How to clay bar a car
Knowing how to clay bar a car and knowing how to use a clay bar are not equal things. It’s easy to see that a clay bar rub will break free microscopic contaminants embedded into the factory finish but using a clay bar on a car can be risky as it will probably scratch the paint along the way. It’s important to know how to use it properly and that clay bars are not all the same.
It could be that you will waste money trying to buy a decent clay bar. Through our car detailing services we discovered that certain clay bars absorb dirt while others do not. This realization came after I used two clay bars consecutively in order to test their differences.
We think beginners should start by finding a product called Ardex medium grade clay bar. If you would like to try a different clay bar kit, then you should know how tell if you have the right clay bar.
If the clay bar is good, you can easily fold it in half and reshape it into a sphere. Keeping the clay dry, you should now be able to continue kneading it and smoothing out any cracks into a seamless ball. If the clay is too hard to mold, then try warming up the clay bar and trying again.
How to prepare for a clay bar treatment
To clean the car thoroughly, you should brush each part of the car multiple times with the brush. A 2020 Honda Accord 4 door should take approximately 30 minutes to scrub the residues from a cars surface. You can visit our article about auto detailing and how to properly wash a car for some information about this.
It’s important to wash the car with the intent of removing all the hard dirt from the car. After completing a good car wash the car is now ready for a clay bar rub and the name says it all. You will need that spray bottle with soapy water here. You want a soap that gets slippery when added to water.
Dawn is great for stripping wax and grease, but it can sometimes cause the clay bar to drag instead of slide. A drag creates a skid mark with a smudge of clay left stuck to the surface. Sometimes a few skid marks are a small price to pay in exchange for powerful wax stripping properties of a soap like dawn.
Johnsons baby shampoo is my preference because it is a well-balanced slip solution. 10ml of this cleaning solution will create an ultra-slippery surface for superior protection from scratching while using the clay.
There are no guarantees, and the process of a rubbing may still cause scratches. Be mindful and try to keep your clay bar rubbing patterns in a straight line and not circular. You must occasionally do this task to stop pollution specs from damaging the paint when you’re not watching. You’re doing the work to preserve your investment and that is good business.
How to do a clay bar rubbing
Focus on a single panel like the hood first. Spray soapy water all over the car panel until it is running off pretty much everywhere. Completely wet your hand and the clay bar. The soapier the water is the better. You will also spray a lot more while rubbing.
Pick a location & rest the bar of clay against the surface. Push it back and forth and keep the soapy water coming to keep the clay bar lubricated and the path wet. The clay bar should glide with even friction leaving behind a clean surface. If it’s stop and go, then add more soap to the water and try again. Always grip the clay firmly and do not let it slip out of your hand and onto the floor.
It takes about 1-2 hours to rub a car properly and completely remove contaminants. Next move to the truck of tailgate, then proceed to the upper 1/2 of the doors and fenders. Next move to quarter panels & up onto the roof rails & then onto the roof. Next hit the bottom 1/2 of the car and finish up on the glass. Our guide on cleaning car glass will help you avoid scratching the glass when using detail clay.
Clay bar is used to clean other problems from a car. We have a few great articles related to its uses within our blog. How to use clay bar to remove dead bugs, how to use clay bar to remove tar, and how to use clay bar to remove tree sap. It does not solve all problems but it’s like the magic eraser for car detailing services. It’s the safest method we know, but it requires many rubbings, lots of clay lubricant, and finding each specific spec to rub at.
Save the heavier specs for last. Use smaller portions of the clay bar & throw away the used bit and when finished, don’t recycle it. A good clay bar rubbing can remove even the orange spots from artillery fungus commonly visible on white cars.
After finishing the entire car, it is very important to wash and dry it completely before polishing and waxing. If water remains on the surface of your car, then grab a microfiber towel and completely dry the paint finish. Be sure to continue over to our ridiculously long list covering everything about auto detailing services.
