Detailing clay, a tool that every single detailer has on their shelf.  It is a play-doh-like product that allows us to remove bonded contaminants from automotive surfaces.  Clay is a very easy product to use.  Simply spray the working area with a lubricant such as a quick detailer or rinseless wash solution, fold the clay into a flat patty, then gently rub the clay against the paint, making sure it slides easily along the surface, until the contamination has been removed.

The act of rubbing a material back and forth across a painted surface while picking up tiny particles that are stuck to the surface certainly has potential to scratch or mar the area.  For this reason it is commonly recommended not to use detailing clay unless you plan to polish a vehicle afterwards.  I personally give this advice to others quite often.  This puts vehicle owners in a tough spot, especially if they have applied a paint coating in the past.  Following this methodology there are only two options for removing contamination; clay the paint and accept the fact that there may be some marring afterwards, or clay the paint and then polish it afterwards to remove the marring which means you must then reapply the paint coating as well.  Neither of these are great options if your paint coating still has plenty of life left in it and you have no other reason to polish and reapply the coating.  22ple has set out to offer a third option with their ultra fine, ultra soft, glass coat clay.

22ple Ultra Soft Glass Coat Clay will help you remove lightly embedded contamination from the paint with ease! This truly unique clay is specially formulated without abrasives, allowing it to not only work well on bare paint but to work on a glass coated surface without leaving micro scratches. The incredibly malleable bar is easily shaped and with some clay lube, it will glide across the surface readily. It works great with virtually all clay lubes, so keep using your favorite one. You will notice right away this bar has the rare balance of great cleaning power but very gentle on your paint so you don’t introduce marring. This is a really remarkable type of clay that will impress anyone who loves car care. So take your paint to the next level with a deep cleaning from the 22ple Ultra Soft Glass Coat Clay!

The 22ple clay bar is, as the name implies, a very fine grade clay bar that has been designed to be used on either coated or uncoated vehicles to safely remove light contamination from the surface without inflicting any damage. The clay comes packaged in a nice plastic container with two individually wrapped pieces of clay, and as described, it is exceptionally soft and malleable.

I have tested this clay on several vehicles and with a few different lubricants including Optimum No Rinse, Meguiar’s D114, and Nanoskin Glide by spraying the lubricant liberally over the surface, as I would with any other clay bar, then working the clay over the surface until it is free of contaminants.

I had no problem removing the light contamination from the surface with each use.  I’ve put this clay to the test on some incredibly soft, jet black paints and I am happy to report I have not seen any marring in the handful of tests I have done to date.  It is also worth mentioning that I have noticed no difference in clay performance between the different lubricants I have used.

To be completely honest, I wanted to give this product a try because I assumed that detailing clay was detailing clay and this product would be no different than the others I have on my shelf.  I’m happy to say that I was wrong.  The 22ple clay bar is hands down the softest, most malleable clay bar I have ever used.  As I mentioned, I have not seen any damage after using this clay bar, but please understand if you use this on a heavily contaminated surface the risk of marring the surface is much greater.  This may be a nice addition to the coating maintenance routine in the event that chemical decontamination is not enough to remove the bonded particles from your coated surface.  While there still may be some apprehension about rubbing a piece of clay over your pristine paint, if I was a betting man I would say the odds of completing the task without superficial damage are better when using the 22ple clay bar.