Recommend me a suitable clay / lube

[Tarmac_Terrorist]

It's one of the processes I'm probably most cautious over. Concerned about inducing swirls etc despite plenty of lube.

For very light cleaning which is the best clay & lube to use and what technique do you think is best (dare I say it - hand / arm action!).

[steelwind101]

Hello TT

The first thing i will say is that claying this time of yr has its own problems, the clay gets hard and therefore harder to shape. Its important to keep folding the clay to a cleanside so if you get a bit of tar etc your not then scuffing it back across the paintwork!

Some clays are harder then others, the grey slabs from Poorboys for example. The clay that i found to be best in cold weather is hands down the yellow Mothers clay. Its also a pretty effective claybar, unlike say the Sonus green one. Personally, if you never clayed your car before its too light to be effective with out going over one area so many times your arms will ache!

Failing the Mothers one, often sold at inflated prices (ie not worth the money) just consider Meguiars own £11.99 Quik Clay kit. Both kits come with lube, the Clearkote Clay bar is a 200g effort, is blue and is good value and you could use PB's Spray and Wipe for lube. I got a kit for my Cousin which has Bilt Hamber clay and that uses just water as QD, worked a treat!

Personally ii clay like this

large bar, leave the car wet after washing (ie no rinse) as it allows for less QD to be used and easier lubrication. It can be done quickly and throughly, have a to mild a clay and you will going over the areas again and again to get them smooth!

Start from the top of the car, and work down, glass then wheels last and you can get the most of a bar. Save the clay for future use on wheels only, a 100g can easily be broken in to parts and probably used around 4 times!

Geoff

[Tarmac_Terrorist]

Thanks Geoff. I'm not contemplating claying until spring now but have been asked for Xmas gift ideas and forming a list of various bits & pieces.

I think I may just go for the megs Quick Clay as it seems sensibly priced and comes with some lube. I read some horror stories now and again with claying inducing some marring / light swirling, but I largely think this must be down to individuals not using enough lube / very aggressive clay perhaps.

Thanks,

Phil

[ahaydock]

Personally I like Sonus Green and Megs LT as the lube.

However if you dont have the Megs LT, then I would recommend the Megs Clay Kit - both are mild and with plenty of lube will not marr.

Also spray the Clay

[Tarmac_Terrorist]

Personally I like Sonus Green and Megs LT as the lube.

However if you dont have the Megs LT, then I would recommend the Megs Clay Kit - both are mild and with plenty of lube will not marr.

Also spray the Clay

Thanks ahaydock

The only QD i have at the moment is CK Quikshine although I may get some Megs last touch before too long as the price / value can't be ignored - especially for some extra bling in the winter months.

I was looking at the Sonus Green the other night so it's probably a two horse race at the moment.

There was an article in Auto Express last week where they tested several clays. Dodo and Bilt Hamber came out strong. Thing is though, Auto Express's idea of car cleaning is more aimed at the person who washes their car 3-4 times a year and their findings are usually very questionable!

[davyk31]

I bought Sonus green clay ages ago but have not used it until now. The roof of my X3 has always been really rough to the touch since I bought it. I just reckoned the previous owner never bothered reaching up to clean the roof properly and the garage I got it from did a really poor preparation job so the roof was also missed out. Did the roof and spoiler on Saturday with Sonus Green clay and Megs Last Touch and the results are AMAZING!!! It is now so smooth its unbelievable and the job was really easy. I envisaged having to rub hard etc but not at all. Need to do the rest of the car now as now it feels rough compared to the roof.

[Dave]

Does clay act as a cutting compound? :confused:

[davyk31]

Clay removes the surface contaminants in the paint. Not really a cutting compound but really effective in what it is intended for.

[Dave]

It is similiar to Hd-Cleanse in the zymol range,

ie) after claying, is it important to re-wax?

[davyk31]

Yes after clay you need to start again basically with all the coats but the advantage is you have started from a lovely smooth base.

[steelwind101]

HIHI!

Good to see you are all getting your clay on! Just clarify a thing or too;

Clay doesnt cut the surface, it doesnt chemically clean the surface and it doesnt polish the surface of the paintwork either.

What it does is remove "bonded contaminants", alot of which you cant see but stop the paintwork shining b/c they are attached to it.

Claying is not the same HD cleanse, HD cleanse is paintwork cleaner and prep product. It will melt some bonded contaminants, but really it cleans pours of the paintwork to improve adhesion of the next product or in the case of a wax allows it to sit on a clean surface so whats underneath is not going to break down before the LSP will.

The Zymol version of clay is called Lehm Klay, i think here on version 3 right now and there is Lehm klay lube too.

After claying you should always follow up with a paintwork cleaner or polish and then top with your favorite sealant or wax. Clay isnt a replacement for a "paintwork cleanser" be it a polish or a dedicated product. Like wise paintwork cleaners are not replacements for clay!

Geoff

[Dave]

Thanks Geoff,

starting to make sense... As you know I have a new motor and want to zymol it. So I'll hd-cleanse it first!