Clay Bar Detailing

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Clay Bar Detailing

Everything you need to know about clay bar detailing, including why you should use a clay bar on your car, how to use a clay bar, instructions and  video, which products to buy for the best results, helpful clay bar links and more.

Clay bar detailing creates the ultimate in smooth automotive shine. 

Try it on your car today and see what everyone is talking about.

Why You Need to Clay Bar Your Car 

Clay Bar Detailing Information

Clay bar detailing is being newly discovered daily. While it used to be only used by professionals, it is now being used by anybody who wants their car to look its show-quality best.

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How Clay Bar Detailing Works
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When contaminants get a hold of your car's paint, washing alone may not remove them. Pre-wax cleaners may not be able to remove these particles either.

What should you do?

You can use a polishing compound, (this can remove a lot of your paint's surface) or you can try clay bar detailing to smooth the paint surface while at the same time removing nasty contaminants leaving your car with its ultimate shine.

Basic Clay Bar Detailing Instructions 

Clay Bar Detailing Basics

The clay needs to be made plyable before using it on your car. To do this you simply roll it between your hands to soften it.

Shape the clay into a ball and then flatten it into a pad shaped disc.

You can then add a handle (The Polishin Pal)or use it, as is.

Use the clay bar lubricant to spray the area of your car you want to clear contaminants from. Work in small areas. Finish each spot and then move on to the next spot. Do not wet down the entire car all at once.

Slide the clay bar over the wet area. Do not use pressure. A light touch is all you need. You will feel and hear the bar working to remove particles.

When the bar glides smoothly, you are done and can then use a micro fiber towel to wipe it off.

These are basic instructions, please read the instructions on the particular product that you purchase before applying.

Watch this quick video demonstration for a clearer picture of how clay bar detailing works and the proper proceduere for doing it.

Important Clay Bar Detailing Information 

Be Sure to Read This Before Taking a Clay Bar to Your Car

1. Never use pressure on your clay bar. A soft touch is all you need for maximum results.

2. Always use enough clay bar lubricant to avoid scratching. You want the clay bar to slide, not drag.

3. Be careful not to drop the clay bar while using it to avoid picking up any solid contaminants and dirt particles that can damage your car. If you do drop it accidentally, re-mold the clay until you have a new clean surface to work with before using it again.

4. Clay bars are reusable until you can no longer get a clean surface after molding the clay into a pad.

How to Use a Clay Bar on Your Car Video 

Video Instructions for Clay Bar Detailing Your Car

Watch this great video to learn the proper way to clay bar a car.

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Pinnacle Ultra Poly Detailing Clay 

This is the product used in the clay bar detailing video you just saw

This is the product showcased in the above video.

Pinnacle Ultra Poly Detailing Clay

Pinnacles Ultra Poly Clay is the single finest clay composition available today. Ultra Poly Clay is substantially finer than our original Poly Clay, while maintaining all of its advantages. With this ultra fine clay, you can maintain a totally clean, sleek finish everyday. We?re calling it ?enthusiast grade? for perfectionists who want that just-clayed finish all the time! Ultra Poly Clay is a patented clay formula made exclusively for Pinnacle Natural Brilliance. Its texture and elasticity are unlike any other clay you?ve ever used because the Pinnacle team designed it that way. More than a year of research went into making a fine grade clay specifically for those who meticulously maintain their vehicles. There are very few clay manufacturers in the world and many of them produce the same type of clay, just in different colors. While these clays do serve a purpose, none come close to Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay.

Amazon Price: $19.99 (as of 11/15/2009) Buy Now

Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay PLUS Special

Pinnacles Ultra Poly Clay is the single finest clay composition available today. Ultra Poly Clay is substantially finer than our original Poly Clay, while maintaining all of its advantages. With this ultra fine clay, you can maintain a totally clean, sleek finish everyday. We?re calling it ?enthusiast grade? for perfectionists who want that just-clayed finish all the time! EIGHT full ounces of the amazing Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay are available at a special value in the Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay PLUS Special! This premium, fine grade clay creates a silky smooth, truly clean shine and it doesn?t remove wax on well-maintained finishes. Now you can enjoy twice the slickness and twice the shine with two 4 oz. bars of this unique clay, available only from Pinnacle Natural Brilliance.

Amazon Price: $49.99 (as of 11/15/2009) Buy Now

Meguiars Clay Bar Systems 

Clay Bar Products from Meguiars

Meguiar's is one of the most trusted names in the car care industry.

