M
Mike Phillips
Guest
Review: Speed Master Clay Towel and Clay Mitt
Speed Master Clay Mitt and Clay Towel
What it is?
A polymerized rubber interface with a pulverized abrasive powder embodied in the rubber surface.
What does it do?
When rubbed over a smooth surface, the rubber surface abrades off above surface bonded contaminants to restore a smooth surface without removing paint.
When to use it?
Anytime you feel your car's paint or other smooth surfaces and you feel bonded contaminants that shouldn't be there. Anytime your car's paint does not pass the baggie test. Use a clay towel before any hand or machine compounding, polishing or waxing steps.
Why to use it?
To restore a smooth surface, which is the foundation for a glossy surface. Removing bonded contaminants ensure they are not removed during any compounding or polishing step where they could be ground into the paint causing marring. Using a clay towel or mitt also enable your choice of car wax, synthetic paint sealant or ceramic coating to bond better to the paint simply by removing any contaminants that hinder a proper bond to the paint surface.
Unique Benefits
Compared to car detailing clay, which is a polybutene plastic with a pulverized abrasive powder in it, if you drop the Speed Master Clay Towel or Clay Mitt onto the ground, you can wash it off and continue to use it. The reason why is because dirt and other abrasive particles cannot blend or embed into the polymerized rubber interface like they can with detailing clay. If you drop detailing clay, because it is malleable, dirt and abrasive particles and will embed into the clay and cannot be easily washed out or removed, thus you risk inflicting swirls and scratches into paintwork if used.
With traditional detailing clay, (polybutene plastic with a pulverized abrasive powder in it), as you use it, the contaminants you remove build-up IN the plastic clay and at some point the clay will become so contaminated you must throw it away. Detailing clay has a much more limited lifespan for usage. With the Speed Master Clay Towel or Clay Mitt, because removed contaminants do NOT embed into the polymerized rubber surface, you can get dramatically more use out of it. Simply wash the contaminants off the surface and continue to use.
While you can use detailing clay during the wash process, the normal method people use is after washing and rinsing the car, they dip their clay patty into their wash bucket to get some car wash soap onto it for lubrication. The problem with this is after washing a car, and repeatedly dipping your wash mitt back into your wash bucket, there will be dirt and abrasive particles IN the soapy wash solution and if any of these particles get onto your detailing clay you risk inflicting swirls and scratches into your car's paint. So can it be done? Yes. Is it safe? It's risky because the dirt particles can embed INTO the clay.
With a clay mitt or towel, there is a lot less chance of any scratching because dirt particles in your wash solution won't embed into the rubber surface. And if you really want to work clean, you can use a foam gun, a foam cannon or mix up some fresh wash solution.
Let's take a closer look....
The Speed Master Clay Towel and Clay Mitt have 2 different surfaces on each side.
This is the polymerized rubber surface that contains the pulverized abrasive powder, which is the secret to how the mitt and towel can remove contaminants that have formed a bond to your car's paint. The polymerized rubber can feel sticky, that's the characteristic of this type of surface but the stickiness of the rubber not pull contaminants off the paint, the pulverized abrasive powder IN the rubber safely abrades the contaminants off the paint.
The other side of the mitt is a flat weave microfiber surface that can be used to wash the car before using the polymerized rubber side to remove contaminants.
The tight, weave is beneficial is there's less likely a chance for dirt or other foreign contaminants to bury into the cloth and thus avoid scratching the paint when washing a car.
There is also a loop of material so after use and after rinsing the mitt you can hang it up to dry.
The Clay Towel is constructed the same way only it's larger than the mitt.
It too has a loop at one corner so after using it and then rinsing it off you can hang it to drip dry and air dry.
Mike's Pro Detailing Tip
To get the most use out of the Speed Master Clay Towel, take a Sharpie Marker and draw 4 quadrants and in each quadrant write down the numbers, 1, 2, 3, 4.
When you use the towel, you DON'T lay the towel out flat and place your hand on it.
Don't do this...
Do this...
Fold the towel 4-ways and the grasp the folded towel with your thumb near an edge on one side and your four fingers on the other side.
Sometimes the little things are the big things...
Think about it - if you don't mark the back of the clay towel, you have no idea which quadrant or section you're using. By simply marking the back side, you can track and monitor which section of the towel you've used. At some point, these towels do wear out. Everything wears out including you and I. Marking the back enables you to know and monitor which side you've used up.
Step-by-Step Directions
Using the Speed Master Clay Towel or Clay Mitt after washing and rinsing your car
Step 1: First wash and THOROUGLY rinse your car to remove all loose dirt.
Step 2 - After fully rinsing the car, wet the clay mitt and/or clay towel in a fresh bucket of car wash soap solution.
Step 3: IF the towel or mitt is brand new, break it in by rubbing the polymer rubber surface over clean glass.
Use car wash soap solution or car wash foam to lubricate the glass. Rubbing the new mitt or towel ensures a smoother surface after manufacturing and handling.
For a brand new towel, you want to break-in the entire surface, so for this step you can leave the towel folded flat.
But when using the towel to decontaminate - fold 4-ways like you see in the picture below.
Step 4: Re-foam the car with a thick layer of soap suds to lubricate the surface or use the soapy car wash solution as your lubricant.
Use a back and forth movement when rubbing the towel or the mitt over the paint. Pay attention as you can normally FEEL the contaminants peel away as you rub. When you no longer feel any contaminants and the towel, or the mitt begins to glide effortlessly, this is a sign this section of paint is now clean and free from any bonded contaminants and you can move onto a new section of paint or rinse that area.
After rinsing the section you just de-contaminated, move onto a new section of the car and repeat.
Step 5: After decontaminating the entire car, give the car a final rinse and then dry using your favorite drying chamois.
