What is detailing clay, and can you DIY it?

Or should clay bars be left to the professionals?

(Scroll down for a video)

This blog is going to answer all of the most common questions about detailing clay.

I’ll address the myriad questions like:

• Do I clay bar before or after a wash?
• How many times can I use detailing clay?
• Do I need to wash my car after claying?
• Should I wax my car after claying?
• Can I clay bar a wet car?
• What’s the best way to use a clay bar?
• Does clay bar remove clear coat?
• Do I need to dry before clay bar?
• The best clay bar lubricant.
• What does a clay bar do?

 …and countless more.

Terms I’ll use in this article

PPF, paint protection film, Clear Bra: referencing the clear films that are applied to vehicle surfaces to prevent rock chips and scratches.

Matte, satin: the appearance of a surface that is dull and doesn’t reflect light; the opposite of shiny or glossy.

Bonded contaminants: anything that's stuck to your car's paint that isn't easily removed by regular washing, i.e. tree sap, road tar, paint over spray, hard water mineral deposits, etc.

Look for my pro tips - tricks that we professionals do to save time and/or do a better job.

What I’ll cover in this article

• What exactly is detailing clay?
• Who invented detailing clay?
• What is detailing clay used for?
• What surfaces can detailing clay be safely used on?
• What are the limits of detailing clay?
• How to tell if I need to use detailing clay.
• What are the different types of detailing clay, pros and cons of each.
• Which detailing clay is best for me? Types of clay reviewed.
• How to safely use detailing clay on my car.
  

What exactly is detailing clay?

Will any clay work, or must it be detailing clay?

Who invented detailing clay, and how long has it been around?

Detailing clay was invented in 1987 by the chemist and founder of Joybond Co. in Saitama, Japan, Tadao Kodate (pictured below).

What is detailing clay used for?

Detailing clay is used on automotive clear-coat paint to safely and quickly remove bonded contaminants. 

It is used by virtually every professional detailer in the world due to it’s effectiveness. However, it can also be safely used by the home DIYer with some basic instruction.

What surfaces can you safely use detailing clay on?

Detailing clay was invented to be used on glossy (not matte or satin or "frozen") automotive clear-coat type paints (virtually all automotive paints nowadays are clear-coated)

But it can also be safely used on glass and chrome.

What surfaces to avoid when using detailing clay, and why.

Since detailing clay is designed to glide across a lubricated surface to gently pluck off bonded contaminants, any surface that is not hard and glossy should be avoided.

So avoid using detailing clay on matte paint (or matte paint protection film), textured trim, and soft plastics. 

Caution, hard plastic surfaces like some exterior mirrors and B-pillars may seem hard and glossy, but since they are plastic, they scratch extremely easily so therefore using clay on them should be avoided. Unless you plan on replacing those plastics anyway, then go ahead and take a stab at claying them, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

What will happen if I use detailing clay on a matte satin finish?

Well, it’s like dragging cheese across a grater, the clay will shred and leave a mess that requires more work, and the contaminants that you’re trying to remove will still be there.

The best way to remove bonded contaminants from matte paint is to avoid them in the first place.

Avoid parking under trees, park away from lawn sprinklers, always dry your car immediately after washing.

Also, wash your car at least bi-weekly, and remove anything serious like bird poo, bug splatters, tree sap, overspray, etc, immediately.

You can also get another level of great protection by applying a matte-specific ceramic coating like Opti-coat Pro. This coating makes it harder for contaminants to adhere to your paint, which gives you another level of cushion to remove them before they have a chance to do their inevitable damage.

Limits of detailing clay

By now it sounds like detailing clay is a wonder-tool that does everything except buckle your safety belt.

But there are limits of what clay can do.

Some bonded contaminants are too bonded for even clay to remove. 

Contaminants that have been allowed to dwell on the surface long enough that they have burrowed their way deep into the clear-coat are problematic.

Some examples are hard water mineral spot deposits, paint overspray, and paint-transfer.

