Detailing clay, one of the single most effective detailing tools to ensure a squeaky clean, smooth surface prior to polishing or applying a wax or paint sealant. If you have ever used detailing clay on your vehicle, you know exactly how well it works and what a difference it makes on the overall outcome of your weekend detail. For those of you that are new to detailing clay and want to learn more, read on.

Through the use of abrasives and friction, detailing clay is single most effective means of removing surface contaminants from your vehicle`s finish. What is a surface contaminant and how do I know if your vehicle has them? Paint over spray, road tar, bugs, rail dust, industrial fall-out, stubborn road grime and exhaust soot are just a couple examples of surface contaminants. If you drive your car more than two miles a year, or if it has ever sat outside for a day, then it has some type of surface contamination. Simply put, detailing clay removes what washing will not.






Here at Autopia,we have several different clay bars to choose from. They vary in size and level of aggressiveness. If your vehicle is brand spankin` new, go with a fine grade of clay, such as Pinnacle`s Ultra Poly Clay. If you have an older vehicle that has sat outside for years or if you have a problem with light paint over spray, a medium or aggressive grade would be ideal. The vehicle I`ll be demonstrating for this article is a four year old Expedition that has sat outside most of its life.

I`m a fan of keeping things simple. And to keep this article short, simple, and to the point, I`ll be using Pinnacle`s XMT Speed Clay. This clay in particular is a medium grade and is very easy to use. If you`re not sure which clay system to get, you cannot possibly go wrong with the XMT Speed Clay. It`s over 200 grams (over half a pound!) which is enough to break in to four smaller pieces and store the rest for later. It can also be used on glass and chrome.








If you have never rubbed the tips of your fingers across your vehicle`s finish, go do so now. I`ll wait, and so will the rest of Autopians. Does it feel gritty or smooth? If it feels smooth, place your hand in a plastic sandwich baggy. This will intensify the feeling in your finger tips to really get an idea of how dirty the paint is.






Shocking how gritty the paint feels isn`t it? Just think, all this time you`ve been polishing and waxing over all that gunk that`s been sitting on your paint. If feeling your gritty paint hasn`t convinced you to clay yet, continue to scroll down.

Using a clay lubricant, spray the area that you`re going to clay. You don`t have to completely drench the panel, just make sure there is an adequate amount. Try not to work on too large of an area at a time.

Helpful tip: Upon first use of the clay, spray it with the lubricant also. This ensures proper lubrication of the bar and it keeps it from sticking to your hands.






With the clay shaped like a round patty, place it in your hand and apply light to moderate pressure and rub it across the paint. If you feel it start to grab, that`s perfectly normal. As the clay moves across the surfaces the abrasives in the clay along with the friction of rubbing it across the panel causes the clay to grab on to the surface contaminants. Continue doing so and inspect your clay bar frequently. Fold and re knead the bar frequently so you have a clean surface. You don`t want to continue rubbing all the gunk that`s trapped in the bar across the surface as this can cause scratching or marring.

Helpful tip: If you drop the clay bar, throw it away. Detailing clay is tacky and if you drop it, everything will stick to it. It`s better to play it safe than sorry.






Warning: The picture below may be shocking to some of you. Do not worry, it`s not too late to clay your vehicle if you`ve never done so before.






Now the paint should feel silky smooth. If you really want to make sure the surface is smooth and free of contaminants, place your hand in a plastic sandwich baggy.






The Pinnacle XMT Speed Clay comes with a storage case. After you`re finished using the clay, spray it with the clay lubricant. This will ensure the clay doesn`t dry out and will also keep it from sticking to the case.






It`s never too late to clay. If your vehicle sits outside 24/7, I would recommend using detailing clay every three to four months. If your vehicle is garaged, twice a year works just fine in most cases. Using detailing clay is the most simple, cost effective means of ensuring a squeaky clean surface so you get the most out of your wax or sealant.

Pinnacle XMT Speed Clay