Auto Detailing FAQs | What is Auto Detail Clay?

Adventures in Detailing answers an often asked question; What is Auto Detail Clay & should I use it?

The relatively short answer to this would be, “a natural or man-made resin that looks like the stuff you used to play with as a kid, but made to remove contaminants from your car’s paint or glass without harming (when used correctly) the surface…& yes, you should use it.”

Auto Detail Clay should be used after you wash, but before you polish or wax your vehicle. Clay bar can come in different grades. The deeper or darker the color of your car’s surface, the finer grade of clay you will want to use. White & silver are your most forgiving colors. If you have black paint, you will want the finest grade of clay you can get. Detailing Clay is used to get out surface contaminants like industrial fallout, paint over-spray, light tar, really light cement, brake dust & other pollutants that can adhere to your paint and help promote oxidation and eventually paint failure. If you have not used detail clay before, wash your car, place your hand within a plastic baggy & run your fingers over the surface of your vehicle. You may be amazed to feel how many little bumps there are on your paint. Detailing clay can remove these surface contaminants making your paint smooth & ready for polishing or waxing.

Note: clay is not meant to remove scratches from within your paint. If you have clear coat scratches or oxidation, that is a job for compound or polish, not clay.

What you will need:

• a just washed vehicle
• a bar of automotive clay
• a lubricating agent (detail spray or soapy water)
• terry & microfiber cloth

How to clay:

• perform this procedure in shade or when the sun does not cause your vehicles surface to heat up
• mold the detail clay into a flat, thick “cookie” shape. You should be using on average 1/2 to 1/3^rd bar of clay. A bar of clay can often last between 5-10 cars in average condition.
• work from top to bottom.
• spray or lubricate the paint or glass.
• hold the clay in the palm of your hand & rub it gently back & forth over the surface. You may be able to hear a whispery sound as it picks up the contaminants on your paint. It shouldn’t take for the whispery sound & gritty feel to disappear.  After you have gone over your area (recommended about a 2’x2′ area at a time) for a while it should become silky smooth & ready for your polish, wax or sealant. You can wipe it down with your terry & microfiber & move on.

It may take longer if you are trying to get out visible spots from a neighbor spray painting a house or something similar. You may want to consult a professional (or call me for advice) on bigger jobs like this.

Thanks for listening!