Clay Bars?
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 46
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From: Louisville
Clay Bars?
Ok well Im a clean freak with my car. I have heard alot about these clay bars. Are they really worth doing? I mean can you actually see a dramatic difrence in the paint of your car? I have had tons of compliments on my cars shine but Im always lookin for ways to imrpove. You all seem to know you cleaning supplies the best. Thanks 
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,113
Likes: 4
From: manhattan beach, calif
clay bars remove contamination and makes rough and cratered surfaces smooth as glass. so if your car sits outside, it can probably benefit from claying every once in a while... mine is usually inside and almost always covered- so it wont need to be clayed for awhile. you can feel the contamination by lightly rubbing a finger across your paint. or if you have clay, you can use it to test the surface too. if it drags, the car can benefit from being clayed. if it slides easily over the surface, its probably pretty much uncontaminated.
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 237
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From: Charlotte
Anytime you are looking for optimum results...clay the car! It doesn't matter if you're going to apply Zaino or a wax based product to the finish, the surface preparation will affect the end result. Even a new car will benefit from clay. The reason is that clay removes contaminants from the finish that can not be washed away.
If you feel the finish with the backs of your fingers, it will probably feel smooth. A more exact test is to then wrap cellophane around your fingers and then lightly move them across the surface. Where it felt smooth with your fingers, the cellophane lets you determine the true condition of the surface. It will probably feel rough. That roughness is contamination that can not be washed off. The clay will remove that, making the surface slicker, i.e., more reflective and help the car stay cleaner because there are fewer imperfections on the finish for dirt to adhere to.
How often you clay is purely subjective. Some folks will clay once and never look back. Others do it every 6 or 12 months.
If you feel the finish with the backs of your fingers, it will probably feel smooth. A more exact test is to then wrap cellophane around your fingers and then lightly move them across the surface. Where it felt smooth with your fingers, the cellophane lets you determine the true condition of the surface. It will probably feel rough. That roughness is contamination that can not be washed off. The clay will remove that, making the surface slicker, i.e., more reflective and help the car stay cleaner because there are fewer imperfections on the finish for dirt to adhere to.
How often you clay is purely subjective. Some folks will clay once and never look back. Others do it every 6 or 12 months.
