I’ve found having a bucket of hot water with some lubricant additive helps the claying process. The heat softens the clay meaning you can fold it over quicker, especially in winter when it tends to be naturally a lot stiffer. Having the bucket there also means you can give the used face of the clay a quick wipe under the surface of the water to get rid of some of the contamination, helping you extend the life of your clay.
I use plumbers mate putty with tonnes of soapey water, did a grand job. To anyone skeptical of claying, try it out first. Its INCREDIBLE how much crap came off
Finally got round to claying my car today with a dedicated lube spray what a differance! The smoothness of the paint is magic, can really feel the difference befor and after! Cheers for the tips. Please keep the videos coming. Cheers
Better use first the chemical decon follow up with mechanical decon (if needed), in that manner, the contaminants will be less when claying the car. You may have fewer scratches or none at all..
Someone should make this clear for the noobs like me. Spent an hour trashing my paint with a claybar (since it was never decontaminated before folding the clay every 3 seconds wasn't enough) and then the rest of the weekend getting the marring out....
One week ago, I did the lite polishing to remove some lite scratches. Today, I got a new clay bar that feels like a new toy and starts trying to clay. Then my surface has many scratches again as if the previous polishing is useless. Despite the clay, it was very smooth, without any grating noises.
I clay as little as possible, once a year when I do the year enhancement at most. I found a good combo this year with my clay mitt and a bucket of Garage Therapy Zero as the lube. The paint was totally clean and ready for the polish stage after.
This is an informative video on claying. And yes, I think you should use a dedicated clay lube spray. I tried water alone and it just created more issues to correct. The dedicated lube adds to the whole process. Strictly my experience. Most enthusiasts tend to shorten this step, but once a year is probably often enough for this process.
I get the point that claying should be followed by polishing in order to avoid scratching from the bonded contaminants sticking to the pad when machine polishing. Have to ask which of the following options you would prefer: 1) Using a mild grade clay for a longer time (more swipes) to get the desired result, or 2) Using a medium grade one for a shorter time (fewer swipes) ? Would intuitively think a milder clay would be better due to risk of less marring from the clay itself, but am unsure. Or is it mainly the level contamination of the clearcoat that should determine whether to use a mild vs. medium grade clay bar?
basicalyl if its like 2-3 years old.. or well maintained a fine clay is good. old crappy dirty cars then agressive clay.. I tend to have a quick feel behind the front wheels on the panels down low there.. if its all bumpy and rough then agressive clay.
I find a brown/dirty scum that comes off after even using a fallout remover and tar remover, Would the megs wash plus cause marring if it was used after i've washed the car properly first rather than using it straight away? Thinking about it as part of my decontamination steps if it may be of use
Thank you for your information on claying. I thought I was doing it wrong when I noticed swirl marks on paint so I had stopped altogether. I'll treat my claying and buffing steps as one now.
brought first built hamber clay bar yesterday. Great difference in surface of the car. is they any way of cleaning the clay or just dump it after a few times use? Great channel. 👍
Jon a quick one on clay bar process - if a car or motorcycle is under cover for winter can that vehicle be clayed then return to polish at a later date?? Removing contamination then polishing say a week later wouldn’t effect the process or the current paintwork?? Also if that vehicle doesn’t have a clear coat is it still recommended to clay bar? Thanks
Ash, so if you clay it then cover it up. Its not going to get any contamination on the paint.. so you could then just take the cover off later on and wash and and dry and polish it sure. If its single stage it does still get contamination yes.
Just clayed for the first time yesterday. It's surprisingly easy. Claying after using Autoglym liquid clay, there was only a bit of contamination left so marring wasn't so bad. I skipped polish and used a paste wax and this filled in 90% of light marring. Black bmw.
God a English man ... I been looking to clay bar my mokka it's been waxed every week for years and it's time to give it a fresh start but every time I look it's the Americans get in but I don't live in America So your videos are brilliant 👏
If dragging the clay causes scratches, how about making a thin sausage of clay and rolling it back and forth? You'd use the clay much more efficiently too. Tar remover, fallout remover and a good wash first. Then roll with clay? What do you think?
Hi Jon, Thanks for another great video. What is the next stage after decontaminating your vehicles paint, now that the paint is clean and unprotected? You did reply to my previous message and recommend a M or G 8 Ceramic product, but I can't find the product in the UK?
so after the decon is polishing mate. hae a watch here washing th-cam.com/video/AUytWaLtOOo/w-d-xo.html decon th-cam.com/video/9B9Cn-GeJqw/w-d-xo.html polishing th-cam.com/video/MI_m2rO-OpM/w-d-xo.html products th-cam.com/video/I7q5E8Kz-CY/w-d-xo.html
I’ve always had good luck using a snow foam as a clay lube in a slightly modified use of Larry from AMMO NYC’s method. Snow foam a panel. Clay. Rinse and dry with AMMO Hydrate.
Thanx for all the videos - really enjoy the channel! I use my old Gilmour Foam Gun w/ my normal car wash shampoo and then lube up each panel one at a time. I use a Nanoskin AUTOSCRUB Fine Grade Wash Mitt! I can get around the car (including glass) in less than 5 mins and there is less marring than using a fine - med clay bar! After each panel I use the Foam Gun to flush off the Nanoskin Autoscrub Mitt!
What do you recommend for a piano black finish, I have a front air dam, not painted just shiny black plastic, but there is contaminants on the surface??
May be a silly question but is clay barring the new “T-cutting” we used to do back in the day. It sounds like it. Or can T-cut be used to correct the marring created by clay barring. Great vids by the way 👍
yes clay mar marring is normally best just polishied out on a DA with soft pad and finishing polish TC is sort of absolete now used to be awesome back in the pre clearcoat days. the formlation has changed to cater for clearcoat now but proper abrasives for machine polishers is the way to go (koch menzerna scholl 3m rupes etc )
As your average Joe (literally) I often give my car a polish with AF tripple and top with Dodo Juice PH, I don’t machine polish but will get into it eventually when I have a garage etc. I understand the claying process, but how noticeable are the benefits? Does it help the level of gloss? Or is it more just the feeling of the paint.
