Clay Bar

[AznJohn22]

When I use the car wash soap, it doesn't seem like the soap gets everything. A co worker said I should use clay bar after washing it. What's your opinion?

[marlin29311]

How do you wash your car?

It is a possibility that there is stuff stuck on your car from world debris (tree sap, tar, etc...) - claying your car is a great way to remove a lot of blemishes from your paint (mainly the ones you can't see, but it does get some bigger stuff too) and giving it that glass like finish. Note you have to wax your car after claying.

If the stuff doesn't come off after claying, then you are going to need something else to remove what is on the car...do you have any pictures of what you mean? It's tough to determine what you really need unless you can show what's up with the car...

[AznJohn22]

Spray water then apply soap. Spray water and dry with cloth. The cloth is all black. The surface of my car is not smooth after a wash.

[philipa_240sx]

Like marlin29311 said, car wash soap won't get everything. Are you simply spraying the soap and rinsing? ie using a power washer with soap. You will never get the car clean with this method. There are many good articles on there regarding car wash techniques. Read up on them:

NICOClub Detailing Forum

As for myself, I do the following...

- Always wash the car in the shade early in the morning before it gets too hot.- Wash the car normally with car wash soap and clean water. I use a microfiber wash mitt and a deep bucket. I constantly rinse the mitt in the bucket to release trapped dirt.- Dry with microfiber towels (they don't leave lint). Pay special attention to areas with tar/tree sap. Try not to spread it around.- Use detailing spray and a clean cloth to remove the worst of any tar/sap. If that doesn't work, I move up to the clay bar with detailing spray as a lubricant. Once complete, you then wax the area again to protect it.- You can also use detailing spray between wax's to keep up the shine.

Every 2-4 months (when I can manage it)...- Completely wash and clean the car.- Clean all painted areas with the clay bar and detailing spray.- Apply a coat of wax.

[kerrton]

Philip, I just want to confirm: you said you clay bar your entire car every 2 to 4 months? If so, this sounds very labor intensive, and what exactly does the clay bar do for the finish of the car? I always thought it was a tool suited for small trouble spots such as road tar, tree sap etc..?

Please educate me, I'm clay bar ignorant!!

[marlin29311]

I agree with Phillip - claying every couple of months helps to keep the shine of your car great, and allows for the paint to stay healthy longer - claying is not that difficult of a process - takes maybe 20-30 min for the whole car, and then wax. Wash + Clay + Wax should take you no longer than 2 hours, and it's time well spent to protect the finish of your car!

[kerrton]

Thanks, no more detail required here, I just saw the link that Philip posted to the detailing forum, I got all the info on clay bars, wax, cleaner etc...

[SenorPayne7]

so i can just get a bar of clay from anywhere, use a car lube, and rub away?

[philipa_240sx]

so i can just get a bar of clay from anywhere, use a car lube, and rub away?

Normally you use a detailing spray to mist both the clay bar and the paint, then lightly rub the area with the clay bar. You only need to 'glide' it over the paint, not rub the crap out of it.

Most of the big wax mfg's sell clay bars and detailing spray as a package. Follow the directions on the box and you should get great results. Clay removes surface contaminants from the paint... including lots of stuff you cannot see and any wax you may have applied. This is why you need to re-wax the area after claying.

[takeshi]

After washing you can probably feel the surface contaminants if you gently run your hand over the paint. The paint should be smooth after the clay bar.

[kerrton]

I've got quite a bit of small tree sap spots on my paint, my question is whether the clay bar will work to remove these? I realize nothing except harsh solvents will remove the sap EASILY, I'm not expecting easy, but will the clay bar be at all effective at removing sap? In the past I've tried nail polish remover and other alcohol sovents and it instantly dissolves the tree sap, but unfortunately it also leaves a halo in the paint, presumably damaging the clear coat so Iwon't try that again!

[philipa_240sx]

Yup, try the clay bar. It may not get all of it off though. Last time I used a clay bar, it was on some old tree sap deposits and it took forever. If it was fresh, it likely would have come off easier.

Another trick is to use WD-40. Whatever you decide to use, give it time to soak in and soften the tree sap. And never scrape it.

BTW, worse paint problem I ever had to deal with: Hardened concrete. Parked in a construction site and didn't notice the specks of concrete until it had set up over a week later. That was a PITA to get off.

[marlin29311]

Another fun trick is to take a dryer sheet and wet it - it will get the sap right off. Just be sure to clean and wax the area afterwards.

[SlideWRX]

For sap & stuff, the 'Ice' brand makes a two step claybar which they say specifically address things like sap. I just use a claybar & detailer. We just got our Rogue, and it was apparently sitting inside the showroom for a while. that should have been a a good thing, but there was a layer of dust stuck to it that washing wouldn't remove. I had to claybar it, brand new!

[zakmartin]

I agree with Phillip - claying every couple of months helps to keep the shine of your car great, and allows for the paint to stay healthy longer - claying is not that difficult of a process - takes maybe 20-30 min for the whole car, and then wax. Wash + Clay + Wax should take you no longer than 2 hours, and it's time well spent to protect the finish of your car!

2 hours??? Wow! You're fast. This is closer to a 4 or 5 hour job for me.

For anyone who hasn't done this before, be sure to follow the package directions to the letter. It's actually quite easy to damage the clear coat with a clay bar. If you use it right, your paint will look and feel SMOOOOOOOTH!

A good carnuba wax will usually do a good job at removing sap, since sap generally doesn't embed itself into the paint like dirt and road grime. I've also found that detail spray (especially Mother's) is great at removing sap and bird crap. You get a bottle of the spray with the claybar kit. Just spray it on liberally, wait a few minutes, and wipe it off with a microfiber cloth.

[ncsu]

I perfer not to use a wax with a cleaner since you cannot stack them - when you put a second coat on, you are removing the first coat.

I use Liquid Glass - a synthetic wax. It gives amazing results. It is stackable from a clean surface. I have 7 coats on my Honda S and just put a second coat on my new Rogue.

The can is about $20-25 and lasts a long time.

[RogueGuy45]

I use NuFinish car wax and I never have anything actually stick to the car. Wax it good twice a year and you shouldn't have any problems.

My cars look like brand new when they are 5+ years old and that's all I do.

I should add that I have a heated garage with a floor drain and hot/cold running water so I always hand wash my cars year around. My water is softened as well so no waterspots. I think this makes a big difference, those car washes are hard on the finish.
Modified by RogueGuy45 at 11:31 PM 8/9/2009