Clay Bar Decontamination
Have you ever tried to wax your car and notice that the wax applicator becomes dirty by the time you are done? Does your paint feel rough even after you have washed it? Can you see tiny particles of dirt attached to the paint?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, your paint is contaminated. Over time airborne particles in the air will settle on the paint and embed into the clearcoat. This causes the rough texture and can harm the paint if left for too long.
Below is a basic diagram of how contaminated paint would look like if it were to be magnified. The black horizontal line represents your vehicle’s clearcoat, and the blue spots are particles of contaminants.
The safest way to remove these contaminants is by performing a clay bar treatment. By using a specially designed clay and proper lubrication (remember - least invasive!) the clay is rubbed on the paint in a back and forth motion (or side to side). The benefits of claying your vehicle are as follows (but not limited to):
- increased paint longevity
- increased visual appeal
- increased repulsion of dirt
- increased performance of wax or sealant
- lowered chance of causing more paint defects
To perform a clay bar treatment, the following items are needed:
1. Clay bar lube. Quick detailer is the choice for most. Do not use tap water! Mineral deposits in tap water will harm the paint. Clay bar lube will act as a lubrication between the paint and the clay bar.
2. Clay bar
3. Clean microfiber towel
Start by spraying the clay lube on the paint. Take a piece of clay, generally about the diameter of your palm, and roughly 1/3” thick and lightly rub in a back and forth motion on the paint where you have sprayed the clay lube. If your paint is highly contaminated, you will notice that the clay will not slide. Do not worry, just continue with caution and add more clay lube to the surface. The key to this process is to make sure there is always a barrier (clay lube) between the clay and the paint so as to make the clay hydroplane against the surface.
Due to the nature of clay with respect to the fact that it picks up quite a bit, if you drop the clay on the ground, do not use it again! Remember to reduce the potential. With that said, it is recommended to split your clay bar into pieces. This way if one piece is dropped, you have not wasted an entire bar.
Be sure to flip the clay over as it gets dirty or simply mold the clay into a ball and press it out into your palm again. Repeat the process until the paint feels as smooth as glass. Remember not to rub the clay on the paint without proper lubrication.
Below is a picture of a piece of clay after being used on the paint for a 3”x3” portion of a vehicle. The clay was brand new and white in colour, but now it’s turning into a brown colour - this is dirt!
After performing the clay bar treatment on the vehicle, a close-up of the paint will now look like this:
After this process is completed on the entire vehicle, it is important to examine how the paint looks. Some clay bars will leave a residue behind, so you will either have to wash the vehicle again, or wipe the paint down with Quick Detailer and a microfiber towel. If there is no residue left behind, you can either apply a carnauba wax, or synthetic sealant for protection, or can polish the paint to bring out it’s beautiful rich colour before applying any form of paint protection.
