No complete detail is complete unless you have "clayed"
your vehicles surface. Kind of a strange name for a product,
but I assure you its completely safe when used as directed.
It can be rather intimidating if you have never used before,
but once you have, you’ll wonder why you waited so
long.
Clay is designed to pull contaminants away or simply sheer
them from your paint surface, safely, and this is
accomplished with ease. So what equipment or materials is
needed? There’s no equipment needed at all! All you
need is clay, and a lubricant, and a micro fiber towel for
wiping upon completion. Now you can skip the towel if you
elect to clay while washing. There are many
brands of clay available, and at least two are usually available
at your local auto paint supply store or Automotive parts
store (Kragen, Pep Boys). Meguiars makes a new version,
better than its preceding version, Mothers makes a nice
kit, comes with the clay, a lubricant (Showtime QD), and
a small sample of Pre Wax Cleaner. The original Clay Magic
I believe still comes
with a lubricant as well. Make sure you buy or are using
“Fine grade” in the beginning stages.
So lets get started! Lets assume, it’s the beginning
of summer, and you want your ride looking the ultimate!
You begin with your normal wash routine (see above washing
techniques), you’ve removed any tar, gum, and assorted
crap stuck to the lower panels with a citrus cleaner or
tar/adhesive remover (3M comes to mind). Now you have dried
the surfaces with a waffle weave drying towel, and "she"
looks good, you rub your hand along the top of the hood,
and you feel what seems like specs of sand (If you think
it feels good at this point, put your hand in a sandwich
baggy)..... Close analysis, its actually tiny bits of metal
(Brake linings, rail dust), or just normal industrial fallout.
Its inescapable, pollutants happen to everyone, and the
reason we need to remove these pollutants is, metal contributes
to rust, and once rust starts, it’s usually not good!
Not to mention physical appearance anyway.
Make sure your working in a shaded area, on a cool surface.
Once you get started, the whole process can be completed
in about ½ hr. Lets start with the hood. Unwrap your
clay product, and take about 1/3 to ½ of it in the
palm of your hand. Place the other portion back in the wrapper
it came in, you may need this in case you drop the 1st half.
If you do drop it, discard it. Spray the lubricant on about
½ to 1/3 of the surface, just as you would while
quick detailing it. Take the clay in your hand and knead
it until its somewhat soft. Mold to about the size of a
small pancake, and place at your fingertips for easy control.
Gently place the clay on the surface and glide it back in
a front to back motion (grill to window). Use about 10-12
inch passes and overlap each pass. Fold the clay and re-knead
after each area has been cleaned. You will feel some resistance
at first, but with passing motions, you’ll be able
to tell the clay is removing pollutants! If you feel too
much resistance, your either not using enough lubricant
or your surface is REAL dirty. A good way to tell you’re
not using enough lube or if your surface is too warm, is
if the clay is leaving product on the
surface. This can be removed, with a micro fiber towel.
After each area has been clayed, wipe and buff dry with
a micro fiber towel.
Clay will remove a portion of wax or sealant protection,
so you should follow up with polishing and sealing/waxing.
Clay is not a polish! It will remove contaminants, small
areas of road tar, road paint, over spray, fallout, and
light oxidation. Any areas larger than a pencil tip should
be cleaned with a safe cleaner prior to using clay, otherwise
you will end up polluting your clay for future use. You
should be able to clay your surface half a dozen times,
depending on the quantity of contaminants.
More Detailing Tips
from the Professionals
