I've never used clay bar. I was wondering how difficult it is to use. Also, there are different brands available. Is one brand better then the others?

 

Not that difficult to use but can be time consuming. If you use something name brand they are probably fairly equivalent. You'll need to use a "lubricant" with it. Remember the intent - to remove surface contaminants. Won't take off orange peel, won't remove scratches, etc. Surface contaminants - that's all.

 

Go to General Forum and check out Car Care then search that forum for "Clay".

I like griots myself used with Speed Shine. Check out site below.

http://www.griotsgarage.com/p2p/sear...rrivals&page=1

 

As far as brands they are not all the same, but the best I have found is Clay Magic(Can be found at AutoZone) and Zaino.
The Clay Magic bar seems to be a bit harder and will pull the incredibly tough stuff off the paint(not needed for 95% of cars on the road) You also have to knead them alot more to keep the dirt you have pulled off, from causing swirls.
The Zaino bars are softer and do an excellent job of getting everything off. Most bars are of the same softness as the Zaino bars, quality varies.
Mother's and Meguiars both make kits, but simple soapy water makes the best lube and it's cheap.

I wrote this up for a couple of Forums, and attached it. See if it helps.

Clay Bars seem to be a mystery to a number of people. It is a relatively new method to the general public for cleaning paint and removing the tiny particles that stick to the paint of your car. Detailers and paint folks have been using it for years.

What is the goal of using a Clay Bar? – To maximize the shine on your car you want the paint as flat as possible. Flat surfaces reflect more light and a higher quality light than bumpy or curved surfaces. A clay bar will remove contaminants that have stuck to your paint that are causing a less than spectacular shine.
After you have washed and dried your car, run your hand over the hood or roof, if you still feel little bumps, then you should probably clay the car to remove them.
Clay Bars are excellent for removing overspray, tar, airborne contaminants that are not removed with normal washing

What is a Clay Bar? – Today’s clay bars are synthetic clay, not the modeling clay that we played with as kids. It is not abrasive and will NOT remove any clearcoat or oxidized paint. They generally come in a 2 x 3 inch, or larger bars and can be used to clean multiple cars. If the clay bar you have is larger than 2 x3, cut a section off and use it. Do not use the whole bar.

How to use a Clay Bar– Wash and dry the car. Make sure you have removed all the dirt, especially around the wheels and the undersides. In a 12-16 oz spray bottle, fill 7/8 of the way with water, and add a little bit of your favorite car wash soap. This will be your lubricant. The goal of the lubricant is to not only make the surface slippery for the bar, but it also acts as a thin film, keeping the bar off of your paint.
Place a plastic drop cloth underneath the area you are working on. Clay bars are dirt magnets, if you drop it on the ground you MUST throw it away. The bar will have a huge collection of grit that will scratch your paint. Dropping it on the plastic will give you a 99% chance it will remain clean and reusable.
Spray a 1 ft square area, and move the clay bar back and forth over the wet surface.
Put the bar in the palm of your hand and with very light pressure, work the bar over the wet surface, up and down, then left to right. You can use your fingers to feel the paint. When it is smooth you are finished and can move onto the next section. Do NOT force the bar into the paint!!!
On the sides of the car, cup it in your palm and apply gentle pressure. Work it up and down as well as left to right. make sure you hold onto it, they can get slippery and will jump right out of your hand.
Upon completion of a section wipe it clean with a towel, or rinse. Do not let the rinse water dry on the car, it will leave watermarks.
ALWAYS KEEP THE SURFACE WET AND LUBRICATED. Do not let the Claybar move to a dry surface. It needs that thin layer of solution to float above the paint.
Work your way around the car.
When you are finished, wash the car again with car wash and apply your favorite polish/wax.

 

with Grzldvt.........great write up and information....especially the part about not letting it hit the ground, and discarding it if it does...
And do make sure to fold the clay bar over on itself frequently as well to keep a clean surface against your paint.......They are really pretty easy to use once you get the process down, you should be able to do your whole car in under an hour..........

 

The Bugman has some good info on claybars.

 

I've used the Mother's, ClayMagic, and Meguiars (over the counter) kits on my Arctic White 07. All of the kits came with the clay bar and lube. The mother's kit also came with some basic cleaner wax (I'd gift this to someone that almost likes to take care of the vehicle finish) while the Meguiars kit came with a microfiber towel (slight better quality than I was expecting) and the claybar itself was divided into two smaller bars. ClayMagic (Blue) was the best at removing contaminates you can feel with your hand with the fewest number of passes, Mother's (Yellow) would be a close second while Meguiars (White) would be the last. For stains (road grime, pollution, etc.) that you can see but not feel, however, the Mother's bar got them off the car the best with the fewest number of passes with ClayMagic coming in second.

If I had to recommend a kit I would get the ClayMagic. It works well and is the cheapest of the kits in this area at $11.99.

 

Thanks for the advise. I'll try to post some "before and after" picts.

 

who's tried using play-doh just for sh*ts and giggles?

 

you won't see de difference, but you will feel it, after the bar your paint will feel smothhhhhh. I used meguiars clay bar.

 

I still love the way Play-Doh smells.................