Clay bar or not

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Mr. B

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Thinking of using a clay bar for the first time on a 12 month old vehicle. It’s been jet washed, snow foamed and had a two bucket wash but b4 I polish and wax it I was thinking about using a clay bar to assist with the overall finish.
I’ve never used a clay bar before so i’ve googled and YouTube’d the process which seems pretty straight forward. However I’ve noticed one or two comments in relation to clay bars causing small scratches due to the contaminants it picks up, even when using the lubricant. Plus some state it’s advisable to use a machine polisher after the clay bar rather than by hand. I’ve seen the Meguiars kit in Halfords which seems pretty decent. I’ve yet to try the Autoglyn tar remover which I purchased b4 I thought about using a clay bar.
Thoughts anyone?
 
Thinking of using a clay bar for the first time on a 12 month old vehicle. It’s been jet washed, snow foamed and had a two bucket wash but b4 I polish and wax it I was thinking about using a clay bar to assist with the overall finish.
I’ve never used a clay bar before so i’ve googled and YouTube’d the process which seems pretty straight forward. However I’ve noticed one or two comments in relation to clay bars causing small scratches due to the contaminants it picks up, even when using the lubricant. Plus some state it’s advisable to use a machine polisher after the clay bar rather than by hand. I’ve seen the Meguiars kit in Halfords which seems pretty decent. I’ve yet to try the Autoglyn tar remover which I purchased b4 I thought about using a clay bar.
Thoughts anyone?

In my opinion Clay Barring is similar to Tiling, you are either very good at it or effing rubbish!

Have go at something you can afford to throw away or under the door and see if you have the knack!
 
I'd never clay a car unless I'm going to be machine polishing it afterwards.
You will inflict clay marring - where the clay surface picks up hard contaminants and you rub it across the paint.
Now if your car was a few years old and had lots of swirls etc then you may not notice the clay marring being inflicted.
Your car is a year old and in theory the paint is still in good condition so you are much better off using the tar remover on tar spots with several microfibre cloths. You will also benefit using a chemical decon in the form of Carpro IronX, or Bilt Hamber Korrosol.

Have you come across this YT video? -
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Cheers,

Chris
 
Thanks for the replies.
The video is the exact one that inspired me to post in the first place.
 
Are the chemical decontaminates used after every wash ie. just spray on the whole bodywork and wipe off ?
Cheers.
 
I used to find claying a completely laborious task which I did not enjoy one bit. Until I received some really helpful advice. Replace your quick detailer with half a bucket of soapy water and use a wash mitt to let the water run over the panel. Makes just as effect a lubricant but way more abundant than quick detailer and sped up the process no end.

As said though, you will need to polish the car and re-protect it afterwards as it can marr the paint but it's the perfect prep for polishing anyway. I have found it will remove tar spots albeit with repeated passes on larger spots.
 
Are the chemical decontaminates used after every wash ie. just spray on the whole bodywork and wipe off ?
Cheers.

Definitely not every wash, once or maybe twice a year, dependent on what protection your car has, car usage etc - too many variables to say you need to do it x amount of times.

cheers,

Chris
 
I've only ever had good results from just claying and waxing ie: paint always looks better than it did - I'm no detailer and definitely don't get perfection but I've never thought I needed to polish after clay.
I generally do they clay after the wash without rinsing, so go around again with the mitt and bucket and use the wash as lubricant for the clay - and basically push the clay over the panel, don't push down on it. Reduces any potential damage that way, and obviously fold/replace regularly depending on contamination.
This has always been on 5+ year old cars though, not sure how I'd do on a 1 year old.
 
I used to bar but have found clay-mitt and also clay-cloth so much easier to use, quicker and also less forgiving to damage/marring.

Would never dream of claying if not undertaking a full-on build (eg strip,clay, polish, glaze/seal, wax) thus ALWAYS polish after clay.
 
I've never used a clay mit,
I don't have new or high value motors.

I use clay bar with lots of soapy water, as said above, I have a bucket and continually rinse the bar and the apply across the body work.
I knead and sort of rotate the bar as I work to create a new area of clay.
A large lump of clay bar makes using easier.

You've only to wipe your hand across the paintwork to feel the smoother finish to realise how much junk has been removed, so it follows that the bar must pick up contaminates.
How much of that is rinsed off I can't know.

I finish by spraying the polish onto a cloth rather than the car, then wipe onto the car, let dry and then buff up.
 