Hi john. Love all your videos. Thank you. I need your professional advice on the following. My car has been ceramic coated for more than a year now and by negligence I rinse my car with regular tap water and drove away in hot summer sun without drying it off. Now hard-water water spots are everywhere on my car hood and top. How can I remove them without hurting the ceramic coating or the paint?
I know this is a very late response but if it happens again, try just rewashing your car and then towel dry it right away with a microfiber towel. If that doesn't take all the water/mineral marks off, you can clay bar to spots still left. Cheers :)
Hello mate quick question I bought a second hand car and had a stage one paint correction done on it to get rid of swirl marks. After the correction the car was very slick but I could still hear the contaminants on the paint when rubbing my hand on it. Just wanted to get your opinion Should I clay my car to remove the contaminants because it seems like it's never been done. If so will this ruin the paint correction or can I just hand polish later to remove the light scratches from clay?
So for a vehicle like a 2007 vehicle with no oxidation am I good using a light duty clay bar. I have a heavy duty clay bar too but that would seem better with my older vehicle used to have because it had more of the oxidation on it after I painted it plus it was a 2006 Dodge Dakota. I still won't use it on my newer truck though rather use a polisher on it but haven't used a polisher on it either just used showcar wax.
Agreed....but a major pain in the ass for us old guys.i,m a retired electrician ...wrists and fingers aint what they were....and then the DA....Blew out my wrist just pressure washing our jeep and Ram...not looking forward to the pre winter mntnce.😭
I have the ONR with Carnauba Wax in it, or Wolfgang pink waterless concentrate that I hear can also be used as clay lube. My only concern is: these are going to leave waxes and sealants on the paint, which I don’t want as I am preparing the paint for a different product, which I would like to adhere to the bare paint for maximum protection. Does it really matter? Should I use a pre spray to strip any sealants after that or can I simply use soapy shampoo water? I want the best possible way of doing it to prevent scratches… thanks for the video!!!, hope you can answer my questions.
Thank you Sir, for the tutorial! Put my clay day on hold until I can get a good buffer and learn more from y'all! Trying to get my spouses Camry sorted.
My 1996, 22 year-old Volvo Wagon (red) has lost its topcoat. If it means anything, it has always been garaged. Should I clay the car or just go for Simonize? Also, I have learned that some people use Plumber's Putty (with lubricant, of course) instead of a designated clay bar. What are your thoughts and advice on these two questions? Thank you.
hello friend. automotive clay bar contains micro abrasives of various sizes mixed in with a flexible buytl putty. Plumbers mate is just putty minus the purpose built abrasives. Theres a lot of tales out there about using like dish soap, peanut butter, plumbers mate etc.. Just use the proper tools for the job or your results will go south very very quickly my friend just trust me on that. Bilt Hamber clay bar is what you need (go for the white one). the thing I dont know about your Volvo, is does it have clearcoat (clear laquer top coat) or single stage. Its right at that age where it could be either. If you have Clear laquer top coat and that failed you get like patched of like snake skin effect where you see the clearcoat peeling away and falling off the car. If its single stage paint with no top coat (laquer) the paintwork may have gone like lighter and dull and feels rought and matt like. If its the latter scenario your in luck. A damn good machine polish can work wonders to faded red single stage paint. Bad news is you will need a machine polisher my friend. So question 1 do you have clearcoat or not.. then that leads you to next step.. here is video of single stage paint restoration. th-cam.com/video/O81FbQC1xLE/w-d-xo.html
Check Bilt Hamber's range of products, they explain that you should use soft during winter or if your point is in good condition or regular if its summer or if your paint isn't in great condition.
I don’t bother using a clay bar anymore on my van from my own experience and testing I just use some rupes uhs and the rupes polisher I remove the tar and use some ion remover first.
Hi. I'm new to weekend washing and coming up to clay barring for the first time. I've seen different grades of clay. Light, medium & heavy. Would I gauge the grade of clay needed on the current condition of my paint work after a wash? Keep up the great work man. Love watching your videos.
@@ForensicDetailing Hi Jon. Didnt expect such a quick answer. I keep mine in a tupper ware container but with window cleaner. I will keep it just as it is from now on. Thanks a lot. Take care
I'd be afraid any chemical stored with the clay would cause the clay to break down. It's also the reason to not use soaps as a clay lube with real clay (not the sponges, towels, disks, etc). I store mine in containers with lids dry. Stays for years. Kneed it, put it in your pocket or in the sun to warm it up and make it easier to mold before use. While I'm washing the car and know I will be claying I put the container in the sun to warm up. By the time I'm ready to use it, it's soft and moldable.
@@Big_Old_Dog Good advice and thanks a lot for your response bro. I soon will be buying chemical guys clay lube. I am trying to gather some more info then to put it in practice in October as soon as I get home.
@@alexisamtosta CG's clay lube is excellent. I buy it by the gallon. Works as well as Griots Speed Shine QD at a lower price. Use a lot of it while your claying. Flood the area and also spray your clay. You can't use too much lube but you can use too little, imho. Stick to name brand clays from Meguiars, CG, Mothers, Griots, Clay Magic, etc. Break a small piece off the bar and flatten it into a pancake. Use a back and forth motion with very light pressure. I use my fingertips. After every 2x2 section inspect the clay. If it's dirty, knead it. If it's still clean, spray it down with the lube and still clean it. If you can't knead it enough to get a clean face, throw it away and get a new piece. When the area you're working on feels as smooth as glass, move on to the next section. This will help prevent maring and give you great results.
Actually John, clay towels, sponges and disks can't be used on hot panels in the sun. If you do, they will start leaving streaks of black rubber material on the panel and it's hard to remove. I am guessing if you are working on a light colored vehicle, you can probably get away with it because they don't get as hot. But on dark blue or black, it's a nightmare to use. Ask me how I know ;)
Calendyr I just clay barred a vehicle for the first time. It’s a black truck. I have pretty bad, black streaks all over the truck. Didn’t do it on hot surface, was in the shade, truck was super clean, etc. followed directions to a T. It sounds like you had a steak problem. How did you fix it? Thanks!
