Various factors can determine how often you clay bar your car. That said, there’s no absolute number of times you clay bar your vehicle. Your car is just a simple process to remove bonded contaminants particles and dust from the paint to the clay bar. Particles that would otherwise not come off in a standard cleaning. Most other forms of dust can easily wash off.
It’s relatively easy to know whether you need to clay your car. After every cleaning and drying, run your hand through your vehicle’s paint, and if you feel it’s rough and a little bumpy, then yes, it’s time to clay bar your car. The contaminants may have stuck to your car break dust and factory fall outs, otherwise damaging your paint finish. But not to worry, by using a detailing clay bar, you can quickly bring back the shiny perfect smooth finish you desire.
Factors that may determine how often you clay bar your car include how often you take out your vehicle. If your vehicle is just a weekend drive and you only take it out a couple of times a year, it doesn’t accumulate a lot of grime. You can, therefore, clay bar it at least 2 to 3 times a year. But say you drive your car daily, maybe to work, or do groceries, then you can clay bar it as often as possible. Even if you do it at least thrice every six months, there’s no problem.
But your location can also determine how often you need to clay your car. If you live near an industrial area, then it’s easy for your vehicle to get all sorts of contaminants stuck to it. The environment goes a long way to determine your car’s condition; clay bar it as you deem fit. Another factor may be how you garage your vehicle.
And if you’re wondering whether it’s an excellent idea to clay bar your new car or if you need to do it at all, then the answer is yes. Since its mint, most people assume that there’s no way to accumulate any road grime that won’t come off in a regular wash. That is not always the truth. Most new cars go through a lot to get to you. From parking outside the factory or the railyard, your vehicle may be exposed to so much and may no longer be smooth. It can make a car lose the spanking new look it ought to have. Or the clean surface you expect it to have.
From the long-distance shipping mostly by rail, cars get rail dust. It’s essential to remove these particles from the paint right off. Although few dealers note this and clay it, others don’t care enough to clean. You can try an experiment on your car to see the difference. Clay bar at least half of the car hood, and when you’re done, feel the difference with the other half. Amazing right? The clayed part of the hood feels perfect.
And you need not worry about the clay bar destroying the paint on the car. The clay only takes of the particles, like debris, and no the color itself. And a proper lubricant can go a long way to ensure there’s no surface marring. Other than that, it would also be wise if you clay your car 3 to 4 months from manufacturing since by then, the paint is usually iron-hard, and clay won’t hurt it. Interestingly, that’s almost the exact period you get your car from the shipping to the dealer.
Most car enthusiasts enjoy detailing their cars. But still, there are several things you may overlook. You may have once in a while regretted doing one thing or another. The good news is, you learned your lesson. Here are several mistakes to avoid when you clay bar your car Reusing the clay bar.
Never make that mistake. A used clay bar comes off with all the contaminants, and reusing it is like putting it all back on your precious car. That can cause scratching. It’s better to invest in a new clay bar than to reuse it. Sure, it may cost you a little over $9, buts its worth every single dime.
Water as lubricant
You must use a proper lubricant. And water, dear enthusiast, is certainly not one of them. So much can go wrong with water as a lubricant. First, a good lubricant will help the clay bar float or glide on the surface to prevent any form of scratching or general damage. Water, on the other hand, tends to drag. You don’t want to imagine the marring that can cause.
Polish before clay bar detailing
As silly as it sounds, many people wonder which comes first. You clay your car first before you polish it. That way, polishing is easy and fast. You don’t need much work, and your vehicle will be as good as new. If you make the mistake of polishing before you clay bar your vehicle, then you’re in for a long and tedious journey ahead.
Using just one towel
When you use a towel to clean your wheels, it’s essential to use a different one to clean your car’s surface. There’s so much damage that a dirty towel can do to your vehicle. The towel may come with all sorts of junk that you may have just tried to remove with clay bar not so long ago. It would be best if you had at least three towels at your disposal.
How to clay bar detailing works
A lump of detailing clay is a grainy system, and if you’re not careful, you can cause more damage than making things right. You need to use the clay properly and, of course, the proper lubricant for the best results. And note, there are absolutely no shortcuts with detailing. The best-detailing clay bar will work by gliding on the surface that needs cleaning. But for that to happen, you need a lubricant to act as a barrier, so the clay does not come in direct contact with your car’s paint.
A clay bar acts as some selective polish. It only polishes contamination from the surface by abrasively removing them in a grinding manner. To determine how effective your clay bar is, you should make a habit of inspecting the clay when you’re done.
How do you choose the perfect clay bar grade?
When looking for the perfect clay bar, the best thing you should look for is the grade. There’s no such thing as the ideal grade. But you should note that they all have specific functions and are equally essential. Like how often you should clay your car, the contaminants are all that matters. Some impurities will give you a headache trying to polish them out, and that’s an indicator of a more aggressive grade.
For lighter contamination, fine clay bar works perfectly. It is probably because this grade of clay is usually softer and more effortless to use than the rest. If you also clay bar your car often, then go for a fine grade clay bar. The only downside to fine clay bars is that it’s softer and won’t be too useful in removing hardcore contaminants like tree sap.
Medium clay bars, on the other hand, are way more massive and aggressive than fine clay. The mere fact that it’s more massive means that it can minutely mar the surface of your car. Of course, it will be difficult for you to note the difference. But on the Bright side, medium clay bar can remove the stubborn stains that fine clay cannot. Its denser and firmer, and debris and stubborn junk will quickly come off. The catch here is; you need to polish your car afterward.
Heavy clay bars come in handy when you’re dealing with metal wheels and or glass. What makes it perfect for the job is the overly aggressive property it has. These surfaces are hard, and the other grades of clay wouldn’t have worked as perfectly. You can also use this grade on your car’s body when the different grades have failed to do the work.
It happens when the contaminants you are dealing with are overspray and other stubborn stains. Mostly when you haven’t clay bar your car for a long time, and the impurities have bonded. But it’s still vital to ensure that you only ever use heavy clay bar after trying the others, and they have been ineffective.
Although there’s no specific schedule to clay bar your car, you must do this at least 2 to 3 times a year. How often you clean your car will determine the grade you use. To be on the safer side, try being more conservative with the grades, especially when you’re not entirely sure. And you must follow all the steps and not use shortcuts. Shortcuts will cost you a fortune preparing the damage you may cause when you clay bar.