How To Clay and Decontaminate Your Paint (Video)
by Reece @ DISource: YouTube
Using a clay bar will help you remove embedded surface contamination that still remains after a maintenance wash. After using a clay bar, you will be left with a surface that is as smooth as glass and properly prepped for polishing or for you to apply layers of protection. Not only can you clay your vehicles paint, but you can glass, wheels, lights and more. In this short, but sweet video, James Melfi goes through his process of decontaminating and claying your paint.
Detailing Guide
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Video Transcription
Hey, James with Detailed Image. You would think after a wash your paint is completely clean, but it can be riddled with contaminants like iron deposits and tar. Today I want to show you how to clay and decontaminate your paint. After the wash, while the paint is still wet, let’s start with removing some iron. Go ahead and spray that iron remover directly on a cool wet panel and let it sit for 2-4 minutes. As it sits on the paint, you’re gonna notice a dramatic chemical reaction in the way of a color change. Then you want to work the product in with a clean microfiber towel and then rinse it away. The next step in the decontamination process is the clay bar treatment. A clay bar removes heavily bonded contaminants and restores the paint to a smooth texture. Spray the clay lubricant directly on the panel and gently glide that clay across the surface. Work in small sections, folding that clay often to expose a clean side. And once you have completed, you want to heavily rinse down your paint with water.
Seriously, the clay bar is just simply amazing. Depending on the condition of the paint, you can avoid cutting into the paint with compound and glaze just by claying the car and putting a coat of zymol or something similar on it. Will look like you did go around the car with compound and glaze. Should be used on every detail job regardless. And they go a long way. I’ve had the same one for my personal cars for at least 10 years