Meguiar's G1016 Smooth Surface Clay Kit

Amazon Price: $16.88 (as of 11/15/2009) Buy Now

Meguiar's C-2000 Professional Detailing Clay, Mild

Amazon Price: $18.88 (as of 11/15/2009) Buy Now

Meguiar's C-2100 Professional Detailing Clay, Aggressive

Amazon Price: $18.88 (as of 11/15/2009) Buy Now

Meguiar's G1001 Smooth Surface Clay Bar

Amazon Price: $15.99 (as of 11/15/2009) Buy Now

Meguiar's G1016 Smooth Surface Clay Kit 16 oz., pack of 4

Amazon Price: $77.88 (as of 11/15/2009) Buy Now

Clay Bar Link List 

Helpful Links to More Clay Bar Information

The following links contain information on using clay bars, the products that are available here and complete instructions for using them.
Detailing Clay Bars and Clay Bar Lubricants
Detail Clay Bar and Lube - ALL ABOUT AUTO DETAILING CLAY BARS Detailing clay bars are sweeping the car care industry! Formerly reserved for professional detailers and car dealers, clay bars have made their way into the garages of hobbyists and ...
Meguiars Car Care Products & Detailing Supplies: For over 100 years, Meguiars has been a leader in car care products and automotive detailing
Meguiars - From humble beginnings sprang the car care dynasty that is Meguiar?s. Interestingly, the first Meguiar?s wax? was for furniture. Frank Meguiar, Jr., the founding father of the company, mixed the furniture polish one bottle at a time ...
Use Wolfgang Detailing Clay with lubricant to clean and decontaminate automotive paint, preparing it for polish and wax.
Detailing Clay Bar and Lubricant - How do I know if I need to clay? Run your hand across the surface of your car, paying special attention to the front end and lower panels. If you can detect rough areas, or gritty or bumpy spots, your car?s paint is contaminated and you need to clay. What does clay

Wolfgang Elastic Poly Clay and Lubricant 

Clay Bar Products from Wolfgang

Wolfgang Elastic Poly Clay is a non-abrasive product, safe for all aluminum, chrome, fiberglass, paint and finishes. It loosens and lifts all manner of dirt, grime, and contaminants away from the surface like magic. You will be amazed at the amount of debris collected by the clay with each pass. Elastic Poly Clay is unlike other clays in formulationthe latest research and technology in car care has gone into this product. This formula is superior at attracting and exfoliating dirt, allowing the clay to glide across the surface with little to no effort, and keeping the clay supple and pliable. It packs great cleaning powerenough to remove stubborn tree sap, tar, acid rain and water spots without harsh chemicals or abrasive particles. 4 Ounce

Wolfgang Clay Lubricant is specifically designed to be used with Wolfgang Elastic Poly Clay. When applied on a freshly washed surface Clay Lubricant creates an ultra-fine, slick protective layer between the paint and the clay. This allows the clay to glide across the surface, acting as a magnet for any foreign particles left behind after the wash. When this step is complete, your cars surface will actually be exfoliated, purified and free of contamination.

Wolfgang Elastic Poly Clay Bar

Easy and effective
Removes stubborn contaminants, tar, and bugs
Leaves paint extremely smooth
4oz. Bar

Amazon Price: $29.99 (as of 11/15/2009) Buy Now

Wolfgang Clay Lubricant 16oz.

High-tech formula containing super-polymers
Extra gentle on your car's finish
Enhances the effectiveness of clay
Allows clay to gently glide across the paint surface without scratching
16oz. Trigger spray

Amazon Price: $12.99 (as of 11/15/2009) Buy Now

Wolfgang Polishin Pal

Product Description
A lot of die-hard detailers like to polish and wax their vehicles the old-fashioned way  by hand. The end result is a clean, beautiful finish and dirty, tired hands. If you want all the benefits of hand-detailing, but none of the drawbacks, use the Wolfgang Polishin Pal.

Amazon Price: $24.99 (as of 11/15/2009) Buy Now

Recent Clay Bar Detailing Blog Posts 

Read What Others are Saying About Clay Bar Detailing

See what others are saying in the blogoshere about clay bar detailing.
turtle wax clay bar shampoo - Audi A2 Owners' Club
Thread, Thread Starter, Forum, Replies, Last Post. Tried a clay bar for the first time, GrahamR, Valet and detailing, 21, 06-04-2009 10:42 PM. Auto Glym: Aqua Wax, birdsd01, Valet and detailing, 31, 04-03-2009 03:02 AM ...
Detailer's Domain: 2006 C2S - Luxury4Play.com
Spritz some Adam's Detail Spray on the car and dried off the car. 10. Brought the car in and proceeded to clay the car using Adam's Clay Bar and Detail Spray 11. Used the Metabo with the Menzerna 106fa to polish out all the minor ...
What supplies are necessary for a new guy? - Detailing Bliss Forum
clay bar wheel cleaner tar remover sealant wax glass cleaner trim dressing tire dressing metal polish interior vinyl/ plastic cleaner and dressing with uv protection carpet cleaner leather cleaner leather conditioner ...
Clay Bar Aggressiveness Scale - Auto Geek Online Auto Detailing Forum
Would it be possible to get some kind of chart or something that shows how the various clay bars that Autogeek sells compare to one another as far as.

