Claying my Bimmer!

[Cloud_nine]

Hey Bimmer guys, I recently bought a clay kit for my car. I have never used one before, so before I try i want to ask you guys what are the do's and do not's of claying a car? I heard that claying a car isn't that simple, and I want to avoid damaging the paint on my car. PLease any info is greatly appreciated!

[Slagboy]

Just make sure you use plenty of the spray liquid to keep the clay bar from sticking on your car. If you happen to run over a part of your car that is dry, you may end up getting a part of the clay bar stuck on your car and it is quite a pain to take it off. Other than that, spray the liquid, run the clay bar over it, and wipe with a clean cloth. Also make sure you're working the clay bar itself to expose fresh clay.

Hope that helps and happy cleaning!
Slagboy.

[Slagboy]

Also forgot to mention that you should immediately follow with at least one coat of wax to prevent new contaminants from getting on your freshly cleaned paint!

:wave:
Slagboy

[SilverBeam]

Originally posted by Slagboy
Just make sure you use plenty of the spray liquid to keep the clay bar from sticking on your car.

Amen to that! The worst thing to get off of cars is clay bar, ironically so, since the clay is made to remove contaminants, but it's true. My suggestion is to make sure you are rested when you do it, it gets to be quite a job. Took me a few hours to clay bar and wax my car. And, wash your car first. No use in getting the clay bar filled with dust that would come off with water. Besides that, just keep kneeding the bar and use a really good wax afterwards and you are sure to be happy with the results. Good luck to you!

[jwBm.W]

You probably already knew this, but be sure to use a front to back/ back to front motion. No circles. If you use plenty of lubricant on the paint (and on the clay) and experience a moment where the clay bar does not want to glide smoothly in a certain spot, this means you are removing heavy contaminants. :) Just procede to go over that area until it feels like a smooth glide.

Did you get a clay bar that is designed for your color of paint? Some companies sell clay for dark/light paints.

I actually divided my clay into two pieces. Half seems to be a workable size, and you can keep the other half fresh when the other is too contaminated with crud.

Just my .$02 :D

BTW- I think it was Bob///M3 who said that the ONLY way he EVER touched his paint was as if it were the soft supple skin of a beautiful chaste female. (I may have embellished a tad, but U get the point.) ;)

I have never looked at my car(baby) the same way after hearing this. :love1

[stoneweed1]

is this correct for claying:

1) first wash and dry the car
2) clay the car with lubricant and then immediately wipe off the lubricant
3) rewash and dry the car
4) polish/wax the car


how often do u clay the car?

what are the rules for brand new cars as far when to start claying/polishing/waxing? some say wait a year

[berserkr]

if anyone is interested, I have a 2 minute video detailing the proper method for claying a car...just email me and I will forward it to you.

[Arbeitstier]

My wife is reading over my shoulder and wondered, what lubricant? K-Y? I'm not sure myself

[jwBm.W]

Hey stupid! I mean stupidfast (j/k) I will be interested in seeing your vid, man. Did u make it yourself, or is it a demo. you picked up?

DJV-

For a lubricant, I have mixed a mild solution of car soap with water. I use Pinnacle car soap, which appears to be pretty mild in itself. I wash my car first. Always using a ton of water. I will mostly just hose the car down for like ten minutes or so before I even touch it with a mit or sponge. Then when finished, completely rinse again. If I decide to clay, I will then keep the car wet (obviously in the shade) and with the mild soap mixture in a spray bottle, completely mist a section of paint... then I will also mist the clay bar,,, knead it to a clean surface and mist it again, then use the clay on the paint...continually keeping the mild soap lubricant on the paint and the clay...also continually kneading the clay bar to a clean surface before use. You will definately feel the difference between the areas u have clayed and the areas u have not clayed. When finished with the clay, I will go over the car again with a mit or sponge and then completely rinse and dry.

I hope this helps. If anyone else has some techniques, I would love to hear them. :)

stoneweed1? uhh! nice board name, dude! ;) j/k Really, I would think if you were to start with a good wax, like Blitz or Zaino, you could do this once a month or two months (depends on exposure to weather) for quite a while. Be sure to dedicate certain towels and such for your baby. You should have seperate towels for applying wax ( a cloth baby diaper is great, ..or your hand - adds tactile response that a cloth won't provide) and removing wax along with seperate towels for drying the car paint and seperate 'other' towels for detailing things like wheels and door jambs.... Some people go as far as to have a seperate cloth covered sponge for the paint on the top of the car and for the lower 'dirtier' parts of the car as well as a seperate wash cloth for the wheels. Even two water buckets.... one for shampoo and one for rinsing the wheel sponge.The more you can eliminate dirt particle transference and chemical (wax towels for drying) transference to the painted surface, the better your baby will look. :)
If the paint is new, or looks as good as new, I would not put a clay bar on it. When the time is right, you will know. ;)

[Estoril ART]

I just use Meguiars quick detailer for the lubricant. It works well and it smells good :)

Be sure to pick out any major specs of dirt you see on the claybar with your hand. Make sure the claybar is nice and smooth to the touch.

[berserkr]

jwBm.w-

I didn't make the video, it was sent to me by a friend--I'm not sure of it's origin.

If you'd like a copy, shoot me an email and I'll forward it to you.

[jwBm.W]

Thx, man! :) You will have mail in a bit.

Like they say.... knowledge is power. :D

[scottn2retro]

are good lubricant for claying, but using a lot (of Meguiar's or other high end brands) can be expensive. I use Meguiar's when I want to do a quick detail, but for clay lube I use AutoSmart Smart Inspection #24 which runs about $14 per gallon. You can get it from The Carnuba Store:

www.detailingdepot.com

:)