Wow - Just came in from my first clay bar experience, what a great and easy process with fantastic results!



Bought the Mother's clay bar kit on sale at least a year ago, after reading good things on forums and seeing it demo'd on TV. Stuck it on the shelf and didn't forget about it, but was still a little leary if it would work and not scratch. Well this winter they are paving the main street in town for literally months bit by bit, still only half done. My victory red crew cab GMC truck was slowing turning black on the sides from a fine mist of road tar. Finally got a day above 60 degrees in the Seattle area today, so I decided to give it a try.

Worked so well taking off road tar and white paint specs down low, that I ended up doing the entire sides of the truck. Above the belt line you could not see anything, but running your hand over the paint you could feel roughness. Quick pass with the clay bar and you could hear the stuff being whisked off. Feels smooth as glass now. My fears of scratching completely unfounded. The clay even glides over the hand painted pin stripes.

Normally I would have spent much more time and elbow grease with chemicals and cleaner wax to get tar off. The clay bar made it quicker and easier. Heck a MINI would not take long at all to clar bar.

 

So there was nothing to be scared of after all was there..

Now on to the MINI....

 

I used the Mothers Clay Bar kit myself about a month or so ago. Prior to that, like you, I was a "clay bar virgin" as well. Loved how the detailing spray the kit came with smelled like cinnamon, like big red gum haha. BUT I did find the clay bar process a little awkward at first. Possibly because I did it on a brand new car that was only a few months old, so there wasn't much that it picked up at all. I wanted to try it out and am glad I did, because the paint shimmers when it's clean.

 

I do the paint 2-3 times per year, but have gotten into the habit of claying the windscreen every couple of weeks. It seems to catch lots of road grime.

Once the clay you are using for your paint gets too dirty, keep it for your glass.

 

make sure you add a coat of wax after words as claying removes the wax

 

Thanks for the tip! I had added a coat of wax afterward, I'm in the habit of spray waxing everytime I wash

 

SOME of the wax is removed - not all of it - Here's some FAQ's.....

 

That's not exactly true. Clay will typically remove all wax if its carnuaba based and really only some very strong paint sealants will wisthand a mild clay, but most waxes and sealants will be completely removed or leave minimal protection behind. Even the Meguiars site strongly recommends putting a coat of wax on after claying.

I'd ask Richard for his expert opinion being that he deals with this every day.