Sometimes after using clay, the surface will feel smooth to the touch, but you can still see something on the paint. What’s happening here is either the contaminant has burrowed below the surface of the paint (so you can no longer feel it), or the contaminant has caused an etch mark that still remains even after the contaminant is removed. In cases like this further action is needed, usually by a professional detailer.

Can detailing clay remove water spots on your car’s paint?

Usually clay cannot remove water spots, due to 1of 2 issues.

1. Due to the speed that the chemical reactions occur between the minerals in your water and your clear-coat, they often become too strong of a bond for clay to easily remove.
2. The minerals have been on your paint long enough to burrow their way past the surface level and therefore leave a permanent etch on your clear-coat. If caught early enough, this etch may be able to be polished out, but only by an experienced detailer.

Note: ceramic coatings were specifically invented to protect automotive paint against the permanent damage that water spots cause. Ceramic coatings do this by being much more resistant to the chemical reactions caused by the minerals in your water.

Can detailing clay remove oxidation?

Yes, but... it's not a good idea to try.

This is because oxidized paint is just very tiny bits of clear-coat that have been degraded by the sun and are about to flake off the surface, which causes the white haziness of oxidation.

By using clay across this surface, the clay itself will pick up these loose particles which then become embedded in your clay and thereby contaminate it and shortening its lifespan. Synthetic clays can be washed to help avoid this, but you’re still using the wrong tool for the job because oxidation is not a bonded contaminant.

Once paint has started to oxidize to the level that you’re seeing it with your naked eye, it’s days are seriously numbered.

You can wash the surface and remove the loosest of the particles, but they will be quickly replaced with more decaying particles.

Polishing an oxidized surface may enhance its gloss and appearance but it will be very temporary.

The only permanent fix for a heavily oxidized paint surface is to repaint it. The paint has served its useful lifespan, it’s time to move on.

A temporary solution that is growing in popularity is to cover it up with a pigmented film or vinyl wrap.

How to tell if I need to use detailing clay?

So how do you know if you need to use detailing clay?

You don’t want to waste your time or money, but you want to take care of your expensive car and maintain that pride of ownership. 

Your car needs to be “clayed” (as we detailing and valeting professionals call it) as part of its regular appearance care routine. This means at least once a year, usually during your regular deep-cleaning, washing, decontamination service.

However, after every bi-weekly wash it’s a good idea to feel a couple areas on your paint to see if it feels smooth and glossy, or rough like sand paper. Do this immediately after a fresh detail job so you learn what it should feel like, then you’ll be able to notice when things start to gradually get rough.

If you see anything on your paint that shouldn’t be there after a wash, you should inspect closer to determine what it is, and whether it’s time for a clay treatment.

If you see someone spray-painting a building or house nearby it’s always a good idea to inspect your paint immediately thereafter due to how common it is for paint to easily drift very long distances onto your car’s surface.

Pro tip: To really feel what’s going on with your paint, after your next wash, take a plastic sandwich bag and put your hand in it, then feel your paint’s surface. What do you feel?

You’ll notice that your touch becomes super sensitive to feeling many more contaminants than with your naked hand.

Now clay a section and repeat the sandwich bag test… see!!?? I’ve been doing this since the mid-90’s to show my clients that I wasn’t making things up about there being invisible contaminants sitting on their paint.

Potential damage caused by improper use of detailing clay

Can detailing clay cause damage? Can I scratch my car using clay?

Can I use clay on paint protection film (aka Clear Bra, PPF)?

Can I use detailing clay on a ceramic coated car?

Yes it is absolutely safe to use clay on a ceramic coated car, but you’ll find that ceramic coated cars need clay far less than waxed or naked cars. This is because ceramic coatings where specifically designed to make it very difficult for airborne contaminants to bond to your paint.

If you need proof of this, just apply a ceramic coating to half of your hood, then check on the paint’s condition after a year on the road.

