Who makes the best claybars? I normally use Meguiars yellow but would like something a step up as Meguiars is just OK (same with Mothers)
I don;t want heavy duty just something that works really well.
Hello Vice-White,
So actually both Claybars you are currently using are very good quality. BUT what I think is going on is your not doing a Iron Remover step first AND you may not be using the proper lube.
Just to answer your question , Good quality clay bars can be found at Adams Polishes , Griots Garage which by the way make a pretty good Synthetic Clay Sponge . DIY Detail has a good Clay towel as well as Chemical Guys make excellent Clay bars. I have used them all with great success.
So lets talk about the proper steps on how to clay a vehicle.
1- You want to do a full Foam Cannon Presoak, no water on the paint just straight Foam Cannon with a High PH Soap like a strip soap. Suggestions are Adams Polishes Strip Soap or Cleanse from Hyperclean.
Use this soap 2 oz in your foam cannon and another 2 oz in your bucket wash setup.
2- Fully Rinse the car after the Strip soap sits on the paint for about 2 to 4 minutes. A lot of the dirt and grime will run off the vehicle to the ground before you rinse which helps prevent scratching.
3- Foam the car again , once the car is fully foamed , do a normal bucket wash. You can use 1 bucket, I don't believe in the 2 bucket method but if you do , that's fine at this point the damage that can cause we are past it with my Foam Rinse Foam method.
4- Completey rinse the vehicle again.
5- Now you want to use a IRON REMOVER. You can use your favorite OR you I will suggest Fuego from Hyperclean or IRON REMOVER from Adams Polishes. Both are good Hyperclean's is better IMO. This step you will treat each panel with the iron remover covering each panel fully but don't over due it. Hard to show you exactly how much to use but you want a light coating on all panels glass , the entire exterior surfaces.
Leave this one for a few minutes then fully rinse.
6- Now is time for Clay. You will now be removing anything left over on the paint. You will use your Strip wash bucket and wash media to soap up each panel just like your washing but your now going to use any of the above clay bars including the ones you already use which are fine.
Go over each panel with the clay and checking it after a few passes to make sure you didn't pick up anything that can cause scratching. You want to bend the clay over on itself often so you're not rubbing whatever you picked up on the next panel. You can dip it in the soap often also to kinda wash it off after each panel. Again fold it over on itself often to prevent scratching
If you get into Clay towels and sponges, you will find they are a bit finer than bars , can be re used but can mar the paint easier as they can drag on the paint. You have to keep a lot of soap under them BUT they work very well and I like them just fine.
7- Once your finished each panel do another full rinse step with the pressure washer. I suggest the Green tip or the White. I like the green you can get into cracks a bit better.
Now dry the vehicle fully and I suggest using air or a leaf blower to get all the water out of all the cracks before Polishing or whatever step needs to happen to achieve the results your looking for.
With this technic , you car fully ready for a polish or if you have no scratches paint enhancement or swirls you need to remove, you are actually ready for a protection step.
You can before you apply a protection , you can use a surface prep wipe but not really necessary even if your ceramic coating after my process.
Hope this helps my friend.
Dan