@@SirSwish32 If you used a clay alternative (sponge, towel and so on), a solvant might be able to remove the residue from the surface. You can use acetone, lacquer thinner, solvant based tar removers and the like. They all should be able to liquify the rubbery substance that they use to make those pads.
Iv just got a dark silver 4 year old car the garage has polished it I was going to use iron remover on the paint would you guys just use compound onit I want to use turtle wax hybrid solutions polish and wax on it then use the turtle wax hybrid solutions ceramic spray after a day or so what do you guys suggest I do
Earlier I left a comment with two time stamps that gave the direct answers to the title's questions. I would like to apologize for that to the video's owner. It was not my intention to offend in any way. I watched the whole video. I was in the middle of my project trying to clay bar and needed my answers quickly and was thinking about people doing the same thing. Apologies again. The video is well done and informative.
dont apolagise :) I know where your coming from and the timestamps were put there with gr8 intentions. with tutorials ive quickly searched for something on YT and like been screaming get on with it. But like when you make content, most channels chat and talk and fire up the camera do jokes etc.. its part of the fun of making content as well, without doing so making videos would be really dull and its that engagement from viewers that allows us to have channels. without the engagement there is no channel. so I was just trying to tell you about why putting those shortcuts in can be counter productive. thanks mate I can tell you are a top guy.
@@ForensicDetailing Yeah. It wasn't my intention to offend. Your video was well done. Sometimes there have been channels that put timestamps in the description to give a direct response and they say, " go to the timestamps for a direct answer... Watch the whole video for a more in depth response". But, I shouldn't have overstepped. Thanks for informative content and keep up the good work. I did clay bar my car and will probably use compound to help with scratches etc. Stay safe my friend and health to you and your family.
megs clay is a bit on the expensive side. I think they were the only brand that tried to sell you a 50g bar of clay for 11 quid in the UK. Its bigger now but still expensive.
Hey John and thank you! I just bought a clay mitt, with those little rubbery checker patterns that you showed in the video. Should you toss the mitt in the trash sooner since it cannot be folded like a traditional claybar? Will it be unusable sooner, all thing being equal?
I have seen from other pro videos stating that the clay mitt last way longer than a clay bar. You simply rinse and keep using, and if you drop on the floor, no problem, just wash or rinse the dirt and keep using it. Some say to last up to 20 cars however, some people claim to leave more marring on the paint than a regular clay bar. I have only used clay bars, thinking about trying the clay towel, some use it while washing the car. Scott from Dallas Paint Correction and Auto Detailing (I think that’s the name of his business on youtube channel) uses an Armor All foam spray wash as lube, says that is cheap and does the job.
Great video mate, The BILT hamber clay bar claims that it only needs water for lubrication, is this ok? Or would you recommend using a detail spray instead
If your going to ceramic coat your vehicle,they usually say, Clay your vehicle beforehand. Since the ceramic coating won’t adhere to wax. After claying do you ceramic coat over the surface without any polishing?
I was told by a guy at my local car wash that if sprayed some diesel (mixed with kerosene or just plain diesel ) and left it on for a couple of hours in the bright sun and wash wiped it off later, it would help too. Is that right? Would that not dull the paint? Kindly bear with the NON CLAY BAR comment/Question
Nice video mate. I clayed my whole car yesterday, just used water and thought it worked really well. I just had clay bar in one hand and garden hose in other, plenty of water and it glides very nicely. Do you still use the bar or are you transitioning over to the mitt/towel? I know those in America seem to like the towels a lot but then I think they are a lot cheaper than we can get them.
Heeeeeelp, im planning on claying before I polish ( machine) and ive no rinse, do I need to wash it after claying as no rinse seems like a wax, if so what works best to remove quick detailer, I bought a newish car in Jan and just wanted to get some protection on it ( my street is filthy) ive ultimate polish n compound plenty of pads etc but the paints ok a light compound will do, hope ive made sense, thanks for any- all advice..
hey lee so clean the car well. dry it off. clay is with bilt hamber fine clay and a bucket of clean soapy water as clay lube or put some car soap (pure shampoo only) in a sprayer with some hot water.. and use the soapy water as lube.. only put about 10-20 ml of soap to 1000ml of water in the spray.. clay car. use loads of the soapy lube. dont use detai spray. when finished claying rinse the car orr and dry it. then polish. if you have more than a day then use UC first then UF to get awesome results. other use one of the other. UC will give more cut to remove swirls. UF will remove less defects but gloss the car up more and remove clay marring (its easier to buff off as well).
I'm a complete amateur but a keen on learning best methods to clean my pride and joy (BLACK Audi) Brother in Law recommends mid range clay bar and quality lubricant (AutoGlym Detailer spray)...Ok before I start what are your thoughts on alternatives such as putty which I notice contains linseed oil, is this a good idea or complete NoNo?
hi there friend. Blue tac or putty dont contain abrasives its just gonna maybe pull some crud into it and scratch up the paintwork and also leave horrible residues. Use bilt Hamber Mild Clay (the white one) or in2detailing medium clay. These both the 2 cheapest on the market but they are superb the BH clay is hard to work but more abrasives.
First time claying and i fucked up bonet full of scratches ... i washed the car, i lubricated the spots that i was working every 5 seconds with water and car shampoo mixture ... one thing im suspicious is i maybe added to much pressure while claying
plummer putty is a butyl putty designed to seal pipes.. automotive clay bar is a butyl putty mixed with abrasives.. so theres something missing from the plumbers putty thats rather important.
I have been looking into this seriously having Clayed once before. In your opinion what does clay remove compared to tar and glue remover and fallout remover kind regards.
I dont understand the question jake.. TandG disolves tar.. fallout shirnks iron particles. but clay removes vritually all the contamination out the paint..
