Welcome back to the Proje’ blog! This week, we’re going to take a look at something a bit more old-school – claying. Now, it’s not exactly a secret that the claying process produces the smoothest possible finish on your paintwork; polish simply can’t compete! You’ve got all that contamination from brake dust, general pollution, sprays, debris and just the quality of the air around you. Contaminants cause tiny chips in your paintwork meaning that dirt can penetrate below the surface, which can lead to nasty oxidation and rust issues in the long-term. Claying is sometimes the only way to remove this deep-set contamination. The light friction cause by rubbing the clay across your bodywork drags all the deep dirt out and keeps it out as you move the bar across your paintwork.
But how do we get to the point where we’re ready to clay? Well, first we have to make sure the surface we’re working on is superficially clean and completely dry. That’s where the other products in our Complete Clay Kit come in…
What’s in the Box?
Vital Car Wash Soap is a unique handpicked blend that is designed to softly release dirt from the painted surface of your car while maximizing the protection that lies underneath. Its unique blend can be used in a traditional bucket or in a foam cannon that produces incredible suds. It is designed to softly release dirt while maximizing protection. Vital Car Wash Soap separates dirt from paintwork so that you can wipe it away easily, without any risk of scratching. The suds and bubbles are formed as a result of a special pH neutral chemical reaction with water, which is tough on dirt and grease but will not damage any wax or sealant. Vital Car Wash Soap is a professional product designed not to leave any spots, swirls or streaks that a basic water solution can easily do. Bottom line – use this first and you’ll have a nice clean surface to work from. But wait – before you break out the clay, let’s move to stage 2: drying the paintwork.
This is the ultimate drying towel. A huge 25" by 36", it can hold up to 7 times its weight in water. Rated at a premium 480 GSM, making it the softest towel that Proje' offers, the high GSM rating ensures that you will never introduce swirls or scratches to the paintwork when used correctly. Fold it into many sides or use it wide open - the choice is yours. Either way it's the perfect size for any car. The best thing about a towel this size is that it can cover so much space in one go, so it’s quick and you can keep drying with no risk of saturation. No changing towel halfway through drying.
This bit will only take you five minutes. Then, when your paintwork is clean and dry, we’ll move on to the claying!
If you’re going to apply a professional wax to your car, then it’s always a good time to clay your paintwork. But you might be surprised by how badly it needs it even if you think you’ve given it a thorough clean and polish. Try this expert tip to see if you really need to clay: put a thin plastic bag like a sandwich bag over your hand and rub the paintwork gently with your fingertips. You should only feel complete smoothness, but if there’s any grit or cling then you have a contamination issue and it’s time to clay. Throwback Clay Lube is specially formulated with wetting agents to increase lubricity and reduce friction, making your claying process more effective while ensuring you do not scratch your paint. It will move easily across your paintwork without any risk of scratching. What’s more, the versatility of our lube means that you can use all kinds of clay bar, from soft to hard, on your bodywork with no problems. You can even apply our Clay Lube to your glass surfaces to create an unbelievably shiny and smooth effect all over your vehicle’s exterior.
And of course, once you’ve created this lubricity, you’ll then move to the claying process…
1 x Proje’ Traditional Clay Bar
A good clay bar like the Proje’ Traditional Clay Bar will remove all roughness and dirt extremely easily with just a couple of passes, leaving your paintwork feel as smooth as crystal. Contaminants such as debris, dirt, brake dust and droppings embed themselves in your paintwork over time, which can eventually lead to oxidization issues – the dreaded rust. These contaminants can also rub off into your pads, rendering them far less effective and hitting you in the pocket when you need to replace them more often. A clay bar is the perfect way to remove absolutely all these contaminants, leaving a perfectly smooth surface to work on for your future processes. Think of it like an exfoliator, but for your car. All the dirt that has collected on your bodywork is literally sucked out by a clay bar, and ours also has some flexibility so that it stays flat against your car even when claying over a curve.
If it’s your first time claying, don’t worry – it’s really easy. Just follow these four steps below:
- Always work out of direct sunlight. Moving one panel at a time, saturate with Throwback Clay Lube. It’s impossible to over-lubricate, and this is the key step to the process. A lack of lubrication could cause your clay bar to stick to the paintwork.
- Use your clay bar to gently glide the clay across the surface. You don’t need to use force – the clay is powerful enough. Move in a horizontal direction for the most effective coverage. When you first move your bar, mitt or disc across the paintwork, it will most likely cling a bit. Don’t panic – this is the clay bar pulling all the dirt out from the paintwork; it means it’s doing its job.
- As you apply the clay bar with your working hand, keep the Throwback Clay Lube in your other hand and constantly reapply so that the surface is fully saturated.
- As you move back across the same surface, you’ll find that the clay bar moves more easily. This means that you have removed all the debris and contamination. Once the bar slides across with ease, this area of your paintwork is done and you can move to the next part, repeating the process. It’s important to exercise patience – you don’t want to rush and fail to lubricate the area enough.
And that’s it! So, what’s the bottom line?
1 x 16oz Throwback Clay Lube
1 x 16oz Vital Car Wash Soap
1 x 50g Clay Bar
1 x Ultimate Drying Towel
Total: $39.96! What a bargain! And the best thing about this kit is that it contains enough car washes and clay reapplications for over a year – and the towel will last forever if you keep it clean! Now that’s a kit that lasts for a long time!
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this week’s blog – stay tuned for more tips and tricks next week. We’re going to feature more of our kits each month too, so keep an eye out for more great all-in-one deals and some incredible discounts!
If you have any questions about any of the techniques or products that we’ve mentioned in this post, just add a comment below and we’ll post a reply! Remember that we stock only the best auto detailing supplies, so why not click some of the links in this blog post, or visit our products page to find out more? From all of us at Proje’, Enjoy the Process!