How to Use Clay Bar on a Car

A clay bar is the perfect tool for detailing your car. It allows you to remove debris and contaminants, including light paint overspray, from your car's surface. Though the process requires some elbow grease, patience and time, it can give your car a great, debris-free appearance. So be sure to read the directions and warnings on the clay bar packaging carefully and get to restoring your car's once flawless appearance.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hose
• Water
• Soap
• Clay bar
• Lubricant
• Cotton towel

1. Wash the car or the affected areas of the car with soap and water. Thoroughly dry it with a towel. This will provide a clean, smooth surface for the clay bar and will remove any remaining dust or particles from the vehicle.

2. Break off a third or a fourth of clay from the clay bar to begin working on the car. Put the rest of the bar aside for use after this portion becomes dirty or worn, or if it is dropped.

3. Work on a few feet of the affected area at a time. Mist the area with a lubricant, such as a detailing spray or clay bar lubricant. Rub the clay bar over the newly lubed surface a few times. The clay may be a little resistant to movement at first, but should loosen up once it has gone over the surface a few times.

4. Continue to rub the bar over the infected area until it glides seamlessly and smoothly over the affected area. Once it moves effortlessly, you know that the debris has been removed from that portion of the car.

5. Towel dry your car off after the affected areas have been cleaned by the clay bar. You should notice a smooth finish, without the presence of brake dust or paint overspray.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to run your finger along your car's surface after you've washed and dried it to check for any surface-scratching debris such as pebbles and rocks. Running your clay bar over these objects can scratch your car's paint, so be sure it's clean before bringing out the clay bar.
• When deciding how much lube to use, err on the side of excess. If you use too little lube, the clay bar could scrape along the surface, damaging your car's paint.
• Because you're working on such small areas at a time, this is not a job that is typically completed in a short amount of time. Make sure to set aside an afternoon or so to execute a project such as this.

Resources

• Detailing Car Clay: Detailing your car's paint
• Using a clay bar to remove paint contamination