Just as an add on I know you said claying is likely to scratch a car I’m just wondering with a softer clay and full decontamination would it not scratch paint
@ForensicDetailing perfect, best have a look then. I've used plain water as BH suggest when doing the big 'summer' details but end up with marring everywhere... which doesn't bother me as polishing always follows but would be nice to minimise it.
@@ForensicDetailing Thank you John! Tomorrow I'll start claying and then polish my E46, all the basics learned from your videos. Keep going, I enjoy every single one of them!
Always love your videos. My ‘deep’ clean routine I undertake every 4-6 months and includes washing, claying, polishing, sealant and then a glossy wax... most stages I have used your tips to get great results! Thanks!
with ONR no you can just wipe off. it does depend on the clay lube.. some detail sprays lay down durable materials which bond and are not great clay lubes.. if you finish claying and the car is covered in loads of clay lube residue.. just get a clay bucket of water and a clean mitt and sort of clean it off and dry would be my advice.
Great video! Very informative. My go to clay is bilt hamber Clay as you only need water as a lubricant. Personally I put shampoo in the bottle so the shampoo helps the clay bar glide over the paint.
Yeah Bilt hamber are the best and bang for buck. You get a great amount of clay compared to other brands for the price. I think I'll start using water mixed with auto wash as lubrication.
9:13 - I tried getting my clay lube into a squirter but she was furious! What do you think of these "not-clay" pucks that are out there? They feel like they're an awful lot less harsh than traditional clay.
yes kyle I have a video coming on this... the clay blocks work, theres mild and more agressive variants. but they seem to take more passes to strip the contmination.. but you can use them more times.. some people favour them. I think I prefer clay.
Hi John, loving the videos...lots of great advice. Looking for a bit of help....Clayed my black 2017 BMW 335d with Bilt Hamber clay but has left minor light scratches on parts of the panels. Have tried to DA machine out using Menzerna heavy compound 1000 but struggling to get the scratches completely away...can you recommend any compounds that work well? Thanks in advance.
Koch H9 on flex purple mate Stuart. Then finish the paint out with Koch M3 on Flex orange pads. however you could just keep going with Menz. It sounds like you put deep scratches in the paint just needs more compounding to get it out mate.
I’ve found having a bucket of hot water with some lubricant additive helps the claying process. The heat softens the clay meaning you can fold it over quicker, especially in winter when it tends to be naturally a lot stiffer. Having the bucket there also means you can give the used face of the clay a quick wipe under the surface of the water to get rid of some of the contamination, helping you extend the life of your clay.
What lubricant additives are u using
@@Anoymus985 Some soap should work
@@adg1355 what soap you using 🤔😮
@@jaykyle5558 some dish soap
That's a good idea I am going to try that 👍
Never go in dry, never!
@Pedro But it does make sense not to go in dry when it comes to a car.
@Pedro No need for that language now is there. Besides, what's perverted about it?
😂😂 had a good laugh! @pedro - get a life man...
Good tip, and also don’t clay bar without lubricant !
LMAO life advice.
I love how prepared he is with his notes
I use plumbers mate putty with tonnes of soapey water, did a grand job. To anyone skeptical of claying, try it out first. Its INCREDIBLE how much crap came off
Thanks
thank you so much for this, sorry for slow reponse I didnt see the notification you have big heart.
At last! someone who just says it as it is , no bullshit just simple information on how to and what to use,top man!
Finally got round to claying my car today with a dedicated lube spray what a differance!
The smoothness of the paint is magic, can really feel the difference befor and after! Cheers for the tips. Please keep the videos coming.
Cheers
I always find it’s the flat surfaces which really benefit from claying. Bonnet. Roof. Saloon Boot.
Really like the real life approach you took to give details and explaining things bud just felt like a mate helping me out 👌🏽
I use Bilt Hamber soft with distilled water on my F430 and I've never had any issues, works brilliantly
Great product and super supple
Claying the glass is also very beneficial.
I clayed the inside of my rear window and the whole clay bar was used for it. Insane how dirty it was.
xq39 did you lube the glass with anything in particular?
@@renewarda1593 Hi. First I pressure rinsed, then clayed, then washed, then waxed. I used the same bucket 3/4 full of water mixed with car wash soap.
ABDULLAH_FARD M. Cheers mate
Thanks!
boom you legend john. thats the thrid time Ive received one of those. thank you so much for your kindness much love to you.
Always find your content therapeutic. Where would we be without you.
As always, keep it up🚘❤
When you clay bar a car, does it remove the clear coat aswell? Will the car not be subjective to rusting in the long run?
Better use first the chemical decon follow up with mechanical decon (if needed), in that manner, the contaminants will be less when claying the car. You may have fewer scratches or none at all..
Someone should make this clear for the noobs like me. Spent an hour trashing my paint with a claybar (since it was never decontaminated before folding the clay every 3 seconds wasn't enough) and then the rest of the weekend getting the marring out....
One week ago, I did the lite polishing to remove some lite scratches. Today, I got a new clay bar that feels like a new toy and starts trying to clay. Then my surface has many scratches again as if the previous polishing is useless. Despite the clay, it was very smooth, without any grating noises.
I clay as little as possible, once a year when I do the year enhancement at most. I found a good combo this year with my clay mitt and a bucket of Garage Therapy Zero as the lube. The paint was totally clean and ready for the polish stage after.
Can I use a clay bar if I have a wax or sealant and ceramic coating or will it remove it?
This is an informative video on claying. And yes, I think you should use a dedicated clay lube spray. I tried water alone and it just created more issues to correct. The dedicated lube adds to the whole process. Strictly my experience. Most enthusiasts tend to shorten this step, but once a year is probably often enough for this process.
I prefer a clay lube as well. I think ONR is a good choice.
Very good that you are addressing how to use a clay bar. I see a lot misconceptions about claying.
I get the point that claying should be followed by polishing in order to avoid scratching from the bonded contaminants sticking to the pad when machine polishing. Have to ask which of the following options you would prefer:
1) Using a mild grade clay for a longer time (more swipes) to get the desired result, or
2) Using a medium grade one for a shorter time (fewer swipes) ?