Speed Master Clay Mitt and Clay Towel
What it is?
A polymerized rubber interface with a pulverized abrasive powder embodied in the rubber surface.
What does it do?
When rubbed over a smooth surface, the rubber surface abrades off above surface bonded contaminants to restore a smooth surface without removing paint.
When to use it?
Anytime you feel your car's paint or other smooth surfaces and you feel bonded contaminants that shouldn't be there. Anytime your car's paint does not pass the baggie test. Use a clay towel before any hand or machine compounding, polishing or waxing steps.
Why to use it?
To restore a smooth surface, which is the foundation for a glossy surface. Removing bonded contaminants ensure they are not removed during any compounding or polishing step where they could be ground into the paint causing marring. Using a clay towel or mitt also enable your choice of car wax, synthetic paint sealant or ceramic coating to bond better to the paint simply by removing any contaminants that hinder a proper bond to the paint surface.
Unique Benefits
Compared to car detailing clay, which is a polybutene plastic with a pulverized abrasive powder in it, if you drop the Speed Master Clay Towel or Clay Mitt onto the ground, you can wash it off and continue to use it. The reason why is because dirt and other abrasive particles cannot blend or embed into the polymerized rubber interface like they can with detailing clay. If you drop detailing clay, because it is malleable, dirt and abrasive particles and will embed into the clay and cannot be easily washed out or removed, thus you risk inflicting swirls and scratches into paintwork if used.
With traditional detailing clay, (polybutene plastic with a pulverized abrasive powder in it), as you use it, the contaminants you remove build-up IN the plastic clay and at some point the clay will become so contaminated you must throw it away. Detailing clay has a much more limited lifespan for usage. With the Speed Master Clay Towel or Clay Mitt, because removed contaminants do NOT embed into the polymerized rubber surface, you can get dramatically more use out of it. Simply wash the contaminants off the surface and continue to use.
While you can use detailing clay during the wash process, the normal method people use is after washing and rinsing the car, they dip their clay patty into their wash bucket to get some car wash soap onto it for lubrication. The problem with this is after washing a car, and repeatedly dipping your wash mitt back into your wash bucket, there will be dirt and abrasive particles IN the soapy wash solution and if any of these particles get onto your detailing clay you risk inflicting swirls and scratches into your car's paint. So can it be done? Yes. Is it safe? It's risky because the dirt particles can embed INTO the clay.
With a clay mitt or towel, there is a lot less chance of any scratching because dirt particles in your wash solution won't embed into the rubber surface. And if you really want to work clean, you can use a foam gun, a foam cannon or mix up some fresh wash solution.
Let's take a closer look....
The Speed Master Clay Towel and Clay Mitt have 2 different surfaces on each side.
This is the polymerized rubber surface that contains the pulverized abrasive powder, which is the secret to how the mitt and towel can remove contaminants that have formed a bond to your car's paint. The polymerized rubber can feel sticky, that's the characteristic of this type of surface but the stickiness of the rubber not pull contaminants off the paint, the pulverized abrasive powder IN the rubber safely abrades the contaminants off the paint.
The other side of the mitt is a flat weave microfiber surface that can be used to wash the car before using the polymerized rubber side to remove contaminants.
The tight, weave is beneficial is there's less likely a chance for dirt or other foreign contaminants to bury into the cloth and thus avoid scratching the paint when washing a car.
There is also a loop of material so after use and after rinsing the mitt you can hang it up to dry.
The Clay Towel is constructed the same way only it's larger than the mitt.
It too has a loop at one corner so after using it and then rinsing it off you can hang it to drip dry and air dry.
Mike's Pro Detailing Tip
To get the most use out of the Speed Master Clay Towel, take a Sharpie Marker and draw 4 quadrants and in each quadrant write down the numbers, 1, 2, 3, 4.
When you use the towel, you DON'T lay the towel out flat and place your hand on it.
Don't do this...
Do this...
Fold the towel 4-ways and the grasp the folded towel with your thumb near an edge on one side and your four fingers on the other side.
Sometimes the little things are the big things...
Think about it - if you don't mark the back of the clay towel, you have no idea which quadrant or section you're using. By simply marking the back side, you can track and monitor which section of the towel you've used. At some point, these towels do wear out. Everything wears out including you and I. Marking the back enables you to know and monitor which side you've used up.
Step-by-Step Directions
Using the Speed Master Clay Towel or Clay Mitt after washing and rinsing your car
Step 1: First wash and THOROUGLY rinse your car to remove all loose dirt.
Step 2 - After fully rinsing the car, wet the clay mitt and/or clay towel in a fresh bucket of car wash soap solution.
Step 3: IF the towel or mitt is brand new, break it in by rubbing the polymer rubber surface over clean glass.
Use car wash soap solution or car wash foam to lubricate the glass. Rubbing the new mitt or towel ensures a smoother surface after manufacturing and handling.
For a brand new towel, you want to break-in the entire surface, so for this step you can leave the towel folded flat.
But when using the towel to decontaminate - fold 4-ways like you see in the picture below.
Step 4: Re-foam the car with a thick layer of soap suds to lubricate the surface or use the soapy car wash solution as your lubricant.
Use a back and forth movement when rubbing the towel or the mitt over the paint. Pay attention as you can normally FEEL the contaminants peel away as you rub. When you no longer feel any contaminants and the towel, or the mitt begins to glide effortlessly, this is a sign this section of paint is now clean and free from any bonded contaminants and you can move onto a new section of paint or rinse that area.
After rinsing the section you just de-contaminated, move onto a new section of the car and repeat.
Step 5: After decontaminating the entire car, give the car a final rinse and then dry using your favorite drying chamois.
