The Pros and Cons of Detailing Clay

Invented in 1990 in Japan, detailing clay is a relatively unknown way to detail a car. However, it is one of the most effective methods of getting nasty stains and dirt off of delicate automobiles. When it first made an appearance on the detailing scene, it was hailed as a miracle, giving auto professionals a way to clean tough stains off of cars without damaging the paint job. Moreover, it didn’t require any hard work to get the exterior of a car cleaned. Instead, detailing clay can remove nasty eyesores with just one easy swipe.Pros of detailing clayIt is effective: Clay bars are effective because they are mildly abrasive and are small and mixed in with a powdered detergent. This allows the bar to effectively clean the exterior of the car without damaging the paint. Clay bars are great at getting rid of overspray from other chemicals or finishing products. The clay bars smooth out the surface you are trying to detail, making it a necessity if you want to polish your car.It is reliable: The clay bar is a staple of detailing professionals and used more often than not. This is because the clay bars work most of the time and they work well. Clay bars can remove even the most stubborn things, such as tree sap or paint over spray.It works on a variety of different materials: Clay bars not only work on paint and other parts of the car exterior, but also on glass, plastic and metal. This means you can use the bar to clean off the entire exterior of the car without the hassle of having to switch to a different cleanser.It cuts down on the use of other materials: Using clay bars in the detailing process reduces the amount of other chemicals needed to effectively detail, such as wax and polish.Cons of detailing clayIt is time consuming: It takes quite a bit of time to work the bar over the car to get each spot as clean as the area you cleaned before it. Therefore, you can expect to spend a an hour or two cleaning the car with the clay bar versus using other cleaners with which you simply scrub and wipe off the car.It smears if too little lubricant is used: When there is not enough lubrication used during the cleaning process, the clay tends to stick to the surface of the vehicle. This can leave a film or residue behind, making the car surface look very cloudy. Additionally, the clay can pick up greasy substances during the cleansing process, which can smear across the surface of the car.It doesn’t always remove everything: The clay bar removes most things, but not every single thing. For example, certain types of rail dust or particles might not be removed from the car with the clay bar.Clay bars are sensitive to dirt and dust: If you drop it onto the floor it is unusable, since it picks up the dirt from the floor and can actually scratch your paint. So be sure to keep it in its case to avoid any foreign objects to sticking onto it.The advantages of using clay bars, however, vastly outweigh the negative aspects of the cleaning agent, which is why it is used in so many detailing shops around the world. It is a safe and effective method of cleaning your car’s exterior has been a preferred method of cleaning automobiles since its inception.