You finally decide on clay barring your car, then read this article on ” how to clay bar a car”. When you purchase a new vehicle from the dealer, it will be shiny and have a smooth surface. The entire automobile will be coated in minor scratches, bug droppings, industrial fallout, brake dust, tree sap, and road tar as you continue to drive it on the highway. Consider obtaining a clay bar treatment for your car if you don’t take care of the clear coat immediately.
Using a clay bar is a crucial first step before performing any body shop repair, such as paint correction, or putting wax, sealer, or ceramic coating to your paint. It’s comparable to people’s skin peeling so that their skin will continue to feel silky smooth when wearing cosmetics. Thus, we’ll begin to discuss how to clay bar a car. But before we begin let’s know the definition and list the equipment that you’ll need;
Contents
What Is Clay Barring?
You shouldn’t miss the stage of clay barring when detailing your car’s paint job because it’s so important. During the procedure, impurities from your car’s paint are removed with a clay bar, leaving the surface smooth and prepared for waxing or polishing. As pollutants like brake dust, sap, and tar can embed into the paint, making it feel rough and appear dull, it’s a crucial stage in the detailed process.
Clay bars have historically been pliable clay blocks that you would knead and fold impurities into as you worked. There are also newer, more ergonomic choices available, including mittens and sponges that must be washed after usage. The sort of clay bar you select actually depends on personal preference. Whichever you choose, as long as you choose one, is all that matters.
Types of equipment needed
Traditional clay bar
Clay bars typically range in size from 2 oz to 8 oz. Three or four automobiles can be washed with the 2 oz clay bars. When used on the same car, it is estimated that one 2 oz clay bar can last 18 months to two years. If you choose the larger clay bar, you can use a sharp knife or pair of scissors to cut it into sections, then seal the pieces you won’t be using in a sandwich bag.
Traditional clay kit
For those who have never clay barred before, Meguiar’s G1016 clay bar kit is excellent. Along with Mothers 07240 complete system clay bar kit, Chemical Guys also offers a complete clay bar kit for novices.
Microfiber towel
When doing any type of car cleaning work, from detailing to buffing, microfiber towels (microfiber cloths) are crucial. If it’s cleaned well after each use, microfiber is an extremely thin synthetic fiber towel that won’t damage or irritate your car’s finish. A microfiber towel can be applied to several parts of an automobile, including the windows, side mirrors, and the body itself.
Spray or clay lubricant
When using a clay bar treatment, a clay lubricant is a crucial component. The clay lube leaves a transparent film on the surface of the car when you liberally spray it all over. In this manner, the paint of the car will not be harmed by the clay bar sticking to it. To avoid any flaws and clay bar residue from developing on the car, it is crucial to ensure that the clay bar is always lubricated when claying a vehicle. To remove any remaining clay, you can reapply the clay lube.
So, let’s begin!
How to clay bar a car
- To start, give your automobile a thorough wash to get rid of any loose dirt and filth. After that, use a fresh microfiber towel to dry the car.
- If using a conventional clay bar, take a tiny piece and knead it until it is malleable.
- To lubricate the clay bar, mist a clay lubricant or rapid detailer onto the surface of the car.
- Move the clay bar back and forth over the lubricated surface. Don’t press too hard as this can result in scratches; instead, use light pressure and allow the clay to do the work. As you work, you should feel the clay absorbing impurities.
- To reveal a clean surface, fold the clay bar back on itself and knead it one more.
- On the following area of the car, repeat the procedure.
- Give the car a final fast wash after clay-barring the entire thing, and then dry it with a fresh towel.
- To seal in the paint protection, use a final coat of wax or sealer.
What are the dangers of a clay bar?
Clay bars pick up everything—they don’t just pick up some items. When you use a clay bar, the clay will draw all kinds of surface impurities up from beneath the paint of your car.
When applied as directed, clay bars can give your car the same exfoliating properties as the clay used in spas. However, if you don’t use enough caution when using the clay bar on your car, you could do a lot of harm that can only be repaired by bodywork. The one thing you must always keep in mind when using a clay bar is to keep the surface you are working on extremely heavily soaked.
As long as your car’s surface is wet, the clay bar will slide across it easily, and you shouldn’t encounter much resistance. Although the clay bar feels smooth, it is actually rough and abrasive. It’s possible for the clay to shreds, scratch, or peel off the clear coat of your car’s paint if it isn’t maintained moist.
Swirl marks and paint defects are other problems that arise frequently when clay bars are handled improperly. You risk spending a lot more money on something that could have been avoided if you use a clay bar that is already very unclean or do not maintain the clay lubricated as directed.
It won’t take long for the clay bar to become filthy. Even if the clay bar only touches the ground for a split second, it should still be thrown away and replaced. The above-mentioned swirl markings could appear if you don’t.
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FAQs
What is the best way to clay bar a car?
Do you use clay bars on wet or dry cars?
Your car should be washed and dried before applying a clay bar to get rid of the majority of pollution. The likelihood that defects will be added during the clay bar process increases with the degree of contamination of the paint.
Is it easy to clay bar a car?
Claying your car is actually fairly simple, and doing it a few times a year will help keep a smooth, clean surface, though there are a few crucial safety precautions to be aware of before trying it.
How long does a clay bar last on the car?
Clay bars usually come in sizes between 2 and 8 ounces. The product can easily cover 3 to 4 autos with 2 ounces of it. If used on the same vehicle, a single 2 oz. clay bar should last you 18 to 24 months.
Can I use soap and water with a clay bar for a car?
Yes, soapy water works great as a lubricant for clay. You may mix it up right away because it is by far the least expensive method and it’s likely that you already have some on hand. After washing the automobile, combine equal parts water and car shampoo in a fresh bucket or spray bottle and liberally apply them to the surface.
Does a clay bar make the car shine?
If you wanted your car to appear its best, you had to wash and wax it. However, you’ll also need to use clay bar detailing if you want an exceptional finish. Car owners may make their automobiles really sparkle and achieve a faultless finish by using a particular clay bar.
What liquid can I use to clay bar my car?
As a lubricant during the clay bar procedure, one can either use a rapid detailer product or a water/automotive wash mixture. Here at AQS, we utilize a fresh wash mitt to lubricate our surface and clay while filling a clean wash bucket with fresh water and car wash solution.
What lubricant to use when claying a car?
Every clay bar needs lubrication. Some perform best with a rapid detailer spray (a liquid suspension of carnauba), while others can be used with water. Always heed the advice given on the clay bar; if it says to use water, that means it was designed with that purpose in mind.
Will the clay bar remove scratches?
Scratch removal using a clay bar, wax, and DIYSwirl marks and scratches on the top layer of your paint’s surface can frequently be removed by buffing. How? Any extra dirt and grime on the surface of your vehicle will be removed with a clay bar surface treatment. The next step is to smooth off your paint using wax and buff.
Does the clay bar remove a clear coat?
A clay bar is a specially designed, clay-like agent that removes impurities from your clear coat, including watermarks, brake dust, metal dust, industrial pollutants, and road grit. These impurities come loose from your car and become safely embedded in the clay when used with a clay lubricant, protecting your clear coat.
That’s all for this article where we discussed How to clay bar a car. Hope it was helpful. If so, kindly share. Thanks for reading.
