Hi guys, may sound really stupid thou want to give my car a good clean and you guys go on about claying and claybars etc!

Is it a brand and or fancy polish? What do you reconmend??

Cheers! Matt

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Have a look on detailingworld mate, stacks of info on how to clean your car properly. I'd go with the Meguires Quick Clay kit you can get from Halfords as a good starter kit.

I have a megs clay kit, and it is a nice thorough, easy thing to use (for a car cleaning amateur like myself )

Just clean the car as best you can normally, spray on some of the quick detailer spray you get with the kit (lightly) and rub the clay over the lubricated surface, until it feels 100% smooth. Keep folding the clay into itself when it gets a bit grubby. You'll be amazed what comes off the paintwork. Oh, and a thorough waxing/polish after to seal in the good work the clay has done.

PS: It takes some serious time to clay a whole car...

Dependant on the level of contamination on your car will depend on the aggressiveness of the clay you need, but there is a fairly good guide here:

Car Care Advice - How to clean your paint in preparation for polishing or protection

i got a ClearKote clay bar kit from detailed obssession, a little over £20

Detailed Obsession

although i also spent a fortune on other products from the same place

so is it better to get a soft normal or hard claybar? I'm new to this game too.

Soft claybar(mild) will remove less but leave less marring on the paintwork, a hard claybar (aggressive) will take nearly all contaminants off but you will HAVE to machine polish afterwards to remove the marring.

For regular cleaning a mild will do IMHO. Megs mild or sonus green for instance.

and on a brand spanking new car, once i've clayed it and the numerous layers of polish have been applied, will it need claying again every 6 months or so that I'll polish or just that first time??

If going for the meguiars, don't go to Halfords. Buy the old style pack from Meguiars Quick Clay - Makes Paint As Smooth As Glass --- Motocare for £11.69 delivered to your door. Contains exactly the same clay and spray and amount as the one in Halfrauds at £23.99, although I believe you do miss out on a cloth and a sample of wax or something.

If going for the meguiars, don't go to Halfords. Buy the old style pack from Meguiars Quick Clay - Makes Paint As Smooth As Glass --- Motocare for £11.69 delivered to your door. Contains exactly the same clay and spray and amount as the one in Halfrauds at £23.99, although I believe you do miss out on a cloth and a sample of wax or something.

I'm sure you get two clay bars with the one from Halfords, whereas you only get one with the cheaper one :confused: Could be wrong though

New version (Smooth surface) - 2 x 50g clay bars

Old version (quik clay) - 1 x 85g clay bar (I thought it was 100 but just searched the net to make 100% sure). Guess there's nothing stopping you making it 2 bars

Definitely remember reading in a forum somewhere from a credible source that both use the exact same clay.

You can also get a blue variant of the Meguiar's Mild Clay in 200g blocks, comes in a tub and costs about £14 IIRC. Good to use, just wish the Quik Detailer was cheaper. Make sure you have a radio or some sort of entertainment on in the background too, or you will have been driven MENTAL by the time you're finished!

I use sonus green, which is a fine clay, easy and quick to use,but I have kept up to the car and usually use megs body solvent in a pre wash to remove tar etc.

You can also get a blue variant of the Meguiar's Mild Clay in 200g blocks, comes in a tub and costs about £14 IIRC. Good to use, just wish the Quik Detailer was cheaper. Make sure you have a radio or some sort of entertainment on in the background too, or you will have been driven MENTAL by the time you're finished!

Meguiars Last Touch Detailer

I dilute mine down about 4-5:1 so you get plenty for £20 better than the small bottle rip off!

Sorry, I need to ask again so I know what i'm doing:

On a brand spanking new car, once i've clayed it and the numerous layers of polish have been applied, will it need claying again every 6 months or so that I'll polish or just that first time??

On a brand spanking new car, once i've clayed it and the numerous layers of polish have been applied, will it need claying again every 6 months or so that I'll polish or just that first time??

Depends on how many contaminants you get in the wax/paint - if your car's garaged, etc. then it's possible you won't need to clay it again. If you park it under a tree that drops sap on it, chances are you'll need to clay it in six months.

Is there any particular reason you're claying a new car?

Rob.

Sorry its not the definitive answer you are looking for, but, you need to clay as necessary IMO, the more you look after with good regular washing the less you will need to clay. Feeling your paint when clean is an indication of the need to clay.

A good way is to stick your hand inside a sandwich bag and draw your fingers lightly across the paint, the plastic increases your sensitivity and allows you to feel more of the 'bumps' below.

Unfortunately its not something you can say in 6-9-12 months you must clay, and its not as predictable as a polish breaking down over time, it's all down to use and abuse.

A good way is to stick your hand inside a sandwich bag and draw your fingers lightly across the paint, the plastic increases your sensitivity and allows you to feel more of the 'bumps' below.

This also has the added benefit that it makes you look like something of a nutjob, reducing the chances of neighbours coming up to you and making the oh-so-tiresome quip of "you can do wash my car next if you like"...

Rob.

I'm currently usnig the Bilt Hambler Autoclay on mine and it does a great job, and only requires water as a lubricant (i'm a cheapskate)

If you apply your chosen wax by hand each time (as opposed to by applicator pad) then any contamination will become evident as soon as it occurs

Meguiars Last Touch Detailer

I dilute mine down about 4-5:1 so you get plenty for £20 better than the small bottle rip off!

Completely agree with the bulk purchase of Megs Last Touch, this is also what I use.........

Bilt Hamber clay.

You can use water as the lube and it doesn't mar as much as the more abrasive clays.

In answer to the question, i'm claying my brand new car because it seems reasonable to want a spotless base on which to put wax on to. In the three or so days i've had it, a 200 mile trip back from Rainworth in Mansfield left its fair share of flies and it was also HAMMERING it down so quite a bit of muck already. That and I came out last night to find a bird had shat on the roof!

So that's why I want to clay it.

In answer to the question, i'm claying my brand new car because it seems reasonable to want a spotless base on which to put wax on to.

After three days I'd be surprised if there's anything in the paint that wouldn't just wash off with a good-quality shampoo...

Rob.