or two rocks actually attach to the detailing clay if dropped on the ground that can simply be removed with your finger tips.
It sounds like it is scratching my paint: That is because it is scratching your paint! But don't go and panic yet, as this mostly depends on what you consider scratching. The reality is that the surface of your paint is made up of millions of ultra fine scratches, and the kind of "scratching" this does will not make or break your world. Since you will be following up with a coat of wax, (you will be doing this, right?) you will be either removing any of those scratches in the process of waxing, or you will be "filling" them in with wax. Anyone can examine their cars paint under fluorescent lighting and see some form of scratching regardless if they have clay bared their car or not, but I maintain the position that if you can view your car from a couple of feet away in natural sunlight and be dazzled by its beauty, then I consider this a realistic approach to the real world.
Your paint should not be clayed too often: I usually only hear this statement from guys trying to represent themselves as experts, but are not much more than self-appointed experts trying to appear as experts. I have yet to experience any form of damage from using a clay bar too much. Using detailing clay will be part of ongoing maintenance of your cars paint and using the clay bar every month is considered normal. You have to remember that once you have clay bar your car originally, keeping up on it every 1-3 months requires very little rubbing and effort in general.
Make sure you use the clay bar lubricant: Once again, this could be argued as to the "best" method of using the clay bar, but I have found that laying a dampened chamois over the bar while I am using, keeps the paint surface sufficiently lubricated. You can also spritz some lubricant to the chamois itself. Just keep the chamois folded in a big enough section to overlap the clay bar sufficiently to keep paint wet while using; a 12-18" square will do perfectly. As one of my essential tips of proper car paint care and especially these clay bar process tips, I recommend getting one of the Water Sprite chamois I have listed at the bottom of the column over at the right. This is the exact chamois I use professionally and have yet to find a better match!
Mold for really tight areas: Because detailing clay is pliable, force the clay into tight creases in body work to form a perfect mold for working. Remember, if you don't get the clay bar into these tight areas, then the fall out will remain. It is always disappointing to finish waxing a car, only to find some remaining texture hiding out along the creases and grooves of the body panels. When it comes to angled corners or areas where normal back and forth motion does not permit, poke your finger through the clay to stretch around your finger without breaking through; this will allow you to work very tight areas with just your finger tips. I use this trick around the areas of the license plate and back tailgate areas of SUV's, etc.

I hope these clay bar process tips help you in your own efforts of car detailing. If you have yet to experience the benefits of using the detailing clay yourself, use the secure online links over in the column to the right to shop any of the quality clay bar kits I recommend; they all work and will provide professional results!

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Clay Bar Picks

Any professional detailer knows the importance of the clay bar. This little piece of clay wonder removes surface contaminates from your cars' paint and leaves it smooth as glass. I still get a kick out of intrusting someone for the first time as they use a quality clay bar like the ones below, and see first hand the truly professional results they are able to get the first time around! People ask me professionally all the time what I recommend for their cars paint. I tell them to start with just two items before they consider anything else: The clay bar and some quality paste wax. People are constantly amazed at the level of results these two items alone are able to provide and often, never go any further than these two items. So shop any of the clay bar kits below, and see how easy it is to produce a silky smooth shine to your car yourself!

(see the end of this list for one of my professional time saving tips!)

Meguiar's Professional Clay

If you are looking to purchase a clay bar without the kit itself, the product from Meguiar's is an excellent choice! Use the Meguiar's Professional detailing clay to remove airborne pollutants that embed themselves into your cars paint. The professional way to prep your paint for a glass smooth finish to be used prior to waxing.

Meguiars Professional Detailing Clay

Mothers Clay Bar Kit

It is hard to wrong with any of Mothers products, including their clay bars. If you are looking to save money, you can opt for this kit over the Clay Magic clay bar. Still ideal for any "driveway Detailer" with limited demands from a clay bar as compared to a professional.

Mothers California Gold Clay Bar Paint Saving System

Mequiar's Clay Bar Kit

Meguair's has a long standing reputation for quality products and their claybar is no exception. If you are a "Driveway Detailer" looking to save a few bucks, you can opt for this one over that of the more expensive Clay Magic due to your limited use with your own cars. All these clay bars will do the job; it really comes down to how long they last, and easy they are to work with.

Meguiars Smooth Surface Clay Kit

Pinnacle Clay Bar Kit

I haven't personally tried the clay bar kit from Pinnacle. Since the above mentioned clay bars are more than qualified for the job, I have limited my reviews to those above. If you are a fan of Pinnacle products, then you may want to go with their version of clay bar.

Pinnacle XMT Speed Clay Bundle

Wolfgang Clay Combo

I haven't personally tried the clay bar kit from Wolfgang. Since the above mentioned clay bars are more than qualified for the job, I have limited my reviews to those above. But if you are already a fan of Wolfgang products, then you might want to stay consistent by choosing their version.

Wolfgang Clay Combo

Water Sprite Chamois

Darren's Tip

Clay bar kits are a great way to sample a manufacturers clay bar and spray lubricant. If you are trying a particular kit for hte first time, you might just find you have found a new favorite when it comes to the spray detailer that comes with these kits. Once you have finished the spray lubricant, try this time saving technique developed by one of my past employees: simply use a wet chamois instead of the spray lubricant; this is a time saving technique I still use today. And since I am letting you in on this secret, I might as well let you in on another gem, and that is the Water Sprite chamois! Not all chamois' are created equal, and you are missing out if you think so! This is the exact chamois I use professionally and have not switched in twenty years! Simply use a wet chamois by placing the clay bar underneath as you rub across the paintwork of your car. The damp chamois automatically wets the paint surface to keep the clay from sticking. Not only do you save time by not having to spray the spray lubricant repeatedly, but you will also save on your spray detailer! I usually cut this over-sized chamois in half from the beginning which means you are really get two chamois' for the price of one!

Water Sprite Plus® Chamois 4 sq. Feet