What clay bar should I get?

[Desertnate]

What is your soapy water mixture? Car wash soap or dish soap? And how much?

I've clayed using both Poorboy's Super Slick with Suds and Optimum Car Wash mixed at their recommended ratios since I'm claying while I wash the car. Both soaps are very slick and easily handle the task of providing lubrication for a claybar.

Ok and soapy water mixture. I need to use car soap right? No dish shop?

Absolutely use a car wash soap and not a dish soap, but also make sure it's a car wash soap that provides good lubrication as not all of them do. I can't imagine a dish soap having very good lubricity, but I've also found they leave plastic trim and some rubber parts looking faded and dried out, not to mention it's often far harder to rinse off than a good car wash soap.

 

[FUNX650]

I like Griots Garage Paint Cleaning Clay;
and, a couple of Auto Magic’s Clays.


Bob

 

[Avgguy]

Maybe I missed something... I did read back over the thread.... but I wouldn't even consider going back to a clay bar after using the alternatives. I have the Nanoskin mitt and sponges. I use a QD for a lube. Also, you WILL drop a clay bar... then you have to toss it. Not with the alternatives. Time is also reduced significantly. To me the marring is a moot point, because it's a given that if you're claying you're going to be polishing anyway as part of a process to eventually seal or wax, right. Polishing removes the marring. Just my $.02.

 

[TTQ B4U]

Maybe I missed something... I did read back over the thread.... but I wouldn't even consider going back to a clay bar after using the alternatives. I have the Nanoskin mitt and sponges. I use a QD for a lube. Also, you WILL drop a clay bar... then you have to toss it. Not with the alternatives. Time is also reduced significantly. To me the marring is a moot point, because it's a given that if you're claying you're going to be polishing anyway as part of a process to eventually seal or wax, right. Polishing removes the marring. Just my $.02.

This. I also find a good nano sponge used with really soapy lubed up water after washing a and iron x leaves far less marring than clay. Just use a light amount of pressure and keep the Mitt and surface rinsed with soapy water and you'll be fine.

Sent from my Galaxy Note 8 using Tapatalk

 

[Eldorado2k]

Maybe I missed something... I did read back over the thread.... but I wouldn't even consider going back to a clay bar after using the alternatives. I have the Nanoskin mitt and sponges. I use a QD for a lube. Also, you WILL drop a clay bar... then you have to toss it. Not with the alternatives. Time is also reduced significantly. To me the marring is a moot point, because it's a given that if you're claying you're going to be polishing anyway as part of a process to eventually seal or wax, right. Polishing removes the marring. Just my $.02.

I love my clay towels and couldn’t see myself without them in my arsenal, but when it comes to the vehicles here at home 9 times out of 10 I reach for the claybar over the Nanoskin.

For 1, the claybar is less aggressive which means I can guarantee there’s not going to be any chance of marring.

2. There’s only going to be a small amount of contaminants I’m working to get off of the cars here at home, and I want to be able to inspect the amount as I’m decontaminating the paint. I can see it with clay, you never actually get to see it on a claymitt.

3. I’ve dropped a claybar while claying.. It’s happened more than once and the last time it happened it literally fell on the street and you best believe I picked it up and salvaged it and finished claying my paint. No problem. You just have to be surgical about picking everything out of it.

4. As far as mandatory polishing after claying? Pfft... Not me. Heck, the Kia outside is 4yrs. old and has been clayed no more than 4 times and I Still haven’t polished it yet! There’s no need to. The paint is still perfect + I’d rather preserve the clearcoat instead of unnecessarily diminishing it.

 

[Avgguy]

I love my clay towels and couldn’t see myself without them in my arsenal, but when it comes to the vehicles here at home 9 times out of 10 I reach for the claybar over the Nanoskin.

For 1, the claybar is less aggressive which means I can guarantee there’s not going to be any chance of marring.

2. There’s only going to be a small amount of contaminants I’m working to get off of the cars here at home, and I want to be able to inspect the amount as I’m decontaminating the paint. I can see it with clay, you never actually get to see it on a claymitt.

3. I’ve dropped a claybar while claying.. It’s happened more than once and the last time it happened it literally fell on the street and you best believe I picked it up and salvaged it and finished claying my paint. No problem. You just have to be surgical about picking everything out of it.

4. As far as mandatory polishing after claying? Pfft... Not me. Heck, the Kia outside is 4yrs. old and has been clayed no more than 4 times and I Still haven’t polished it yet! There’s no need to. The paint is still perfect + I’d rather preserve the clearcoat instead of unnecessarily diminishing it.

Different strokes for different folks. Business-wise I would never give a car back to a customer after claying without polishing... not sure I've ever done that with personal cars either.... if you can make it work, good deal ! As far as dropping a clay bar and surgically removing dirt.... I'm too scared and that's part of the reason I went to the alternatives.