andrewll said:
Apologies for being a numpty but can someone explain 'claying' please? I am having my XF (which I pick up on Monday) treated with Supaguard which I have found brilliant on two previous cars I have owned.
Claying is part of a process known as 'detailing'. Detailing is ensuring that every part of your car is dirt-free and visually appealing.
Claying usually applies to the car's paintwork (although some people clay the glass and wheels of their car). Claying involves a piece of 'clay' known as a clay bar (which is usually sold as a small slab of soft, plasticine-like material) and some lubricant (which is usually a quick-detailer spray).
All paintwork traps minute particles which stay embedded in the clearcoat of your paintwork despite washing and waxing your car. These not only spoil the lustre of your paintwork but also disperse light in random directions. This causes your paintwork to look tired and dull. Normal washing cannot remove these particles.
A clay bar wiped over your paintwork 'pulls' these particles off. Prior to claying your paintwork must be washed thoroughly with a good, mild car shampoo and then dried (though it's not that important to dry the car prior to claying it). Then your paintwork must be well lubricated with a quick detailer in order for the clay bar to be able to glide across your paintwork without marring the surface. A quick detailer is a spray-on gloss-enhancing treatment for you paintwork. The lubricant is sprayed on a small section of the paintwork (eg. a 2ft x 1ft section at a time) so that it is thoroughly drenched. The clay bar (warmed up so it's soft) is formed into a disc shape and then wiped lightly over the wet surface. Initially you'll feel a slight resistance as tiny particles embedded in your paintwork are pulled away by the clay bar. As you wipe back and forth (and NOT in a circular motion), you'll feel less and less resistance until there is virtually no resistance whatsoever which indicates that the paintwork is free of surface contaminants.
The side of the clay bar in contact with the paintwork will have turned a dirty brown in colour due to the trapped dirt particles picked up from the paintwork. You then fold the clay bar over itself to expose a new clean surface, ready for claying the next section.
Claying, if done properly, will provide a very smooth finish to your paintwork but then requires other processes to finish the paintwork (eg. cleansing, glazing, sealing, waxing, etc). You can't just leave the paintwork clayed as it will have no protection from the elements.
Claying should not be used on paintwork-treated finishes (eg. Diamondbrite).
Claying can benefit all cars of all ages. I clayed my XF a couple of months after I got it and the difference was amazing. Claying should only be carried out once or twice a year.
