Clay Bar Paint Cleaning Tips

[GWS]

I just started using the clay bar I purchased from Zaino's. Without a doubt this is the most significant advance in paint cleaning/detailing I have ever come across. The bar is rubbed lightly over the (soapy wet) paint surface to pick up imbedded paint contaminants. It leaves behind a glassy smooth surface. Works very well on areas like the hood which seems to develop a gritty feel very quickly from environmental fallout. I'm wondering how long I can use the clay bar before it needs to be tossed. What about the danger of scratching the paint while rubbing it with a contaminated clay bar? Is the clay bar too good to be true? Has anyone found an inexpensive clay bar?

 

[JB @ C and L Machine]

Zaino user

GWS... I would say it depended on how comtaniated the bar got. It is possible to to stratch the truck if the bar is dirty. What I do is use a clean bar on the most noticible surfaces (hood, sides) and use one that has be soiled from a previous using on the bottom of the truck below the body line. This way your not wasting the bars since the bottom of the truck is where the most road grime like tar is.

 

[Andy Perreault]

Good idea, John. I'll do that next time I go over my truck, which will be probably sometime in the next few years

I last used the one from Griot's Garage ( http://www.griotsgarage.com ), but I have seen Meguiar's kits at the auto parts store for a little cheaper.

I agree, the clay is a great way to clean the paint. However, don't ever drop it in the dirt! That's the bad thing, you can't clean the clay!

One tip: use surgical gloves. Otherwise, the clay gets all over your fingers and under your nails and is a pain to clean off.

Andy

 

[John]

Good idea Andy! I had to use laquer thinner on my hands to remove the clay bar residue. I too purchased my paint cleaning clay from Griot's Garage. I still have some of the original bar left.



Richard Griot recommends using the clay bar with their Speed Shine to remove contaminents. That has worked well for me so far.

 

[Andy Perreault]

Originally posted by John

Richard Griot recommends using the clay bar with their Speed Shine to remove contaminents. That has worked well for me so far.

Yes, I use a lot of it, and I spray it all over the gloves to keep the clay from sticking to them.

Hmm, if we keep talking about detailing our trucks, I might actually get motivated to wash mine (for the first time since last summer)! Maybe I'll enter it in the show 'n shine at Timberline Dodge!

 

[Cooker]

FWIW I have heard that with proper use of the clay it can be used on the average sized auto for three times. I would think on our truck the best you could expect is twice.



-Ryan

 

[David Wheeler]

Dragging/smearing clay bar

I too use the clay for removing additional imbedded contaminants. I've had a problem though..... using Meguires clay and Quick Detail spray (as they instruct), I sometimes have the clay "drag" on a portion of the painted surface. It leaves a clay "smear" on the paint that is not easy to remove. I'm using plenty of lubrucant (Quick Detail spray) when this happens. Only a lot of additional spray and going over and over the spot will it eventually come off (usually). However, I have a spot where this happended on the passenger door that still has not come off. I'll try and remove it with several applications of the step one paint cleaner to see if I can remove it.



Any ideas what is causing the "drag & smear" and how I may be able to avoid it? Thanks!



David

 

[John]

With the use of the Griot's Garage clay bar and their Speed Shine, I have never experienced any smearing etc. , just a perfectly clean, XTREME BLACK Ram.

 

[Andy Perreault]

The first time I used the clay, I got a lot of the "drag & smear". It appears that you need to have the paint surface wet with the detailing spray before rubbing the clay over it. I use a lot of spray, probably too much, but it eliminates the smearing problem. I also continuously spray the clay itself while it's in my hand. The excessive spray will dry on the paint, but after "claying", go over the paint with a little more spray and some clean towels and it will clean right up. Then you can put on the wax.



Want another detailing tip? You veterans have seen me mention this before, and it may sound weird, but it works great: Before I wash my truck, I clean the windows and mirrors with a squegee and window spray (just a quick 'n dirty job, not worrying about getting off every drop of window cleaner). Then I give them a generous coating of Rain-X, but I don't bother cleaning it off. I let it dry into a hazy film. Then when I wash the truck, I go over the glass with the wash mitt as I'm going over the paint. This cleans off all the Rain-X haze, and when drying the truck, the glass comes out spot-free.

One more thing: I use two wash mitts, one in each hand. It makes the job much faster.

Well, now it's raining. That's the perfect excuse not to wash the truck and instead, sit here and fool around on the TDR site!

Andy

 

[DAWG-1]

Andy, Thanks for the tip. I will try it when the rain stops.