Clay Bar Question

[Obsessed]

Hello all. As you are claying an area on the car using DS, should you wipe off the clay residue as you go along. (If so, what is best to use to wipe off residue? MF towel, cotton towel, etc...) I ask this because I will be claying ouside and I don't want the residue to dry on the car.

Thanks in advance.

[Chewy]

Clay residue? There should be NO clay residue on the car. You're not using enough DS if you feel drag or can see the clay ON the car finish. The DS itself is OK to dry on the car but you CAN wipe it off with a polishing towel.

 

DO NOT allow cotton to touch your paint!!! Use only a quality polishing MF like Adams.

 

Chris

[XQIZT]

I wipe off the DS with a MF towel before moving to the next section...this way I can feel the surface and make sure I didn't miss anything. Plus why let all the DS dry on the car? Then you've got more of a mess to clean up.

[Chewy]

I wipe off the DS with a MF towel before moving to the next section...this way I can feel the surface and make sure I didn't miss anything. Plus why let all the DS dry on the car? Then you've got more of a mess to clean up.

 

Nah... You can SHR or FMP right through it.

[Chris@Adams]

Some wipe down with DS & MF towel, while others polish right over residue.Watch Chapter 13 - Claying the Car If you feel better wiping each panel, thats what I would do.

[Doug123]

I keep wiping it down because after some claying of a section, I wipe it down and use the baggie to tell if I got it all (usually not the first time) and then repeat the ds/clay test process. I feel like if I am there working on getting the finish smooth, I want it to be the best I can get it. The smooth finish is the foundation for all the rest of the procedures to come, at least in my opinion.

[Sooners]

I don't wipe off the DS while claying, but I do wash the vehicle again after I'm done before I start polishing.

[Laguna]

I go right from clay to polishing. I live where it's hard water though, would rather not wash again.

[Chris@Adams]

I not a fan of washing again because you have water running out of all the cracks again!

[Marylander]

I not a fan of washing again because you have water running out of all the cracks again!

 

no real need to rewash.

[McDuff]

I have watched Junkman claying a car on his videos and in real life and I will admit that there is no way I go through the scrubbing process he does! Of course I couldn't afford the DS that he goes through either. LOL! I clay my entire car before I wipe it down and then check it. I think it is like a lot of people on the forum say that once you get the car in great shape, then it is easy to maintain. I wouldn't wash it after claying either. I just wipe it down and get on to the buffing.

[Junkman2008]

I don't wipe off the DS while claying, but I do wash the vehicle again after I'm done before I start polishing.

 

 

This is the madness behind the way I think. After all the claying I have done, I'm going to have dried up detail spray on the car and in very limited cases, pieces of clay lefy behind. By doing a 2-bucket wash after claying, I can dry the car and get a true picture of exactly what the surface of the paint looks like. I won't have dried up detail spray looking like a scratch or marring, which would cause me to over work a spot that doesn't require it.

 

Everyone has a preference, just make sure you have a reason behind your technique. If someone ask you why you do it one way, be able to explain the logic behind your method. The hard water and cost of detail spray examples are reasons behind what guys do. They make perfectly good sense.

[Chewy]

It goes without saying but.... ART... NOT SCIENCE!!!

 

More than one way to skin a cat...

 

Chris

[randyfox]

I have to agree with Sooners and The Junkman. I will also add that I think it has a lot to do with the state of your paint when you clay. For older, thrashed paint like on my '55, rewashing was a necessity after claying in my opinion. I would think that on a newer vehicle it might not always be indicated, but probably a good idea.

[Junkman2008]

That makes sense Randy. It's funny, when I think of paint correction, I NEVER think about doing it on a new car with very little damage because I seldom see those cars. I always get the cars from the movie "Mad Max".

 

When I think paint damage, I don't think that everyone thinks on the same extreme level that I do!