Paint Oxidation Removal or Clay-Bar Treatment

 How do I know when I need to clay?

After you wash and dry your car, run the palm and fingertips of your clean hand across the top surfaces. Don't be surprised if what you feel is rough and bumpy.

The roughness you feel is the presence of harmful environmental bonded contaminants such as over-spay, fallout, brake dust, tree sap mist and more that have bonded to your paint finish.

Most of these contaminants will wash right off if immediately addressed, however, others bond to the finish and week by week, if not dealt with, will gradually mask and blur the reflection.

To remove these bonded contaminants and bring back that "smooth-as-glass" finish, this will require an extra step, prior to your detailing package, commonly referred to as "claying".

By utilizing our Clay-Bar process, we can, in less than 30 minutes, clay an entire vehicle, giving back its  "smooth-as-glass" feel… and properly preparing that surface for our quality coat of wax. By doing this, your car will not only feel incredible, it will ensure the wax we applied is able to function properly.

How often should I clay?

There is no definitive schedule that can be applied to all cars. Many factors play into how often claying is recommended for your vehicle (where your car is stored, how often you wash it, what environmental elements are in your area, etc).

Depending on the mix of factors that affect your vehicle, you could benefit from claying as often as once a month to as rarely as once a year.

 

 Do I clay before waxing?

Bonded contaminants prevent a freshly waxed surface from reflecting light and shining to its full potential and also repel the adhesion of car wax. If you determine that your finish is not smooth-as-glass by feeling the surface after a wash, you should consider our Clay-Bar process prior to polishing or waxing. By allowing us to prep the surface properly, our polishes and waxes will perform at a higher level.

 

Does clay remove wax?

Yes, while clay is designed to remove above surface bonded contaminants, clay will also remove some wax protection from the surface. We strongly recommend following the claying process with a coat of wax for maximum gloss and protection.

 

Does clay remove scratches and swirls?

No, clay does not remove scratches and swirls. Keep in mind, scratches, swirls, oxidation and stains are all imperfections that are below the surface and require a specialized paint corrective process.

Clay, on the other hand, is designed specifically for above surface bonded contaminants, such as tree sap mist, industrial fallout, over-spray and road tar. We can evaluate your surface to determine which method of correction may be require.

In some cases your vehicle may require the use of both clay and specialized paint corrective process for optimal results.