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Written by guest contributor Darren Priest of Expert Mobile Car Detailing

A clay bar (surface preparation bar) is one part of a two step process of paint cleaning and protecting that is critical to the health and look of your cars paint.  Pollution is a part of reality that affects everything, including your cars paint. Car wax is used to not only enhance the look of your paint, but to protect your paint from the many harmful elements that exist in the world of car ownership.

Proper protection starts with proper cleaning and preparation of your cars paint surface.  Just as you would never try to apply a coat of stain or varnish to dirty wood, the same holds true with your cars paint.  The pollution, also commonly referred to as fall-out, must be removed first in order to do a proper job.

This fall-out can be seen as little rust specs on light colored car paint, and can always be felt as texture on your paint, as though there were hundreds of tiny little specs of dirt, attached to the surface of your paint.

This process of cleaning, or "claying" your paint prior to waxing will be ongoing maintenance. While traditionally it will not be necessary to use the clay bar before every application of wax, it will be an ongoing process as pollution is present everywhere, and at all times. Just as every city has varying levels of dirt and pollution in the air, so will each car have varying levels of this fall-out that will need to be removed as part of the overall paint maintenance program.

Clay Bar Review:

• Clay bars are good.
• Clay bars strip away surface contaminates, commonly referred to as "fall-out".
• Clay Bars will keep your paint smooth and clean prior to waxing.
• Clay bars need to be used periodically to keep your paint pollution free and smooth.

FAQ's

Q: What is a clay bar?

A: A clay bar is a surface preparation bar used prior to waxing.

Q: How do you use a clay bar?

A: A clay bar is used by rubbing back and forth over your paint until all contaminates have been removed.

Q: What does a clay bar look like?

A: The clay bar is like a small, palm sized brick of firm "Play-doh" or "silly Putty".

Q: What is the clay bar's purpose?

A: The clay bar is part of the cleaning process of correct paint maintenance.  It removes contaminates that are attached to your paint.

Q: What else do I need when I use a clay bar?

A: Some form of lubricant is required to keep the clay bar from sticking to the paint.  Most manufacturers of these surface preparation bars will have some form of clay lubricant.

Q: How can I detect bonded contaminants on my vehicle's paint?

A: These contaminants (which are usually referred to as pollution or fall-out), can be seen as tiny rust specs on light colored paint.  Fall-out can always be felt on any colored paint as a surface texture that feels as though there are tiny specs of dirt stuck to your paint.

Q: Why should I remove bonded contaminants or fall-out from my paint?

A: If you don't remove the fall-out, or pollution prior to waxing, you will officially be waxing right over the pollution embedded into your paint; this is not the recommended plan.

Q: How can I prevent fall-out from accumulating on my paint?

A: Your vehicle's paint will always get a certain amount of pollution, or "industrial fall-out" (really just a glorified and dramatized name for pollution).

Q: Won't regular washing and waxing remove fall-out from my paint?

A: No, normal washing and waxing will not remove fall-out.

Q: Can I use a buffer to remove fall-out?

A: No; this is not recommended.

Q: How does the clay bar actually rid my paint's surface of bonded contaminants?

A: By using the clay bar, you are literally shearing away and pulling out contaminants and pollution attached to the surface of your paint.

Q: What happens if I don't remove these bonded contaminants?

A: Fall-out will continue to embed into your paint further and further the longer it is allowed to remain.

Q: Some clay bar manufacturers say their product won't scratch my paint.  Is this true?

A: Despite what manufacturers of clay bars will tell you, the clay bar will scratch, but this really depends on your interpretation of scratching.  Your paint is scratched every time you wash it, dry it, clay bar it, polish it and wax it.  However, we generally only become concerned when the scratches are visible.

Q: Isn't it better to leave the pollution on my paint instead of scratching it?

A: Sometimes in life we must simply choose between the lesser of evils; in this case scratches or pollution. You either live with the pollution that will continually become part of your paint, or to do some micro-scratching by using the clay bar to remove the pollution.  Professional car detailers are unanimous in this area and agree that use of the clay bar is acceptable and the trade off is truly minimal.

Q: What do I do with the micro-scratches that the clay leaves?

A: One purpose of wax is to fill in ultra fine scratches, imperfections, and scuffs, just the kind that is possible with use of clay bars.

Q: I want to remove bonded contaminants and not scratch my paint at all.  How do I do this?

A: We need to remember to always stay realistic, and this area is no exception. The surface of your paint is made up of tens of thousands of ultra fine scratches. Try not to have unrealistic expectations for your paint to the point where you think you are actually making the better choice, and that is to do nothing.  Because I can promise you that doing nothing will absolutely guarantee you unacceptable results long term.

Darren Priest
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