How to Use a Clay Bar? (Easy Guide)


Claying works miracles with its puzzling and outstanding abilities to its proficient users. It means getting rid of dirt particles that attach to the clay during the time it’s scrubbed along the surface of the car.

Many talk about how a clay bar helps eliminate impurities and create a smoothing surface, yet they don’t try to attempt it.

Although there are some safety measures involved in claying your car, it is quite an easy activity that helps to produce astonishing and long lasting results.

In this wordy piece, we talked about Clay bar, why you need them, and most importantly how to use them! So, without further ado, let’s keep on scrolling.

What Are Clay Bars?

 

clay bar

This detailing clay is made in a way that it is favorably and more elastic than the normal clay that kids play with, that makes it suitable for the job. There is also good quality clay in different types.

For vehicles that are very much affected, in terms of contamination; medium grey clay is used. The other type of clay used is the fine type; Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay.

This one also works excellently for your car. It is used on cars that have not gone through this procedure for long. Overall, the clay should be as fine as possible.

Why Should You Clay Your Car?

Why Should You Clay Your Car?
Image Source:imgur.com

The interface part of a car frequently gets in contact with different kind of impurities from the air that eventually glue with the finish, which further causes harm to the vehicle.

These contaminants may be in the form of tar, dust, acid rain, industrial fallout among others. Some of these contaminants may contain or cause the production of rust that could eat away or cause wearing out of the covering layer of the car.

Small metal parks will attach with the finish and cause rust that will be easily seen on brightly colored vehicles.

Unfortunately, frequent car washing won’t always eliminate these pollutants. It is, therefore, necessary to embrace the claying process.

Why Should You Lubricate?

The lubricant helps the clay to freely slide on the top part and most importantly ensure that it gets rid of all the harmful particles.

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It is very significant to make use of clay lubricant in huge amounts to improve and speed up the process for the accomplishment of desired results.

Step by Step Process To Using A Clay Bar

The initial important thing is to make sure that you have the right type of clay bar to be used and a lubricant that will assist to guard the exterior part of the vehicle. After that, follow the steps in order and get your car clayed properly.

Clean The Car

The first step is to clean the car carefully. This will help remove any form of a foreign particle from the exterior part of the car. The process will not remove all dirt but will help a whole lot to make things easier and fast during the claying process.

After washing, you should ensure to dry it or wait until till it is dry; depending on how you want it to dry.

This is enough preparation for the claying process. On another case, if you can’t afford a lubricant, water can serve as a lubricant too; of course, it depends on your preferences.

Divide The Clay Bar Into Equal Pieces

Divide the clay bar into equal pieces of about three or four parts. You should have some extra pieces just for backup, in case you lose one to the ground. If it drops, it is no longer useful and will be meant to be trashed.

Use your hands to make one of the pieces flat in a shape that can be held by three to four fingers. It is advisable to do this activity in a place that isn’t so much or completely exposed to the sun.

Do the process in small bits so that the clay lubricant doesn’t dry easily.

Spray The Clay Lubricant

The clay lubricant should be sprayed to every surface; depending on an estimated particular section. This estimate can be two by two feet. Ensure that you don’t miss any spot while spraying.

It is necessary to spray it everywhere carefully, as the clay might stick on the surface that has been left out. To in case it sticks, you can continue adding the lubricant.

Skim The Clay

Slowly and effortlessly skim the clay in a back and forth motion in the same bearing. While doing this, you can hear the sound and experience the roughness due to the picking of different kinds of particles that are unpleasant to the vehicle’s exterior.

Be cautious to avoid too much pressing of the clay during the activity as it can blemish or mark the car in the process.

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Rub The Clay

The rubbing should be done until you can’t feel the roughness from the claying process. After accomplishing this, shift to the next section and start the process just as you did in the previous place.

When a portion is stubbornly rough, keep on adding the lubricant while you rub until the roughness felt from the clay is no more.

Note: Often check the clay part that is being used, to confirm if there are any remains of hard or dangerous particles to avoid damaging the car’s appearance on the outside.

If a part of the flattened clay looks unpleasantly dirty with rough particles stuck, you should change the side of the clay to the opposite part. Make it a habit to check it at all times.

When both sides have weighty pieces of hard substances obtained from the claying process, fold shape it severally until you get a clean face. Next, make it flat. Do this process to all other parts, one at a time in the same format.

Clean The Lubricant Off The Car

Use a microfiber towel to wipe off the lubricant from the car. A microfiber towel is made with 80% polyester and 20% poly amide that make it soft, strong and long-lasting.

Remember to ensure that the towel is thoroughly clean. Do this over and over again until the paint is smooth and sparkling.

You can choose to wash the car again after the claying activity to further rinse off the lubricant remains if you don’t feel like using the towel to dry and wipe it off.

Make sure to repeat the whole process if the area you’ve clayed remains rough; add more lubricant and use the clay in rubbing off the dirt all over again.

 

Polish The Car

After all the processes listed above; you can then polish your car.

Polishing enables the car to be ready and convenient for waxing. It also makes it look brighter. Choose a polishing material that is of high quality.

Pre-Wax The Car

Pre-waxing could be done before the normal and full process of waxing. Pre-wax with a pre-wax cleanser such as the Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion; this will help to fix minor scratches before going ahead with the waxing process.

However, if the paint on your car looks to be in a convincing condition, you can proceed to wax it without going through the pre-waxing stage.

Wax The Car

Finally, you can add a sealant or a wax layer on the surface of the car for the finishing. During the claying procedure, small holes may have been formed when dirty particles are removed.

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Therefore, the waxing helps to safeguard the paint against corrosion. For scratches or marks that are deep, the paint or the shiny coat should be left for a professional to handle them.

Other Uses of Clay Bars

Clay bars can be used in cleansing even the outer parts of the window and even the wheels. Clay can be reused only if it is in good shape.

It is in a bad shape and meant to be disposed if it changes color or feels rough from solid particles.

Storing of Clay Bars

The clay bars should be well stored in a cool and dry place. It should never be left to freeze or kept above 2000 F. Remember that it dries when disclosed in the air for a long time.

Benefits of Claying Your Car

Claying helps in improving the overall health of the car and is therefore important for all cars out there. Even new cars need claying because, during the time the cars were manufactured, they have gone through several processes till the times they reach you.

They have gone through different modes of transportation that expose them to every kind of dust and destructive industrial filth that may cause havoc to its surface; therefore, there is need to make them sparkling clean even before you start using it.

Depending on your choice, you can clay your vehicle in as many times as you want to depend on different circumstances. If you live or pass through areas that have high pollution from industries, clay your vehicle as often as you can.

It is easy to recognize when your car requires claying; simply rub your fingers on the surface of the car and feel the softness or the roughness of covering. In case it feels rough, it is automatically time to clay the vehicle.

We can also do the bag test that involves first washing the car then drying it. Wear a plastic bag on your hands then rub on your surface, if it feels dry, then your polish is dirty and affected.

It needs claying as soon as possible to prevent further damages and car vulnerability in the future.

To end, hope this article satisfies your query!

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