[Honkeytonk Monkey]

microbunny,Jul 18 2006, 10:17 AM Wrote:I wanna know how you guys are claybarring that you kill a whole bar on one vehicle...

I've never killed a bar on 1 car only!!...and as for the detail spray....use water in a spray bottle...same s***,,,

I've been detailing cars for 7 years and its the simple things that help you out the most..

Clay is to remove the fallout and debris that sticks to your paint, not to clean your car
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ANTHONYD,Jul 28 2006, 01:44 PM Wrote:My detailer bottle is going on 3 or 4 washes now and I still have 1/4 of a bottle. How the hell do you guys blow through a whole bottle on one car?" :blink:
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Quoted for truth

Before you break out the clay bar, Wash the car, and by that I mean, go buy a wash mitt or whatever you prefer and actually wash the entire vehicle surface. Spraying the car down with a hose takes of most of the crud that sticks to your car but there is a ton of stuff it completely misses that a hand wash will get. When you finish, dry the car off with a chamois or blade or a synthetic towel, again whatever you think works best. This will remove any standing water which almost guaranteed has tons of minerals and sediment in it, all of which will otherwise end up in your clay bar. Don't waste a bar on a dirty car.

I've been using the same Mother's bar on several cars for the past year, and it's still got plenty of life in it. It's purpose is to remove pitted in sediment and debris from your paint surface. Stuff like rail dust, tar and sharp debris that has embedded itself into the paint. The spray detailer that comes with your bar should last you several uses. The key is to do small areas at a time. Don't douse the entire 1/4 panel and try to clay it before it dries, instead work a foot wide area at a time using quick spray or two, then with a clean towel wipe the residue. Work your way around the car like that. The bottle of detailer should last for a half dozen cars this way. If you run out of detailer, it doesn't matter, it's simply a lubricant in this case. Refill the bottle with water and a small ammount of dish soap (I use Dawn) If you're worried dish soap will eat your clearcoat,, first off, you're using too much, and you are letting it dry to the surface. Dish soap will however strip wax off the clearcoat, which you really want in this case anyways, you aren't cleaning the paint if it's still covered in wax. Doing a small patch at a time ensures it's not going to dry before you towel it off.

Basically, don't go clay your car expecting it to be a 20 minute job. Even washing the car before you run that little bar over the paint should be taking you more than 20 minutes. A full detail job done properly can take several hours, even more if you start on the interior and worry about cleaning out and greasing all the hinges, doorjambs, and engine bay.