Clay bar follow up

[BamaDetail]

Hey guys, what should the proper clay bar process be? Do I follow it up with a wash, wax? If so what type of wax?

[eric@thompsonracing.us]

You don't clay just for the sake of claying.  You do it for a reason.  Get a thin plastic bag (lunch bag) and put your hand in it.  Feel the paint and determine if you have any deposits embedded in your paint. 

 

Break the clay bar into small pieces.  I use a piece, once flat, just large enough to cover my three middle fingers. 

 

Use a lubricant (Detail Spray, Rinseless Wash diluted, etc.) and run the clay across the paint, doing one small section at a time.  Clean the section off and feel it again with the bag.  If there is still contaminant, continue to clay.  Move on to the next section once you are satisfied.

 

I almost always machine polish after claying.  If so, I go directly into the polishing.  However, you can simply remove the clay residue with Detail Spray and move to sealing the paint.

 

There is a lot of discussion as to whether Brilliant Glaze can be applied before sealant, that's up to you.  I typically apply the sealant first, then Glaze, then another coat of sealant.  Typically, I use the Liquid Paint Sealant on my daily drivers and Americana on my weekend cars.  I have been short on time this summer and have used a lot of Quick Sealant on my Viper.  LOVE IT!  Works great on a car that doesn't see much rain.

 

Watch the video:

Clay Bar Video

[gapwedge]

^^ What Eric said. Nothing wrong with having to clay an ares twice. I find I sometimes miss the areas where the hood meets the quarter panels right next to the seam, etc.

[Chris@Adams]

Like Eric said I  machine polish after clay most of the time.........at the very least you to wax or apply sealant because you are stripping the protection off when you clay. A good rule of thumb is if your car lives outside clay about the same as you would change your oil. If your car is a garage queen once or maybe twice a year will be adequate.

[GerryC]

Hey guys, what should the proper clay bar process be? Do I follow it up with a wash, wax? If so what type of wax?

You need to wash the car BEFORE claying. Claying removes the contaminants that are embedded in your clearcoat which aren't removed with a wash. Wash the car, do the plastic bag test as described above, then you'll know if you need to clay. After clay you can use any type of liquid or paste wax to protect your paint, but normally people will polish their paint after claying to remove any micro scratches that may have been introduced during the clay process. Claying is done on an as-needed basis, it is not something you need to do every wash. I clay my daily driver twice a year. In the spring I'll follow clay with a polish. Your situation might be different. If you're talking about a garage queen, you won't need to clay as aggressively or as often as a car that sits outside 24/7.

[DaveyT]

There is some very solid advice given so far. I would highly suggest using a polish after claying your paint. In my experience, there will almost always be visible marring after using the clay. At the very least, use some revive polish to shine it up.

 

After polish, you can then move on to protecting your paint. I use Adam's liquid paint sealant and then top that with Adam's Americana wax. Are the two coats of protection overkill? Meh Possibly. But I enjoy the process.

 

If you have never clayed your vehicle you will be surprised at the amount of gunk you are going to remove! Just take your time and, most importantly, have some fun. There is a ton of info on the forum here. Have a look at the detailing write ups that people have posted. This will give you an idea of what others do and show you the results of their processes.

 

Best of luck!

Edited September 17, 2014 by DaveyT

[BamaDetail]

Thank you for all the great advice, considering I don't have a Cyclo polisher yet but plan to buy one in the near future, would it be a bad idea to wash, clay with detail spray, then follow up by hand with buttery wax? Then use sealant after that?

[DaveyT]

You would be better served to apply the sealant first, then your wax.

 

I believe it is best to protect the paint until you are able to do a full correction. There will be no issue with washing, then claying, and the sealing the car until you purchase a polisher.

 

We would love to see some pics. Post em up!

[Beemer]

Sealant before wax.

[Beemer]

Did you watch the video on claying?  There's a new video set on the new retail site that will help you out a lot.

[BamaDetail]

I did watch the video, I was just making sure the Buttery Wax would be good to use. So wash, clay, paint sealant, then buttery wax. Got it!

[Beemer]

I did watch the video, I was just making sure the Buttery Wax would be good to use. So wash, clay, paint sealant, then buttery wax. Got it!

 

You're golden, brother.  Shine it up!

 

And post pics if you get a chance.  None of us ever get tired of shiny cars.