Would intuitively think a milder clay would be better due to risk of less marring from the clay itself, but am unsure. Or is it mainly the level contamination of the clearcoat that should determine whether to use a mild vs. medium grade clay bar?
basicalyl if its like 2-3 years old.. or well maintained a fine clay is good. old crappy dirty cars then agressive clay.. I tend to have a quick feel behind the front wheels on the panels down low there.. if its all bumpy and rough then agressive clay.
Thanks John, appreciate you taking the time to respond even though it's been quite a few months since the video was released.
I find a brown/dirty scum that comes off after even using a fallout remover and tar remover, Would the megs wash plus cause marring if it was used after i've washed the car properly first rather than using it straight away? Thinking about it as part of my decontamination steps if it may be of use
Thank you for your information on claying. I thought I was doing it wrong when I noticed swirl marks on paint so I had stopped altogether. I'll treat my claying and buffing steps as one now.
brought first built hamber clay bar yesterday. Great difference in surface of the car.
is they any way of cleaning the clay or just dump it after a few times use? Great channel. 👍
Dump when it's dirty m8
How’s about when you got a brand new car, should you clay it before getting down to polishing it.
If it has contamination yes
Jon a quick one on clay bar process - if a car or motorcycle is under cover for winter can that vehicle be clayed then return to polish at a later date?? Removing contamination then polishing say a week later wouldn’t effect the process or the current paintwork?? Also if that vehicle doesn’t have a clear coat is it still recommended to clay bar? Thanks
Ash,
so if you clay it then cover it up. Its not going to get any contamination on the paint.. so you could then just take the cover off later on and wash and and dry and polish it sure. If its single stage it does still get contamination yes.
Just clayed for the first time yesterday.
It's surprisingly easy.
Claying after using Autoglym liquid clay, there was only a bit of contamination left so marring wasn't so bad.
I skipped polish and used a paste wax and this filled in 90% of light marring.
Black bmw.
i like Optimum ONR and Optimum Ultra clay towel , very good results and if i drop the towel, i just wash it and rinse it... ThankYou John!
I've thrown away 3 or 4 pieces of clay because I accidentally dropped them. 🤬
A tip I've heard is half it out the box! Then if you drop it you can carry on
God a English man ... I been looking to clay bar my mokka it's been waxed every week for years and it's time to give it a fresh start but every time I look it's the Americans get in but I don't live in America
So your videos are brilliant 👏
If dragging the clay causes scratches, how about making a thin sausage of clay and rolling it back and forth? You'd use the clay much more efficiently too.
Tar remover, fallout remover and a good wash first. Then roll with clay?
What do you think?
It won't break the contimants off mate needs to be slide
Hi Jon, Thanks for another great video. What is the next stage after decontaminating your vehicles paint, now that the paint is clean and unprotected? You did reply to my previous message and recommend a M or G 8 Ceramic product, but I can't find the product in the UK?
so after the decon is polishing mate. hae a watch here
washing th-cam.com/video/AUytWaLtOOo/w-d-xo.html
decon th-cam.com/video/9B9Cn-GeJqw/w-d-xo.html
polishing th-cam.com/video/MI_m2rO-OpM/w-d-xo.html
products th-cam.com/video/I7q5E8Kz-CY/w-d-xo.html
@ForensicDetailing thanks, Jon. I appreciate your help.
I’ve always had good luck using a snow foam as a clay lube in a slightly modified use of Larry from AMMO NYC’s method. Snow foam a panel. Clay. Rinse and dry with AMMO Hydrate.
Thanx for all the videos - really enjoy the channel! I use my old Gilmour Foam Gun w/ my normal car wash shampoo and then lube up each panel one at a time. I use a Nanoskin AUTOSCRUB Fine Grade Wash Mitt! I can get around the car (including glass) in less than 5 mins and there is less marring than using a fine - med clay bar! After each panel I use the Foam Gun to flush off the Nanoskin Autoscrub Mitt!
What do you recommend for a piano black finish, I have a front air dam, not painted just shiny black plastic, but there is contaminants on the surface??
May be a silly question but is clay barring the new “T-cutting” we used to do back in the day. It sounds like it.
Or can T-cut be used to correct the marring created by clay barring. Great vids by the way 👍
yes clay mar marring is normally best just polishied out on a DA with soft pad and finishing polish TC is sort of absolete now used to be awesome back in the pre clearcoat days. the formlation has changed to cater for clearcoat now but proper abrasives for machine polishers is the way to go (koch menzerna scholl 3m rupes etc )
Can I use a fallout remover with a clay bar as lubrication? Cheers.
No you will rub contaminants on the paint
Iron remover helps massively before claying.
Do you dilute ONR when you use it as a clay lube?
Yes. 2 capfuls of ONR, then fill the rest of the bottle up with water. In a 500ml bottle.
As your average Joe (literally) I often give my car a polish with AF tripple and top with Dodo Juice PH, I don’t machine polish but will get into it eventually when I have a garage etc. I understand the claying process, but how noticeable are the benefits? Does it help the level of gloss? Or is it more just the feeling of the paint.
hey joe yes mate, contamination dulls the look of the paint... so its just nice to get it clear and then polished for sure
Hi john. Love all your videos. Thank you. I need your professional advice on the following. My car has been ceramic coated for more than a year now and by negligence I rinse my car with regular tap water and drove away in hot summer sun without drying it off. Now hard-water water spots are everywhere on my car hood and top. How can I remove them without hurting the ceramic coating or the paint?
I know this is a very late response but if it happens again, try just rewashing your car and then towel dry it right away with a microfiber towel. If that doesn't take all the water/mineral marks off, you can clay bar to spots still left. Cheers :)
Hello mate quick question
I bought a second hand car and had a stage one paint correction done on it to get rid of swirl marks.
After the correction the car was very slick but I could still hear the contaminants on the paint when rubbing my hand on it.
