I never before used, or even heard of a clay bar before joining this forum. So today, I went out and picked up a Mother's clay kit to try it out, and some Mother's Caranuba wax to finish it off (on a side note, anyone know about how long this wax will last on the car?).

Let me just tell you that my car looks like it belongs in a showroom...I've washed and waxed before with high quality products and I have never got results this good. Even before the wax, the car's paint looked totally revitalized. The surface is amazingly smooth. When I run my fingers over the paint, it is so smooth that at first I thought the car was wet. Spent about 4 hours washing, claying, and waxing.....the time was well worth it. Very pleased with the results.

So if you haven't tried clay yet, get your **** to the store and buy it.

 

Lol, post some pics, your description is making me tempted to go buy a kit.

 

We need pics!

 

LOL, I know, but I didn't finish until about 8:30pm when the street lights came on and I needed to vent my joy. Now its raining, and prob raining tomorrow, so no pics just yet. Trust me, go buy the kit for $16 and you'll love it.

 

i agree. i clayed last spring. made all the difference.

 

Yea claying makes a hugee difference. The paint feels like butter after. I work for a detailing company and we clay every inch of the paint when we prep to buff the car. However u have to get use to using the clay, dont just clay a spot and move on to the next use ur hand and u can feel the road grime and the smooth spots. Underneith the molding and on the hood are some common spots for road grime and tar build-up. Im not sure wut the "clay-kit" comes with for lubericant but we use a simple spray wax.

 

I've never tried claying but after reading this i'm gonna have to.

 

If you guys want a good clay bar kit but don't want to spend $17, head to Wal-Mart and pick up the Clay Magic kit for $9.99.

mHova: The average carnuba wax will last you around a month to a month and a half. If you want greater longevity, you would need to get into sealants like Zaino, Blackfire, and Klasse.

 

Good advice. I've never clayed before and After a wash and wax I'm somewhat satisfied, but I believe the clay will provide that piece I'm missing.


(hope there are good directions on the box )

 

you will love it. i hope to clay tomorrow weather pending. it is very simple and straightforward. ask on here if you get stuck, but it's basically spray and clay.

 

I'm going to Walmart to look for that Clay Magic kit.

 

Beside the price and of course the brand name, wuts tha difference between Mothers Clay kit and the Clay magic kit from wally world??

 

Clay magic works just the same... dont have to get the mothers brand its going to do the same thing. Clay bar does help a lot and i highly recommend it. Keep in mind that if your car is black, there is no miracle cure. There is no substitute for a high speed buffer in experienced hands

 

Well, Walmart and Murrays didn't have it. I had to go to Autozone. $10.99

 

I picked up a clay kit today. Wal-mart here didn't have it, so i went to advanced auto parts and picked up 'Mothers' for like 18 + tax

 

Well Im not sure why you all want pics so bad...the point of the clay is to help remove residue and make the paint extra smooth. You cant really see that in a pic. Forget waiting around for them and go buy a kit. It's worth it!!

 

The only way anyone can take pics of a clay bar is what it pulls up. Its effects won't be readily shown on the paint unless you touch it.

This is what a clay bar looks like when used properly:

 

I just bought a 06 SE in Smoke and am new to the whole detailing process, exactly in what order is it supposed to be done?

 

alright prinz,
mine was looking like that, well close to it. What I can't figure out is how could someone truly use the clay bar for more than one cleaning? I even had the double (200g) bar and had very little left. I don't see myself using it again on my paint. Possibly for the wheels and rocker panels, but nothing else.

Basic procedures:
Wash
Dry
Clay (w/ detailer spray)
Polish
(Sealant optional if desired)
Wax

Cover!

 

OK Will get started soon as the weather allows me to.

 

The trick to clay bars is to fold and knead them when they get dirty like that. That is how I have gotten more than one use out of them.

 

Wash and Rinse
Clay
Polish
Wax (Unless you are using a sealant, then it becomes seal and then wax)

 

Did you clay the wheels?

 

I actually stopped using the spray with the clay and it gives me much better results. I clay then polish and wax, it has come out so much smoother that way. Anyone know if its bad for my paint?

 

Make sure you keep the clay lubricated, don't skimp on the lube, water works just as well. If it gets dry or dirty, you could cause a scratch.

 

i got my car in february and have not detailed it (wax etc) since then...so i need to get on this. im getting a clay bar this weekend no doubt.

 

Is it better to use the clay as one big piece and keep on kneading it or to break it up into pieces and use certain pieces for a part of the vehicle? (like 1 small piece for hood, 1 for door...etc)

EDIT: Also, after claying, some people say to re-wash the car, and some say to put polish then wax? Which step is better? And what polish that can be easily be bought in a store do you guys recommend? I will be using NXT on top of it.

 

i never got into polishes...i usually wash, dry, clay, then wax....what exactly does the polish do? and what is a good over the counter polish?

i wax using my cheap $25 7 inch random orbital from Pepboys...

 

polishes are what make the car look uber-wet. When i did my exterior a few months ago, i washed with dawn dishwashing soap(to remove pre-existing wax and oil), clayed with the lube that came with the california gold bar, washed again, polished with meguiar's step #2 polish, buffed it off, and then finished with two coats of nxt paste. My hood is like a frappin mirror and the feel of the paint makes me blush almost! I am more than pleased, even if it did kill just about all of a saturday. Not to mention i did all of it by hand and my arm nearly fell off!

 

you want small broken off pieces of clay, b/c you are bound to drop it atleast once. then you only lose a small piece.

I didn't rewash since i was using detailer spray and plus getting quite tired.

I like poorboy's polish. I haven't seen any I liked in stores though.

 

So a wash is not neccessary after claying? The other thread by Semy2k2go (spl?) had people suggesting a wash afterward, then polish and wax.

 

IMHO you are all making a terrible mistake. If you keep your car clean, polished, and waxed clay isn't going to do that much for you and there's just too much risk of picking something up off the paint and then grinding in a scratch before you have a chance to knead/change/flip the clay. The benefits for a well maintained car are minimal and the risks are outrageous. Personally I think clay should be reserved for specific problems.

That said, I would wax right after claying. I don't think you need to wash in between. Just make sure you are buffing off all the clay lube.

EDIT: If you're polishing after the clay, DEFINITELY don't wash again. Totally unnecessary. The polish is going to remove any and all residue that the clay lube leaves behind. The entire purpose of clay is to get the car cleaner than washing can, so the only thing that's going to be left is clay lube residue, and no way is that stuff going to stand up against polish.

 

Any other recommendations for a polish that can be easily bought in a car parts store like Auto Zone? I see Meguair's Deep Polish online, but it says it is for dark color cars.

 

I haven't seen a quality polish at Autozone. I would order some Menzerna.

 

I just did my car today. The clay worked pretty well. I followed with Mequire's Swirl remover 2.0 (polish) and then Zymol cleaner wax. Wow, I'm tired. But the car's lookin good.

 

Try this paint cleaning clay from www.griotsgarage.com

 

Actually you want to wash the car again after clay bar then wax. The clay leaves the paint oily because clay is oily by nature.

 

But if I follow up with a polish, then no need to wash right?

 

Anyone use the Turtle Wax ICE after clay as wax? I wanted to know how it looks. I'm getting fed up with Meguiars solid wax. Gets in too many cracks and all. Is liquid wax just as good?

 

From what I've heard, the harder it is to apply, the longer it will last. So, paste should last longer than liquid I think.