Clay bar Q: soap, detail spray or LUBE?

C

Chris Shades

New member
Does anyone just use soap and water as lubricant to clay they're care? I know a majority of people use detail spray, but there is also special clay lubricant im seeing now, and people suggesting not to use soap and water because it will damage the clay. Is this true?
 
Im new here and i wonder this as well. also after using the clay (seeing that most kits come with 2 bars)...is each bar only a one and done use? or can u reuse em and how would you store them after that first use?
 
Kalon said:
Im new here and i wonder this as well. also after using the clay (seeing that most kits come with 2 bars)...is each bar only a one and done use? or can u reuse em and how would you store them after that first use?
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you can re-use them, depending on how contaminated it gets (depends on the condition of the car). after each section, re-knead as necessary to expose a fresh side...





to the OP, i add a few drops of car wash to a small bottle and it works fine for clay lube...
 
Kalon said:
how many uses (claying the entire car) is considered normal? im trying to learn as much as I can.
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Depends. Some cars may be heavily contaminated, some may not. My brand new civic used up a quarter of a Meg's bar. My father's car used half a bar.
 
i use half a bar on one car, but it is not in that bad a shape.



I normally use the clay luve that comes with the meguiars kit but here recently I have been using a spray bottle with half detailing spray and half water to cut down on some of the detailing spray.



Just got my gallon of Last Touch in and will use that 1:1 when i am out of detailing spray
 
Boston Man said:
Depends. Some cars may be heavily contaminated, some may not. My brand new civic used up a quarter of a Meg's bar. My father's car used half a bar.
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thanks guys. just trying to gather up as much info as I can.
 
Kalon said:
how many uses (claying the entire car) is considered normal? im trying to learn as much as I can.
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On a car that have never been clayed before, you may use up the entire piece (I break mine up into thirds). On my car, I clay generally around 3 times a year (whenever I reapply my LSP), I have been using the same piece several times. Every once in a while I drop a piece that is still good and have to throw it away due to grit on the ground that sticks to it.
 
I know I'm jacking your thread, sorry. But I've heard about people letting the car wet after a wash and then clay, how exactly does that serve as lubricant. Or is it done only if the car has minimal contamination?
 
if you use a rinseless wash like ONR or DP rinseless wash and gloss, you can definitely clay the car after making sure the dirt is washed off
 
Guess I'm going against the grain here, but I seem to do best using a dedicated clay lube. Yeah, I'll use shampoo or a QD for a quickie claying of a smallish area, but when I'm *really claying the car* I use lube.



And for claying *very* gently with Sonus Green (so gently that I don't compromise my LSP), I always use Glyde.



General note about claying: remember that once the clay picks up some abrasive contamination, it basically turns into sandpaper and can/will mar your paint.
 
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