What brand of clay does everyone prefer?

MrEvan94

MrEvan94

New member
So I was claying this BMW that was totally neglected. I started claying it with chemical guys og clay bar but it wasn`t cutting it so I went up to a heavier duty meguiars clay bar and it got more out but starting sticking to the paint so i stopped using it and ended up just using the CG bar.
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<---- dinosaur

I still use clay over substitute. It gives me a "feel" that I don`t get out of towels and mitts.

My got to clays are

Poorboys
Ricardo
 
I agree that clay gives better feedback because you can have just two or three fingers working it, so you pick up the small tugs created by imperfections and contamination more easily. You can also see what is getting picked up in the clay itself.

Having said that, I use a Autoscrub Nanoskin medium mitt. Much quicker, easy to clean between sections, helps lube itself, isn`t ruined if you manage to drop it, and gets 95% of the results of actual clay.
 
If a vehicle needs actual, serious decontamination, I do what the automakers both do and recommend- I decontaminate it chemically, usually with the same ValuGard ABC that`s been approved for use by virtually everyone.

Clay- I used tons of the Griot`s and found it awfully similar to the Mother`s. Worked OK but I don`t like using SpeedShine for the lube. These days I use Sonus SFX and the Ricardo/Smart clays. I find the Sonus works best with their Glyde lube.

Sonus SFX is gentle enough that it`ll "clay the LSP clean" without stripping it as long as I do it right. When I did some experimenting, I could use it gently enough to not even strip Meguiar`s M05 although I was being so gentle that I probably wasn`t doing much decon either.

For actual decontamination of the paint I use the Ricardo/Smart clay as the SFX is just too gentle for that when used properly.

Neither of those clays will mar my paint as long as I do things properly but every now and then I do get an !oops! If I`m lucky it`s only a tiny, short/shallow thing that nobody else will ever see. IMO any kind of mechanical decontamination runs the risk of marring.

Not interested in using the towels/etc. if only because I can`t grasp the concept behind how one could use them without a (greater) risk of marring. Even the product literature says to *NOT* use such stuff on satin/matte/flat finishes as it might mess them up through, wait for it...polishing action (AKA, *ABRASION*) so I can`t see how it`d magically become safe when used on some other surface. I guess it`s not as big a deal for people who are already planning to do correction and/or don`t care about using up some clearcoat thickness but I won`t chance it
 
Accumulator said:
If a vehicle needs actual, serious decontamination, I do what the automakers both do and recommend- I decontaminate it chemically, usually with the same ValuGard ABC that`s been approved for use by virtually everyone.

Clay- I used tons of the Griot`s and found it awfully similar to the Mother`s. Worked OK but I don`t like using SpeedShine for the lube. These days I use Sonus SFX and the Ricardo/Smart clays. I find the Sonus works best with their Glyde lube.

Sonus SFX is gentle enough that it`ll "clay the LSP clean" without stripping it as long as I do it right. When I did some experimenting, I could use it gently enough to not even strip Meguiar`s M05 although I was being so gentle that I probably wasn`t doing much decon either.

For actual decontamination of the paint I use the Ricardo/Smart clay as the SFX is just too gentle for that when used properly.

Neither of those clays will mar my paint as long as I do things properly but every now and then I do get an !oops! If I`m lucky it`s only a tiny, short/shallow thing that nobody else will ever see. IMO any kind of mechanical decontamination runs the risk of marring.

Not interested in using the towels/etc. if only because I can`t grasp the concept behind how one could use them without a (greater) risk of marring. Even the product literature says to *NOT* use such stuff on satin/matte/flat finishes as it might mess them up through, wait for it...polishing action (AKA, *ABRASION*) so I can`t see how it`d magically become safe when used on some other surface. I guess it`s not as big a deal for people who are already planning to do correction and/or don`t care about using up some clearcoat thickness but I won`t chance it
Click to expand...

Thank you!! Yeah sometimes when I`m doing someone`s car,for instance, the BMW that I just did. I hate detailing a car without a proper decon. Especially if I`m adding a wax on top. But when it comes to the clay sticking or marring it just aggravates me to the point where I just give up. The meguiars clay bar that I usually get has changed. Usually I can bend it and put it apart easily but I think they changed it. It`s now rubbery and very elastic so I can`t mold it. And it`s a lot more abrasive. I also don`t think I`d ever want to use a mit or towel or sponge because I feel like you don`t have as much control over them and can`t actually feel the paint through them. That`s the beauty of detailing. Being able to feel and see the art that you are making. Everything done by hand is better and the more feel the better imo. I`ll definitely be experimenting with the clays you preferred.


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MrEvan94- Glad my post was helpful. It`s another of those things were I`m kinda off the deep end, but what I`m doing works for me.

On the "decon before waxing" thing...[!!WARNING, Autopian Heresy follows!!]...to be perfectly candid, I often reLSP without claying or otherwise decontaminating the surface. Yep, really. No problems, perhaps because I do give it genuine consideration so it`s not like I`d wax a dirty car", but *IME* the whole "you gotta decontaminate before you rewax!" thing just isn`t so, at least not if you don`t let things get too bad.
 
I switched from Pinnacle clay to the Nanoskin discs and towels. I use plenty of lube and never suffered the marring that others have mentioned. Mothers has some new synthetic clay substitute that looks pretty good. I just got tired of throwing away expensive clay after dropping it. The Nanoskin stuff is easier to work with and the results are the same.
 
When I do use clay - ClayMagic is my go to. Available OTC and behaves better than Megs IMHO. Clay towel (replacing with order this weekend) has been a godsend on getting the white whale done in less than an hour (Nanoskin) and while others will complain about the marring it introduces at times, my DD is ok with it. Others have less acceptance of marring but this is not a black BMW, so not nearly as noticeable.
 
Both of my cars are garaged, so I use Riccardo Yellow clay. I think it falls on the mild side of the aggressiveness scale.
 
I have the Nanoskin Fine Mitt and the 5" Medium Pad on the hand strap. I like the feedback I get with the mitt but enjoy the comfort of the hand strap. Maybe it is just me, but I have never enjoyed claying. I always end up dropping it.
 
I actually enjoy claying with the Nanoskin mitt because it is so quick and easy to get results with -- it is also fun to teach and demonstrate. This last Saturday I helped a friend detail her husband`s neglected H3 Hummer. The car really needs a complete polish, but a thorough decontamination, wash, and clay made a huge difference in the vehicle`s appearance until I can come back. You can see a light bulb go off in people`s heads when they start sliding the Nanoskin mitt back and forth on a freshly washed hood and the rough, grabby feel turns into a smooth glide.
 
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