QA

Should I Clay Bar My Brand New Car

If your paint feels rough or textured, then you need to clay. If it feels smooth as glass than you shouldn’t need to clay, but it definitely wouldn’t hurt. In all honestly, claying a new car shouldn’t take more than 30-45 minutes, and it requires very little effort.

Is it OK to clay bar a new car?

My car is new, do I need to use a clay bar right away? Yes! Most new cars travel a long distances by ship, truck or rail to get to the dealer. They pick up a lot of nasty contamination along the way, like rail dust (metal particles from the wheels and track).

Is Claying your car worth it?

The clay bar has a specific job – to remove bonded contaminants from your paint. Even when used properly, it should be considered a necessary evil since it can be abrasive. If it’s been done recently, your paint is likely still smooth. The fact is, you should never clay bar your car and stop there.

When should I clay bar my car?

After every cleaning and drying, run your hand through your vehicle’s paint, and if you feel it’s rough and a little bumpy, then yes, it’s time to clay bar your car. The contaminants may have stuck to your car break dust and factory fall outs, otherwise damaging your paint finish.

Should I clay bar my car before compounding?

Yeah you should clay it first. Claying removes material that is stuck in and on the paint but does so very softly. A DA polisher doesn’t remove anything it just smears stuff around. If you are using a foam pad, you can get grit between the pad and the paint and the pad will then be scratching your paint.

Does Clay Bar damage clear coat?

Clay bars are not supposed to damage the paint or clear coat finish, the particles that are being removed by the clay bar might remove some of the clear coat (see image below for example) the the damage these particles can do over time is worse than the clear coat being removed – and this valleys will be filled in with Jul 19, 2007.

Does Claying a car remove wax?

When you clay your vehicle, you remove the contaminants, making the coat easier to wax. The detail clay also removes tar, sap, bug remains, wax, and sealants from the coat of the car. With these substances removed, waxes and sealants will adhere to the surface better.

Do you wash car after clay bar?

When you’re finished claying your car, you may need to wash it to remove any lubricant film. If you plan to use a pre-wax cleaner polish, it will remove clay residue so there’s no need to wash. Last but not least, after using clay, seal your freshly cleaned paint with your choice of wax or sealant.

Can Clay bar remove scratches?

A clay bar does NOT remove any scratches from the surface of the paint because it contains no abrasives. A clay bar is useful for when a car’s paint feels rough and is no longer smooth to the touch as it can help restore that nice smooth feeling you once knew and loved.

Can you use clay bar on glass?

Glass does not need a special clay bar, and most clay bars are safe for glass. They may leave marring on the glass and need to be polished afterwards. With any clay bar, make sure to use the proper clay lubricant. Soaps and water-less washes can often breakdown the clay bars, causing them to crumble and fall apart.

How long will a clay bar last?

clay bar will last you 18 months to 2 years if used on the same vehicle. If you buy clay in an 4 oz. bar, like Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay or BLACKFIRE Poly Clay, cut it in half and keep the unused portions moistened with lubricant in the storage case.

Do I need to polish after clay bar?

The detailer’s rule of thumb is to always decontaminate the surface with a clay bar before putting on a new coat of wax, or polishing any exterior paintwork.

What does Clay BAR do to car?

Used as a complement to washing, polishing, and waxing, clay barring a car grabs and removes life’s harsh contaminants such as overspray, road tar, acid rain, and bug fossils. Doing so not only improves the car’s shine, but it also smooths out the surface for a glassy feel.

Can you wax a car without Claying?

Re: Waxing without Claying? If you clay the paint , the wax will last longer, bacause it will adhere directly into the paint and not in the contaminants. Almost all waxes contain some cleaning ability but there is no substitute for claying.

Is Clay Bar better than compound?

Compounds are typically more used to level your paint to remove swirls, scratches, etc. Scottwax is right. A clay bar will remove the contaminants that are on top of your paint, chrome or windows etc. However, a compound will work to remove a micro layer of paint to remove any scratches, swirl marks, etc.

Do you wash car after compound?

Once you apply the compound to the entire body of the car, rinse the car’s exterior with clean water and dry the surface thoroughly.

Can you damage paint with clay bar?

What Is an Automotive Clay Bar? Clay bars used by professionals will be more “aggressive” in their ability to cut contaminants from auto finishes, but they can also cause damage to paint in the wrong hands.

Can I use soapy water with clay bar?

Now with the above said, some people do use the soapy wash water to clay. If one does, you need to make sure the water solution is not drying too fast creating water spots. Also the clay must not touch any dirt in the wash bucket or marring will occur.