Just wanted to get your opinion
Should I clay my car to remove the contaminants because it seems like it's never been done.
If so will this ruin the paint correction or can I just hand polish later to remove the light scratches from clay?
If you clay it will need polishing again.
So for a vehicle like a 2007 vehicle with no oxidation am I good using a light duty clay bar. I have a heavy duty clay bar too but that would seem better with my older vehicle used to have because it had more of the oxidation on it after I painted it plus it was a 2006 Dodge Dakota. I still won't use it on my newer truck though rather use a polisher on it but haven't used a polisher on it either just used showcar wax.
Claying a car is one of the most satisfaction part of a detail!!
I can clay every part of my car 😂
Agreed....but a major pain in the ass for us old guys.i,m a retired electrician ...wrists and fingers aint what they were....and then the DA....Blew out my wrist just pressure washing our jeep and Ram...not looking forward to the pre winter mntnce.😭
I have the ONR with Carnauba Wax in it, or Wolfgang pink waterless concentrate that I hear can also be used as clay lube. My only concern is: these are going to leave waxes and sealants on the paint, which I don’t want as I am preparing the paint for a different product, which I would like to adhere to the bare paint for maximum protection. Does it really matter? Should I use a pre spray to strip any sealants after that or can I simply use soapy shampoo water? I want the best possible way of doing it to prevent scratches… thanks for the video!!!, hope you can answer my questions.
Thank you Sir, for the tutorial! Put my clay day on hold until I can get a good buffer and learn more from y'all! Trying to get my spouses Camry sorted.
You're video's are fantastic! Reputable information delivered in a 'Lehmanns Terms' manner! Superb!
thank you kenneth
Silly question but once you've clayed the car, do you need to wash the car again?
No
My 1996, 22 year-old Volvo Wagon (red) has lost its topcoat. If it means anything, it has always been garaged. Should I clay the car or just go for Simonize? Also, I have learned that some people use Plumber's Putty (with lubricant, of course) instead of a designated clay bar. What are your thoughts and advice on these two questions? Thank you.
hello friend. automotive clay bar contains micro abrasives of various sizes mixed in with a flexible buytl putty. Plumbers mate is just putty minus the purpose built abrasives. Theres a lot of tales out there about using like dish soap, peanut butter, plumbers mate etc.. Just use the proper tools for the job or your results will go south very very quickly my friend just trust me on that. Bilt Hamber clay bar is what you need (go for the white one).
the thing I dont know about your Volvo, is does it have clearcoat (clear laquer top coat) or single stage. Its right at that age where it could be either. If you have Clear laquer top coat and that failed you get like patched of like snake skin effect where you see the clearcoat peeling away and falling off the car. If its single stage paint with no top coat (laquer) the paintwork may have gone like lighter and dull and feels rought and matt like. If its the latter scenario your in luck. A damn good machine polish can work wonders to faded red single stage paint. Bad news is you will need a machine polisher my friend.
So question 1 do you have clearcoat or not.. then that leads you to next step.. here is video of single stage paint restoration.
th-cam.com/video/O81FbQC1xLE/w-d-xo.html
Soft, medium or hard clay, when do I use what?
Check Bilt Hamber's range of products, they explain that you should use soft during winter or if your point is in good condition or regular if its summer or if your paint isn't in great condition.
I don’t bother using a clay bar anymore on my van from my own experience and testing I just use some rupes uhs and the rupes polisher I remove the tar and use some ion remover first.
Hi Jon,
How much ONR do you mix with water for a clay lube??
2oz to us gallon.. 60ml to 3700ml roughly 23ml per litre
@@ForensicDetailing appreciate it cheers mate
If you buy ONR, it's written on the bottle along with the other dilutions recommended (Wash media, quick detailer, etc)
@@Calendyr 👍👍
How much should a polish buffing the entire car cost and how long about ? Few hours
Hi. I'm new to weekend washing and coming up to clay barring for the first time. I've seen different grades of clay. Light, medium & heavy. Would I gauge the grade of clay needed on the current condition of my paint work after a wash? Keep up the great work man. Love watching your videos.
If in doubt use bilt hamber white m8
Jon how do you store your used clay? I was told once to store it in a container with window cleaner.
I keep it in tupper ware box Alexis.
@@ForensicDetailing Hi Jon. Didnt expect such a quick answer. I keep mine in a tupper ware container but with window cleaner. I will keep it just as it is from now on.
Thanks a lot. Take care
I'd be afraid any chemical stored with the clay would cause the clay to break down. It's also the reason to not use soaps as a clay lube with real clay (not the sponges, towels, disks, etc). I store mine in containers with lids dry. Stays for years. Kneed it, put it in your pocket or in the sun to warm it up and make it easier to mold before use. While I'm washing the car and know I will be claying I put the container in the sun to warm up. By the time I'm ready to use it, it's soft and moldable.
@@Big_Old_Dog Good advice and thanks a lot for your response bro. I soon will be buying chemical guys clay lube. I am trying to gather some more info then to put it in practice in October as soon as I get home.
@@alexisamtosta CG's clay lube is excellent. I buy it by the gallon. Works as well as Griots Speed Shine QD at a lower price. Use a lot of it while your claying. Flood the area and also spray your clay. You can't use too much lube but you can use too little, imho. Stick to name brand clays from Meguiars, CG, Mothers, Griots, Clay Magic, etc. Break a small piece off the bar and flatten it into a pancake. Use a back and forth motion with very light pressure. I use my fingertips. After every 2x2 section inspect the clay. If it's dirty, knead it. If it's still clean, spray it down with the lube and still clean it. If you can't knead it enough to get a clean face, throw it away and get a new piece. When the area you're working on feels as smooth as glass, move on to the next section. This will help prevent maring and give you great results.
Actually John, clay towels, sponges and disks can't be used on hot panels in the sun. If you do, they will start leaving streaks of black rubber material on the panel and it's hard to remove. I am guessing if you are working on a light colored vehicle, you can probably get away with it because they don't get as hot. But on dark blue or black, it's a nightmare to use.
