Does clay bar hurt clearcoat?

A clay bar is an engineered, clay-like product that pulls contaminants like water spots, brake dust, metal dust, industrial pollution and road grit from your clear coat. When used with a clay lubricant, these contaminants come loose from your car and get stuck safely in the clay so they don't damage your clear coat.

Does clay bar remove clear coat scratches?

A clay bar does NOT remove any scratches from the surface of the paint because it contains no abrasives. A clay bar is useful for when a car's paint feels rough and is no longer smooth to the touch as it can help restore that nice smooth feeling you once knew and loved.

Can you ruin your paint with a clay bar?

Running a block of abrasive plastic over your car's paint job might not sound like a good idea, but clay bar treatments will not damage your car's paint when they are performed correctly.

When should you not clay bar a car?

If your car has been thoroughly cleaned, polished, protected and the protection has been regularly reapplied, you may not need to clay before polishing. There are three different grades of clay.

Does Claying remove coating?

The clay bar its self should do harm to the ceramic coating, but what's on the clay bar might cause damage. A clay bar is a sticky brick of plastic which will pick up metal particles, grit and other contaminants, when you rub it over your paintwork.

How to Repair Clear Coat Fix 100% all types

Is it OK to clay bar a ceramic coated car?

Stay away from detailing clay

Using a clay bar on a ceramic-coated surface can irritate the coating, leaving tiny scratches that will be visible over time.

Do you need to seal after clay bar?

Last but not least, after using clay, seal your freshly cleaned paint with your choice of wax or sealant. With just a little effort, stubborn brake dust that even the strongest cleaners won't remove comes off with detailing clay.

Is it worth clay barring your car?

Over time, these particles could permanently damage your paint. These particles also prevent wax and polish from working properly, which means you don't get as clear a shine. If you want to protect your paint job in the future and have your car looks its best, clay bar detailing is absolutely worth it.

How many times can you clay bar a car?

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.

Should I wash my car before I clay bar it?

Timing is Key – When to Clay Bar

Claying should always come after a good wash. You want to get as much of the dirt out as possible, by scrubbing and brushing and scrubbing some more. Your choice of cleaning agent will also ensure that your vehicle is ready for the use of a clay bar.

Will Clay Bar take off overspray?

If your vehicle is covered by a light mist of paint over spray, you can remove it by hand using the clay bar method. You need to allow two to four hours to clean a car and more time to clean a larger vehicle such as a four door pickup truck, RV, SUV, etc..

Does clay bar cause swirls?

Swirl marks can happen during a clay bar treatment if the detailer isn't attentive to keeping the bar clean and free of major debris, doesn't use enough lube, or chooses the wrong type of clay for the paint. Clay barring is the ultimate way to remove paint contamination, but must be done thoughtfully and with care.

Does clay baring scratch paint?

Clay bars scratch your paint. That's just the nature of the beast. Rubbing anything abrasive across your paint will mar the surface causing thousands of microscopic scratches. Once you have enough of them, they'll give the surface a dull appearance.

How do you buff imperfections in clear coat?

First, wet sand with low grit sandpaper that can be used both wet and dry. Then apply rubbing compound to the coat. Next, wipe away excess clear glaze with a microfiber cloth. This process gets rid of any imperfections and makes the coat look new again.

What grit removes scratches from clear coat?

Using 3000 grit sandpaper, sand the paint ONLY across the scratch, not the length of it. This will sand the clear coat down while also blending the scratch into the paint. Sand until the scratch is no longer visible. Be sure to sand flat and even.

Can you buff out clear coat damage?

Using an 800 grit sandpaper, sand down the rough clear coat until you can't feel it any more. Go lighter on the surrounding clear coat as you want to smooth and blend the damaged area, not remove more clear coat. Wipe clean with a lint-free cloth and rubbing alcohol to remove any contaminants left by sanding.

Does clay bar leave scratches?

Without proper lubrication, a clay bar will catch on contaminants, pull them across the surface, and scratch or mar paint. Clay bar lubricants help the clay bar glide across the surface freely. The clay lubricants also flush away any loose particles and help stop them from grinding into and scratching the paint.

Does the car need to be wet or dry to clay bar it?

Wash and dry your car thoroughly before you start applying the clay bar. The best car washes will remove all the loose contaminants stuck onto the car's body and will make the claying process easier.

What can I use instead of clay bar?

Why do car designers stick to clay?

Sometimes a detail on a car's body may need to be changed as little as a millimeter. An edit like this can be tedious, but using the malleable clay allows designers to visualize and make multiple changes with real-world proportions, something a computer rendering can't compete with.

Does a brand new car need a clay bar?

If your paint feels rough or textured, then you need to clay. If it feels smooth as glass than you shouldn't need to clay, but it definitely wouldn't hurt. In all honestly, claying a new car shouldn't take more than 30-45 minutes, and it requires very little effort.

Can you clay your car too much?

Contrary to popular belief, you should not and do not need to clay your car “every wash,” “every month,” “every year,” or “every whenever-you-feel-like-it.” Clay is abrasive. Therefore, claying causes marring that will (unless polished) be detrimental to your car's shine and dirt-repelling abilities.

Should you wax your car after clay bar?

The detailer's rule of thumb is to always decontaminate the surface with a clay bar before putting on a new coat of wax, or polishing any exterior paintwork. Those foreign particles block wax from sticking to the paint, making it last for a shorter time and not shine as bright.

Can I clay bar with just water?

All clay bars require a lubricant. Some can be used with water, some work better with a quick detailer spray (liquid suspension of carnauba). Always follow the instructions as noted on the clay bar – if the instructions say to use water, then it has been formulated with this in mind.