Which side feels cleaner and slicker? Nuff said.

But even a ceramic coated car isn’t 100% impervious to bonded contaminants, and claying it will quickly release them and get you back into shape with little effort.

What does it mean when a clay product mentions how “aggressive” it is? | Mild, Medium or Heavy clay?

Think of a clay’s aggressiveness as being similar to different levels of sandpaper.

On one hand, a light sandpaper may barely scuff a surface and just level out the most minor bumps.

On the other end of the spectrum, a more aggressive sandpaper will strip the paint off a battleship! You get the idea.

Detailing clay products work the same way; they contain varying levels of abrasives in order to remove varying levels of bonded contaminants. This means you only want to use the least aggressive clay to remove whatever it is on your paint.

Go with too aggressive and you’ll induce more severe marring or hazing (minor scratches) that will require much more polishing to remove.

Until you’re a seasoned veteran, always start with the least aggressive clay.

Since most clay products sold to the general public are the least aggressive this shouldn’t be a problem.

Just be aware that if a product says aggressive, heavy duty, or something similar, you better know how to polish paint like a pro to remove the light scratches you’re about to cause!

What are the different types of detailing clay, and what are the advantages and drawbacks of each kind?

Hoo boy this info changes almost daily nowadays, due mostly to every online retailer of detailing clay products trying to cash in on the next detailing marketing buzzword of the day.

To simplify things for you, detailing clay can be broken down into 3 basic categories. 

All of these come in various stages of “aggressiveness” as mentioned in the previous section.

Traditional clay bar

This is the original invention by Tadao Kodate of Joybond Co. in Japan. 

They are now manufactured by several companies in various colors and levels of aggressiveness. 

They look almost the same as synthetic clay bars, but will have less of a plasticy-stretchable feel and more of a play-dough feel. Either texture is fine, it’s just how you can tell the difference when examining each one side-by-side. In fact, most labels nowadays do not even mention whether it is a traditional or synthetic clay product.

Ultimately it really doesn't matter as long as the product is useful.

But if you start noticing these differences in your clay bar products, now you know why and what's going on.

These traditional clays are very easy to use but do have some drawbacks.

One drawback of traditional clay bars are that they are the most susceptible to contamination, most often caused by accidentally dropping them on the ground.

You can scrape and cut the contaminated section off and throw it away, but since this gets expensive pretty quickly, you learn to be extra careful when using traditional clay.

Another drawback of traditional clay when compared to other styles of clay is storage.

Since they are so susceptible to contamination by debris, they must be stored in a closed container of some kind (most are sold in a plastic tub with a lid), but over time they adhere to the tub and become increasingly difficult to remove and manipulate.

The same goes for storing them in a plastic bag; a seemingly simple solution at first but over time it can become an unmanageable mess. (Watch this funny video of me trying to remove a clay bar from a package)

Synthetic clay bar

Synthetic clay bars were originally designed as a way to get around the patent of the original clay bar.

They were very poor in quality when they were first introduced, but there have been advancements and now they can be quite useful.

They benefit from being more resilient against damaging contaminants being permanently embedded within them. 

For example, imagine if you dropped your clay bar in your gravel driveway… a traditional clay bar would now be embedded with all those little rocks that would scratch the daylights out of your paint.

This forces you to literally cut off that dirty section of clay and throw it away.

Since clay bars used to cost $60 this was no small financial injury!

But synthetic clays don’t quite “absorb” small stones as readily, meaning they can be washed off more easily.

The trade-off is that synthetic clays can be more “fussy” to use than traditional clay.

But honestly this is usually only noticed by professionals who use clay daily and become accustomed to each product’s minute characteristics.

For storage, they are a little better than traditional clays regarding sticking to the plastic bins or bags they come in, but it’s still a minor inconvenience.

Clay-infused towels, mitts, sponges, etc.

These products have come a long ways in their quality and usefulness.

Although not as aggressive as traditional clay, for a vast majority of claying jobs, these products work great. 