Ask me how I know ;)
Calendyr I just clay barred a vehicle for the first time. It’s a black truck. I have pretty bad, black streaks all over the truck. Didn’t do it on hot surface, was in the shade, truck was super clean, etc. followed directions to a T. It sounds like you had a steak problem. How did you fix it? Thanks!
@@SirSwish32 If you used a clay alternative (sponge, towel and so on), a solvant might be able to remove the residue from the surface. You can use acetone, lacquer thinner, solvant based tar removers and the like. They all should be able to liquify the rubbery substance that they use to make those pads.
@Amsterdamnster Kush Possible there was enough lubrication. But easy enough problem to fix. Just annoying.
Iv just got a dark silver 4 year old car the garage has polished it I was going to use iron remover on the paint would you guys just use compound onit I want to use turtle wax hybrid solutions polish and wax on it then use the turtle wax hybrid solutions ceramic spray after a day or so what do you guys suggest I do
Will a pre wax cleaner such AW pre wax cleaner remove the marring?
Earlier I left a comment with two time stamps that gave the direct answers to the title's questions. I would like to apologize for that to the video's owner. It was not my intention to offend in any way. I watched the whole video. I was in the middle of my project trying to clay bar and needed my answers quickly and was thinking about people doing the same thing. Apologies again. The video is well done and informative.
dont apolagise :) I know where your coming from and the timestamps were put there with gr8 intentions. with tutorials ive quickly searched for something on YT and like been screaming get on with it. But like when you make content, most channels chat and talk and fire up the camera do jokes etc.. its part of the fun of making content as well, without doing so making videos would be really dull and its that engagement from viewers that allows us to have channels. without the engagement there is no channel. so I was just trying to tell you about why putting those shortcuts in can be counter productive. thanks mate I can tell you are a top guy.
@@ForensicDetailing Yeah. It wasn't my intention to offend. Your video was well done. Sometimes there have been channels that put timestamps in the description to give a direct response and they say, " go to the timestamps for a direct answer... Watch the whole video for a more in depth response". But, I shouldn't have overstepped. Thanks for informative content and keep up the good work. I did clay bar my car and will probably use compound to help with scratches etc. Stay safe my friend and health to you and your family.
What about Matte paint? As you cannot polish the paint, should you use a clay bar?
I bought the Maguire's clay kit comes with spray and one clay bar, would've been better if they threw in a couple more.
megs clay is a bit on the expensive side. I think they were the only brand that tried to sell you a 50g bar of clay for 11 quid in the UK. Its bigger now but still expensive.
Any ideas on yellowing on white bumpers on how to remove
if cutting it by machine does not improve it I dont think theres much you can do but its hard to say mate without eyeballing it.
Cheers thanks will try that out
a nice, easy to follow informative video. Thanks. Popping out to do mine for the first time now! Thanks
I'm not to sure if this is true but can I use this to remove oxidation on a car?
On my black SUV, I made up a strong solution of Chemical Guys Blacklight shampoo on a spray bottle for a lube. It really makes the black paint pop!
Thank you for your informative teaching. I subbed and liked as well.
I have some over spaying clearcoat on my windshield, can I use clay on my windshield
Hey John and thank you! I just bought a clay mitt, with those little rubbery checker patterns that you showed in the video. Should you toss the mitt in the trash sooner since it cannot be folded like a traditional claybar? Will it be unusable sooner, all thing being equal?
I have seen from other pro videos stating that the clay mitt last way longer than a clay bar. You simply rinse and keep using, and if you drop on the floor, no problem, just wash or rinse the dirt and keep using it. Some say to last up to 20 cars however, some people claim to leave more marring on the paint than a regular clay bar. I have only used clay bars, thinking about trying the clay towel, some use it while washing the car. Scott from Dallas Paint Correction and Auto Detailing (I think that’s the name of his business on youtube channel) uses an Armor All foam spray wash as lube, says that is cheap and does the job.
Great video mate,
The BILT hamber clay bar claims that it only needs water for lubrication, is this ok? Or would you recommend using a detail spray instead
Thank you - old git, UK
If your going to ceramic coat your vehicle,they usually say, Clay your vehicle beforehand. Since the ceramic coating won’t adhere to wax. After claying do you ceramic coat over the surface without any polishing?
In my opinion no. If youre going to ceramic coat a vehicle you need to complete a full detail including polishing; prior to ceramic application.
Well done,you covered all the bases for beginners and us middle of the road guys.thankyou.
How do u use that clay lube coz u seem to be jumping from 1 bottle to another giving mixed messages..are u suppose to dilute it
just spray it on the panel mate then clay. google ONR dilution ratios.
@@ForensicDetailing are u talking about the libe u recommended in ur vid wear u left the links to buying or another lube
I was told by a guy at my local car wash that if sprayed some diesel (mixed with kerosene or just plain diesel ) and left it on for a couple of hours in the bright sun and wash wiped it off later, it would help too. Is that right? Would that not dull the paint? Kindly bear with the NON CLAY BAR comment/Question
Yer I'd skip that advice m8
Hi mate what lubricant do you use when doing this
Onr or soapy water
@@ForensicDetailing cheers bud love the channel
Hi mate so somebody varnished there fence next to my car, now its got a fair bit of spray on would clay bar work for this thanks damo
wash it down mate. try and panel wipe first if not clay it. it that does not work trying machine polish. but it should come off no problems.
Nice video mate. I clayed my whole car yesterday, just used water and thought it worked really well. I just had clay bar in one hand and garden hose in other, plenty of water and it glides very nicely. Do you still use the bar or are you transitioning over to the mitt/towel? I know those in America seem to like the towels a lot but then I think they are a lot cheaper than we can get them.
I use a running hose with bilt hamber clay it works fine
Have you tried wowo car cleaning products? Any good?
