Clay Bar Treatment:
An auto detailing clay bar is an essential process that targets the common enemy of every car finish: pollution that causes automotive paint contamination. It relentlessly pursues your car from the second it leaves the factory until your car meets its ultimate demise. It’s in the air we breathe, it’s on the roads we drive, and it attaches to your car’s paint, where it bonds and begins a process of oxidation.
Surface contamination, is difficult to clean or polish off, yet paint cleaning clay removes it with ease.
When contaminants get a solid grip on your car’s paint, washing alone may not be enough to remove them. Pre-wax cleaners also may not be able to exfoliate large particles. In this case, you have two choices: use a polishing compound, which removes a lot of paint material, or use a clay bar. A clay bar isn’t a polish or a compound, it is a surface preparation bar that smoothes the paint and exfoliates contaminants.
USES FOR CLAY
Clay is not a cure-all or a replacement for polishing. It’s a tool for quickly and easily removing surface contamination.
One of the many reasons for using a clay bar is the removal of brake dust. Brake dust contamination, which attaches to painted rear bumpers and adjoining surfaces, is a metallic surface contaminant that can be removed safely and effectively by using clay.
Clay is also very effective on paint over-spray. If the over-spray is particularly heavy, you may want to seek the assistance of a professional. Tree sap and tar specks can also be safely removed with a clay bar.
Recently, I have also started using clay on my windows (exterior) to remove heavy road film, bug deposits and water spots. It works very well, and seems to outperform even the best window cleaners.
HOW DOES DETAILING CLAY WORK?
Detailing clay marketing information often reads something like this: “…clay pulls contamination off of your paint…” This sounds silly when you realize that you must lubricate the surface when you use a car clay bar. How in the world do you pull on something that’s wet and slippery?
This myth was born from a fear of telling people the truth. Clay is an abrasive paint care system. Yet used properly, detailing clay is not abrasive to your car’s paint; it is abrasive to paint contamination.
CAR CLAY BAR FORMULATIONS
Detailing clay formulation determines the optimal function of the clay and its potential to do damage when used improperly.
As an example, a professional grade clay bar that’s designed to remove paint overspray is very firm and contains abrasives equivalent to heavy rubbing compound. Used properly it will remove heavy overspray without damaging the paint. Used improperly, it can leave some pretty significant surface marring. That’s why it’s a professional product.
Most consumer grade detailing clays are designed to be used as an annual or semi-annual paint maintenance tool prior to polishing and waxing. At this frequency, these detailing clay products work great. Simply use the clay as part of your major detailing regimen.
The problem we were beginning to see is that many car enthusiasts wanted to clay their vehicles frequently; as often as monthly. At this rate of use, some consumer grade detailing clay can begin to dull clear coat finishes. After all, it is an abrasive!
SUMMARY
At All Pro Detail, we’re fanatics about smooth, clean, glossy paint. With the advent of Auto Detailing clay, you can now clean your paint regularly without concern for reducing clearcoat thickness or scratching. It’s the perfect solution for crystal clear, super smooth paint.
