CLAYBAR TUTORIAL! *Q&A* *VIDEO*

[Coop]

i use the microfiber mit from target. works great.

[stevenshizzle]

I find that claybar only works for larger surface contaminants. A good cleaner will remove more than the claybar can. Clean on, clean off, clean car.

[si_civic]

True. You can use a cleaner (prewax cleaner) then a claybar, then wax.

[tegrady]

Great video. I picked up a Meguires claybar kit about a month ago, but I haven't been able to use it on the Civic since it's been in the body shop after my car vs. deer incident, and now that I have it back I can't wax it for 30 days!

I used it on just the hood and front quarters of my wife's CRV and then waxed the whole thing. I really didn't expect as much of a difference as I thought that I kept her car in pretty good shape, but holy crap what a difference! I'm going to have to claybar the rest of it this weekend!

[dentrecords]

.. but I want to eat the claybar

Kamloopz = Ghetto

I hear sirens in the background.

Great vid man.. I'll be doing that today.

[CrAsian]

rep for you man.
also, great disclaimer for all the girls watching your vid that you're not really chubby. maybe your shop can spring for some form fitting coveralls. haha

[Kurt]

"float to the bottom"

[si_civic]

^ I KNOW! I realized I said a few errors in the video lmao. I should do an out-take and bloopers

[PSU Pinoy PSU]

+1 rep for an awesome explanation

I just got done using your tips! Thanks!

[truflip]

^^ PICS! DUDE PICS!!!

[si_civic]

Thanks for the reps peoples!

[PSU Pinoy PSU]

Originally Posted by truflip

^^ PICS! DUDE PICS!!!

Ok, but I only did the hood and the rear. It started to rain b4 I could finish the rest. Pics wont be up until Monday. Sorry...

[KB798]

Ok I don't mean to rain on your parade, but I noticed a couple watch-outs in your video and tutorial.

You should not drag a chamois or any towel on the car when drying because that will drag any sediments underneath it. To minimize marring and scratching, it's a lot better to blot the car dry even if it takes more time.

Also, you don't have to use a fast sweeping motion when claying. If the surface is in good condition and has very little contaminents, then a fast sweeping motion will pick it up just fine. However, on a surface with heavily bonded contaminants, you'll need to modulate the pressure of the clay, the speed at which it's being moved, and the amount of lubricant you're using in order to properly pick up the contaminants. I've clayed cars where the surface was rougher than sandpaper - I had to clay in 2" x 2" squares to pick up everything, and that was with slow, deliberate movements with less lube and more pressure.

I definitely would not degrease a car on a regular basis. OTC degreasers that are meant for cleaning things like dirty dishes, carburetors, and shower walls should NOT be used on the car without testing a small, discrete location. These chemicals can be extremely harmful on your car, and you'd be comprimising the longevity of the clearcoat. Also, the edges and lower portions of the car typically have the thinnest amount of paint and clearcoat, so you could potentially be accelerating the process of the clearcoat failing. Car wash soaps are formulated to tackle tough road grime, and it's perfectly fine to wash a car twice or even 3 times for the dirtiest ones. However, there's a fine line with washing with dishwashing detergents like Dawn. Most detailers would agree that using it before polishing would be fine since it strips wax, but it shouldn't be used on a normal basis.

Waxes and sealants can be used perfectly fine on glass. In fact, I'd recommend it during the rainy seasons - you'll be amazed how fast water droplets just roll off the glass when driving 25 mph. Some might argue that using it on windshields is bad because of the windshield wipers, but I've never had a problem with the wipers sputtering over the glass because of the wax. Most chemical sealants these days are self-leveling, so they settle down evenly on whatever surface it's applied to.

Why is claying clear plastic bad? I've done it many times on my old car which had plastic headlights, and it worked just fine. If you're concerned about the film that covers headlights potentially being damaged, from my experience claying with proper lubrication will not harm the surface. I've clayed, waxed and even polish headlights, brake lights, and etc with fantastic results and success.

Finally, I want to stress the point that claying does not make the car glossier, wetter, or deeper. It is the lubricant (typically a quick detailer or a car soap with gloss enhancement chemicals) that makes the surface look better. In fact, claying can potentially induce new scratches and marring that was never there before in the first place. That's why it's always recommended to polish the car post-claying in order to level the surface to remove imperfections. Don't be fooled by the video thinking that claying will make the car look wetter and deeper. Unless the OP followed up the claying with proper polishing, the car would look disastrous under sunlight.

I'm not trying to be the devil's advocate, but just wanted to share with the rest of the community here with my suggestions. Kudos to the OP for making a tutorial , but I highly recommend modifying a couple things so that people aren't misled and don't have to waste extra time.

[si_civic]

^ No, that is good you're making suggestions and improvements. I could have made the video a little more thorough, but I was at work, and I was hoping no one walked in (my manager)

I don't degrease my car on a regular basis unless it has road grime that doesn't rinse off before washing. The chemical I use at work is mild and is diluted a LOT before applying.

Watching a video of the world's 'best detailer', somewhere on youtube, he degreases the lower portion of $1,000,000 cars everytime.

As long as you wax afterwards, todays clearcoats can handle whatever you throw at it.

As for the claybar action, it is all up to common sense. You don't have to go swiftly, but in that video, it looked like I was.

Always take your time, doing a section at a time. In my video I showed how deep the gloss was AFTER I applied Autoglym.

-D

[Kevin]

I claybar'd the car this afternoon using your instructions. Thanks!

I bought a 7oz clar bar and let me tell you my story. So I break a piece off in the house, go outside and drop it on the ground; I didn't even use it yet! Discard it and break another piece off. Throughout the entire process, I dropped the claybar 4 times in total. It would have been 6, but I caught the bar 2 times before it landed.

I guess it was good to buy such a large piece since I keep discarding it after I drop it!

[Zeuceone]

lol.^

has anone tried the liquid clay bar.?

[JeShUa]

Okay.. I purhcased Clay bar and wax.. Will I be safe to:
Rinse,
wash,
dry,
degrease,
Claybar,
wax?
Do I need to seal it or anything else?

[Zeuceone]

nope. your good to go.

[Coop]

shouldnt you degrease before you wash?

[Zeuceone]

degrease what?