Heeeeeelp, im planning on claying before I polish ( machine) and ive no rinse, do I need to wash it after claying as no rinse seems like a wax, if so what works best to remove quick detailer, I bought a newish car in Jan and just wanted to get some protection on it ( my street is filthy) ive ultimate polish n compound plenty of pads etc but the paints ok a light compound will do, hope ive made sense, thanks for any- all advice..
hey lee so clean the car well. dry it off. clay is with bilt hamber fine clay and a bucket of clean soapy water as clay lube or put some car soap (pure shampoo only) in a sprayer with some hot water.. and use the soapy water as lube.. only put about 10-20 ml of soap to 1000ml of water in the spray.. clay car. use loads of the soapy lube. dont use detai spray. when finished claying rinse the car orr and dry it. then polish. if you have more than a day then use UC first then UF to get awesome results. other use one of the other. UC will give more cut to remove swirls. UF will remove less defects but gloss the car up more and remove clay marring (its easier to buff off as well).
I'm a complete amateur but a keen on learning best methods to clean my pride and joy (BLACK Audi) Brother in Law recommends mid range clay bar and quality lubricant (AutoGlym Detailer spray)...Ok before I start what are your thoughts on alternatives such as putty which I notice contains linseed oil, is this a good idea or complete NoNo?
hi there friend. Blue tac or putty dont contain abrasives its just gonna maybe pull some crud into it and scratch up the paintwork and also leave horrible residues.
Use bilt Hamber Mild Clay (the white one) or in2detailing medium clay. These both the 2 cheapest on the market but they are superb the BH clay is hard to work but more abrasives.
First time claying and i fucked up bonet full of scratches ... i washed the car, i lubricated the spots that i was working every 5 seconds with water and car shampoo mixture ... one thing im suspicious is i maybe added to much pressure while claying
Og garage did a new car. Used a quality synthetic clay mitt/block and lots of actual clay lube. Only one dry scuff mark that had to be polished out.
can you use plummers putty, it is a lot softer?
plummer putty is a butyl putty designed to seal pipes.. automotive clay bar is a butyl putty mixed with abrasives.. so theres something missing from the plumbers putty thats rather important.
Do the bad areas last
I'm embarrassed that owned my old beemer for 6/7 years before I bought my first clay bar. The only way to prep for a polish.
Bilthamber clay works fine but is so damn hard to fold! Im using Capro Ech2o as clay lube.
I have been looking into this seriously having Clayed once before. In your opinion what does clay remove compared to tar and glue remover and fallout remover kind regards.
I dont understand the question jake.. TandG disolves tar.. fallout shirnks iron particles.
but clay removes vritually all the contamination out the paint..
Sorry does clay actually remove anything that chemical decontamination can’t. 😀
@@jakehammond7972 yes mate, especially fallout but clay gets the most contaminsation off the paint out of all the decon products really.
Last question is a fine clay bar like the white colour bilt hamber clay likely to scratch paint even after a full decontamination chemically
Just as an add on I know you said claying is likely to scratch a car I’m just wondering with a softer clay and full decontamination would it not scratch paint
I've got a bottle of ONR in the garage, what ratio would you suggest for a clay lube?
It says on the bottle my friend
@ForensicDetailing perfect, best have a look then. I've used plain water as BH suggest when doing the big 'summer' details but end up with marring everywhere... which doesn't bother me as polishing always follows but would be nice to minimise it.
Takes off waterspots?
Question: should you wash the car after claying or just wipe it, before polishing?
you could give it a final rinse and dry. generally I dont though.
@@ForensicDetailing Thank you John! Tomorrow I'll start claying and then polish my E46, all the basics learned from your videos.
Keep going, I enjoy every single one of them!
Always love your videos. My ‘deep’ clean routine I undertake every 4-6 months and includes washing, claying, polishing, sealant and then a glossy wax... most stages I have used your tips to get great results! Thanks!
thanks Simoney
Great video, thanks. About to start claying a 18 Yr old vwt4. Might take a while!
Once you have clayed do you rinse off the car or use anything to clean off the clay lube before polishing?
with ONR no you can just wipe off. it does depend on the clay lube.. some detail sprays lay down durable materials which bond and are not great clay lubes.. if you finish claying and the car is covered in loads of clay lube residue.. just get a clay bucket of water and a clean mitt and sort of clean it off and dry would be my advice.
clean bucket of water even sorry
@@ForensicDetailing The one i have left over is Auto Finesse clay lube just what i have laying around. Cheers, ill try that.
Great video! Very informative. My go to clay is bilt hamber Clay as you only need water as a lubricant. Personally I put shampoo in the bottle so the shampoo helps the clay bar glide over the paint.
Yeah Bilt hamber are the best and bang for buck. You get a great amount of clay compared to other brands for the price. I think I'll start using water mixed with auto wash as lubrication.
After claying does the car need to be washed again before correction or wax?
No
Hi Jon,
Did you use tac system paint cleaner?
I like it on a light contaminate car.
I feel it give less scrach on the paint.
ive not used that no. Ive got the tac total one essentual
I'd recommend distilled water if you use water
9:13 - I tried getting my clay lube into a squirter but she was furious!
What do you think of these "not-clay" pucks that are out there? They feel like they're an awful lot less harsh than traditional clay.
yes kyle I have a video coming on this... the clay blocks work, theres mild and more agressive variants. but they seem to take more passes to strip the contmination.. but you can use them more times.. some people favour them. I think I prefer clay.
Hi John, loving the videos...lots of great advice. Looking for a bit of help....Clayed my black 2017 BMW 335d with Bilt Hamber clay but has left minor light scratches on parts of the panels. Have tried to DA machine out using Menzerna heavy compound 1000 but struggling to get the scratches completely away...can you recommend any compounds that work well? Thanks in advance.
Koch H9 on flex purple mate Stuart. Then finish the paint out with Koch M3 on Flex orange pads. however you could just keep going with Menz. It sounds like you put deep scratches in the paint just needs more compounding to get it out mate.
Forensic Detailing Channel Thanks for the reply. I’ll give that a go.👍
Can you wash & clean the clay to get rid of any contaminants after each pass ?!
No you mold it until the surface is clean. If you prefer to wash then use a clay mitt or towel