WHAT IS A CLAY BAR TREATMENT?
Automotive Clay Bar is an advanced resin mixture that is used by auto detailers to extract contaminants and pollutants from the paint, glass, fiberglass and metal surface of your automobile. Detailing clay can be synthetic or natural. However, a synthetic clay bar is most common to use these days.
These are very elastic since clay bars are clay-like. The elasticity means they can be molded and stretched easily. This is good because we need to roll, flatten and pull the clay bar for different sections of the vehicle - from the rear bumper to the front fender.
A Clay Bar Treatment is the process of removing containments from the surface of your car using a clay bar. Common containments that pollute your vehicle and slowly destroy - it includes items like rail dust, brake dust, and industrial failures. Even after several car washes and polishing, these contaminants can penetrate through paint, glass, and metal and settle on those components. When detailing clay is used correctly, it is 100% safe, and absolutely nonabrasive.
DO YOU NEED TO CLAY?
The answer would definitely be, Y-E-S! Obviously we're a little biased here at Apollo Auto Spa, but consider this: Your vehicle's surface faces environmental assaults every time it gets out in the sun. That trip on the road brings new threats from road debris, exhaust films and emissions from airborne pollutants. They're going to splash, mar, and embed in the perfect paint job you've been working on. Vehicles are able to accumulate these chemicals every time, anywhere - even at the dealership.
The Bag Test: There's a simple test that indicates if you need to clay or not. Wash your car and dry it, place a plastic sandwich bag over your hand and rub your fingers gently over the paint. If it looks dirty or rough it will contaminate your color.
Use a high-quality clay bar decoration, such as Wolfgang Elastic Poly Clay or Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay, and a clay lubricant before adding wax or polish. Waxes and surface sealants are better adherents to clean paint, and the shine is more uniform and bright.
WHAT ARE THE BEST CLAY BARS?
Clay bars come for multiple purposes in different colors, at different price points. The most important factor to consider when you decide to buy a clay bar, however, is aggressiveness. The aggressiveness of the clay bars typically varies from user quality (medium grade) to technical grade (fine grade).
The clay bars of consumer quality (medium grade) are soft and will take more effort when cleaning highly polluted areas, while the bars of technical grade is vigorous and will remove pollutants easily.
If you know what you're doing and have plenty of claying experience, then we only recommend buying professional-grade clay bars (fine grade). The fine grade bars are more effective against dirt but can also easily damage your paint.
The Meguiar’s G1016 Smooth Surface Clay Kit is an excellent kit for beginners.
WHAT ARE SOME CLAY BAR ALTERNATIVES?
Mitts or clay mitts are a popular alternative to the clay bars. They are effective and they do the job well. A traditional clay mitt is a durable microfiber mitt with one side made of a silicone rubber coating that picks up pollutants like tar or bugs from the surface.
The use of mitts has one drawback. These are known to cause more paint damage than a clay bar in the car. If you are using a mitt, then make sure that you are generous with the lubricant to prevent any harm.