Only when you need the most aggressive clay will these products fall short; and since aggressive clay comes with the huge potential of damaging your paint in the hands of an untrained professional, it’s best to avoid these products anyway until you’ve practiced extensively.

Another benefit is that they can be cleaned and reused if they get dropped or otherwise contaminated.

They’re also just easier to use in general because of the inherent simplicity of wiping a towel or mitt across a surface, versus kneading a small, expensive, delicate clay bar into the proper shape, then meticulously rubbing it over every square inch of your car, all the while fretting about dropping it and thereby destroying it!

Which detailing clay is best for me?

I strongly recommend starting with a mild clay towel because they’re the easiest to use, and least likely to cause damage to your paint. 

Once you’re comfortable using that towel, you can graduate up to synthetic and traditional bars if needed, but honestly most people never need those, and are better off leaving those to the professionals.

Due to the myriad detailing clay products available, it is impossible to do a fair comparison and rating of every single one.

However, I can guarantee that most detailing professionals learn pretty quickly which products are a great value and which ones are all talk and a waste of money.

So the easiest way to get a good list of products is to call the highest rated detailer in your town. They’ll quickly tell you which products they use, and why, and where to buy them.

Most detailing professionals will be happy to give you a free demo.

We love showing off our tricks!

Where is the best place to buy detailing clay?

Once you find a product you want to try, it’s simple enough to search for an online retailer.

But as mentioned previously, visiting your local detailer is the best starting place.

Even if they can’t sell you a clay product, they’ll point you in the right direction to buy the best products for the best price.

I mean, we’re in the business of finding and using the best tools for the lowest possible cost, right?

What are potential rip-offs and scams related to buying a detailing clay product?

The biggest risk is buying a clay product is that it is just cheap unusable garbage.

So don’t shop based on price first.

Look at reviews, especially reviews from professional detailers who use these products every single day to earn their living. 

Trying to save a few bucks by buying a cheap detailing clay is the fastest way to throw your money away.

If you care enough about your car’s paint to go through all the trouble of claying it yourself, listen to the professionals.

How long do detailing clay products last?

How many uses can you get out of your detailing clay product?

Clay towels last the longest, followed by synthetic bars, and finally the traditional clay bars.

However, like any tool, the lifespan will depend on how you take care of it and what it is used for.

When clay is used to remove severe deposits it naturally gets used up faster than if it is only used for mild spot-cleaning occasionally.

Having said this, my clay towels will last about a year at my professional detail shop with daily use.

That's some serious lifespan and value from a seemingly expensive tool!

But if you're the type that drops your clay bars often, and doesn't store them properly they'll poop out on you very quickly.

They're too expensive to waste, so take care of your tools!

When is a clay bar or clay towel “used up”? | When do I need to throw it away?

For clay bars, they should be discarded when they become contaminated with bits of debris, or if they start to fall apart instead of holding together.

As mentioned earlier, dropping a clay bar is the fastest way to ruin it because it becomes embedded with those small pebbles that will scratch your paint like crazy.

But clay bars also slowly become contaminated by their natural use of picking up the small contaminants from your paint, something they’re specifically designed to do, but nonetheless lead to their eventual destruction.

But the question still remains, how do you know when your clay bar is going to cause scratches, before it starts causing scratches?!

Simple, test a small inconspicuous place on your car, or on another less valuable car first, then dry it off and inspect the area with a flashlight or in the direct sun.

But honestly, you should know if you’ve dropped your clay and ruined it.

A clay bar won’t go from perfectly useful to a scratching mess overnight for no reason.

Clay towels do not become contaminated like the bars do, but instead they just slowly lose their effectiveness and start to shred and fall apart.

But a quality towel can last literally years.

In my professional detailing business I get at least 1 year of daily use out of each high-quality towel I buy.

They end up costing me pennies per use.

How to safely use detailing clay on your car

What lubricant should be used with detailing clay bars?