I have clayed many cars over the years, and now have a clay cloth, its quite a bit quicker, it does pick up quite a bit of sh1t ! and you can definitely feel the smoothness on the paint when done, although I wouldn't have thought a 1 year old car would be needing clayed, unless it has quite a high milage ? and maybe kept outside.
But I agree with others, I only clay when I'm doing "the full monty"
In fact I'm 2 3rds way through doing my E280 estate, I'll get the last couple of stages done this w/e, its a long process, but worth it :)
 
OK well I think I'm the only one that enjoys claying it really gets in all the nooks and crannies :)

I love the clay mit use it every couple of months, claying probably once a year when the car gets the full treatment just make sure the car is thoroughly cleaned and has a good chemical decontamination with fallout and tar remover (I prefer BH for this). Whipping up a 10% solution of IPA to wipe the car over before machine polishing.

IMO as with everything that touches the paintwork it's all about lubrication to prevent marring and to be honest I hook up the soap attachment to the pressure washer and keep wetting and rinsing each panel as I go dipping the clay in a small bucket of soapy water when necessary.

The benefits of this at this time of year reduces the time my arm is spent in cold water and makes me feel better the each part of the car is well lubricated and thoroughly rinsed when I'm done and in the warmer weather same thing as the panels dry quicker so a good soaking with soapy ensures lubrication.

I keep checking the Clay to see what it's picking up and heat it in hot water and folding it over when you can see it's dirty.

My OCD dictates I go around with a mit after in case I missed anything prior to machine polishing and gives the thing another rinses and two bucket which add half an hour to the prep work but boy do I feel better when I'm sat there cross hatching with a machine polisher.

The car only gets this treatment once maybe twice a year really before and after the winter.
 
Thinking of using a clay bar for the first time on a 12 month old vehicle. It’s been jet washed, snow foamed and had a two bucket wash but b4 I polish and wax it I was thinking about using a clay bar to assist with the overall finish.
I’ve never used a clay bar before so i’ve googled and YouTube’d the process which seems pretty straight forward. However I’ve noticed one or two comments in relation to clay bars causing small scratches due to the contaminants it picks up, even when using the lubricant. Plus some state it’s advisable to use a machine polisher after the clay bar rather than by hand. I’ve seen the Meguiars kit in Halfords which seems pretty decent. I’ve yet to try the Autoglyn tar remover which I purchased b4 I thought about using a clay bar.
Thoughts anyone?

Before claying, you can check with the plastic bag method (lots of YT demos). You can actually feel the roughness with your fingertips (compare your clean car to a new clean car).

I'd use an iron remover before clay to dissolve the embedded metals (I sprayed (with IronX) a spot on my car (30 months old, 12000 miles & lives in a garage) last wash and there was evidence of contamination will be decominating next wash.

I bought a clay mitt and "tested" it on my wife's car and the difference is noticeable and I cannot seen the need to machine polish her car (2014 model).

I have a DA polisher and have never used it except once to try it (putting on and removing wax) - was easier to do it by hand. I'd avoid machine polishing unless you really know what you are doing - basically rubbing your paint (at high speed) with a fine abrasive.....easy to polish through body line creases etc.

Lots of smoke and mirrors around detailing.
 
I clay every 5-6 washes. It removes tar perfectly and leaves a clean base for wax or spray polish (if I'm in a hurry) afterwards.

If you end up with a marred finish you're using it wrong. Used correctly it should glide with no effort whatsoever. Switch to a different spray (I dilute good old Klasse All in One with water) or buff a bit harder. Ample lubrication is the key.
 
I'd never clay a car unless I'm going to be machine polishing it afterwards.
You will inflict clay marring - where the clay surface picks up hard contaminants and you rub it across the paint.
Now if your car was a few years old and had lots of swirls etc then you may not notice the clay marring being inflicted.
Your car is a year old and in theory the paint is still in good condition so you are much better off using the tar remover on tar spots with several microfibre cloths. You will also benefit using a chemical decon in the form of Carpro IronX, or Bilt Hamber Korrosol.

Have you come across this YT video? -
To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Cheers,

Chris
+1 I agree don’t do it unless you know what you’re doing can cause more problems than you started with.
 
Use a clay mit very easy and very effective, although I would have thought 12 months is a little early to be doing it on a modern car
 
Always clay before mopping, run back of nail over surface you will feel the contamination. Always use loads of lube.
 

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