Save on Clay Bar Detailing Products 

Shop eBay for all of your clay bar detailing products and Save

Ebay is a great place to shop for just about anything, including clay bars. Compare prices and then bid with confidence.

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Clay Bar Detailing Poll 

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Auto Detailing DVD 

By Auto Detail Pro

This video is a great addition to your own personal car care library products with instructions on the proper way to detail every inch of your car.

It can also help you if you are thinking about opening your own auto detailing business.

Auto Detail Pro (3 Disk Set)

AUTO DETAIL PRO wants to show you how easily you can learn to give your vehicle that professionally detailed look at home.
Learn how to remove scratches, shampoo carpet, clean engine, clean leather, buff, learn about waxes, buff pads, and much more!

Have you ever thought about making money in the auto detail business?

This video will take you step-by-step through the detailing process, teaching the beginner the basics of detailing and giving the experienced detailer more tricks of the trade.

Included on this DVD are audio and video instructions, detailed text instructions, and even a sample-pricing guide. Whether the information is for your personal vehicle's benefit or you are thinking of starting yourown detailing business, this video will give you all the tricks of the trade.

The information in Auto Detail Pro is presented in a way to help any detailer increase in both speed and production. Saving both time and product use is important in getting the job done with a superior finish.

With over 2 hours of information you will be able to expand your knowledge and challenge yourself (212 minutes).

Over 20 years of gathered knowledge is presented to you in a clear organization of material that will touch on just some of the following topics:

1. Remove Scratches
2. Remove Stains
3. Buff (High Speed, Orbital)-learn about proper speed
4. Wet Sanding-procedures and grit to use
5. Use Clay Bar
6. Remove Tree Sap
7. Use Steel Wool-the many different uses
8. Clean different rim types including Hub Caps
9. Remove dried wax off black plastic
10. Clean and shine engine
11. Remove fine rust
12. Remove grime off paint without buffing
13. Remove scratches under door handle
14. Shine tires without a big mess down the road
15. Shine dull headlights
16. Shampoo carpet with or without water
17. Different uses for shampoo
18. Clean Leather
19. Clean Vinyl
20. The uses of solvent
21. Clean windows streak-free

MUCH MORE!

7 Presentations how to make money detailing
24 Tricks of the trade
Product guide for products used in detailing
Learn about different paint types
Learn about different waxes
Learn about different buff pads
Learn about the buffer (speed and how to use)

Plus over 20 PDF files on a 3rd disk
.Please note this is a Data Disk in DVD format. The disk will only play on a computer with a DVD-ROM.

System requirements:
Able to read PDF and Excel Files.

Some of the files included are:
Advertising Tips
Auto Detailing Guide
Auto Detail Check List
Business Startup Check List
Check off list for customers
How to start your own business
Individual Item Prices
Legal Protection and Insurance
Materials Needed for Detailing
Step by Step instructions for detailing
The escalator cost of detailing
Time Management and Scheduling
Tips for keeping finances straight
Tools Needed for Detailing
Website Creation
When to Say "No"

Plus!
A ready to use brochure to print and use immediately

Amazon Price: $24.95 (as of 11/15/2009) Buy Now

Clay Bar Detailing Reader Feedback 

Thanks for Visiting!

Talk about your own clay bar detailing experience or leave a few tips of your own!

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  • Reply
    Aug 18, 2008 @ 1:52 pm
    5* Are we still washing & polishing the car, or does this replace one or both? Where I live, we have water restrictions on home car washes.
  • Reply
    Matthew_Ferry Matthew_Ferry Jul 3, 2008 @ 8:16 pm
    Hi there..thanks for leaving a thought on my page and for the stars too...great stuff you have here..
  • Reply
    clouda9 clouda9 Jul 3, 2008 @ 1:12 am
    Congrats on Giant Squid...thrilled to be among this great mix of lensmasters! Psst...leave a 'contact me' on your lenses.
  • Reply
    alicesy alicesy Jun 27, 2008 @ 2:01 am
    Excellent Lens. I like the quality insight you have provided here about Clay Bar Detailing. Keep up the good work.

    Please check out my Police Jobs Blog.
  • Reply
    petergrizzly petergrizzly May 27, 2008 @ 5:03 am
    Very informative lens! I don't get this much info about clay bar detailing even from expert forums. :)

    A question though: do clay bars work the same way as polish? Do they strip the old layer of paint from your car?

    Anyway, nice lens. :)

    -Peter G
    Co-owner,
    Classic Cars for Sale
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by BooBooBear

We use a clay bar on our 1970 Chevy Chevelle for the safest and best shine.

 

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