how do you clean clay bars?

You don't.



When the clay surface gets dirty from contaminates on the surface of the paint, you massage the putty until you get a clean putty surface again.



When you drop it on the ground, you throw it away.
 
I just knead the clay until it looks clean ... after awhile I will throw the piece out if the contaminants are still present (even after kneading) or if I just feel like I should use a fresh piece.



Cut your bar into smaller sections so you won't use up the whole thing at once.
 
That blackfire stuff looks pretty cool but I would hate to have to wash the clay after every portion of a panel. Seems like it would waste a lot of time.



Time=money and I think it would be cheaper in the long run to just throw it out and use a new piece
 
depending on how contaminated the vehicles are, usually 2-3 cars is what I have seen is the norm.



Once it is too contaminated for the paint, you can use it for glass and wheels too, just try and get most of the big debris out of it.
 
chrisdd said:
how many times can you use the same clay bar?
Click to expand...



Until you can feel the contaminates in the clay. Sometimes one panel is more than enough to junk out a bar other times you can do a few entire vehicles if they are lightly contaminated. There is no set "uses" for a claybar before you have to chuck it.
 
I don't clean my clay and I err on the side of caution when it comes to how long I use it. I view clay as an expendable resource; I use fairly small pieces and just throw them away (or use them on wheels) when they're dirty.
 
if you feel the need to clean your bar, its time to toss. cut sections at a time so you only use small amounts of clay. instead of risking the chances of contaminating the whole bar at once (like dropping it on the ground)
 
Someone showed a link to a claybar cleaner spray, but that seems like one of the dumbest things I have ever seen.. If the clay is dirty, throw it away, that is the point of clay. No cleaning will remove the particles that are stuck in there from your paint..
 
Cleaning off things like tar with a dedicated cleaner before claying can help keep them from getting so dirty right away too.
 
Since I typically use car wash as lube after I've washed the car, before I knead the clay I dip it in the rinse bucket and run my finger over the surface to remove anything loose so as not to knead in anything unnecessarily.
 
Dipping the clay bar in the wash bucket is a great tip, as long as it doesn't cool and toughen up the clay (making it harder to knead). Sometimes I compare the color of the small piece I'm using at the time to the original color to keep track of how dirty it really is. I find as I get more experience with clay and clay more often with a very gentle clay (Sonus Green) I'm kneading after only a few strokes as opposed to a whole panel at a time. I have Accumulator to thank for that!!! :think2
 
I reuse not paint ready clay on glass and wheels, headlights, etc. before tossing them. Even if they could be cleaned, they can only be used so much before they are literally falling apart
 
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