Vehicle Claying in Sheffield
Vehicle claying in Sheffield – used to remove dust, dirt, industrial fallout, acid rain, and other contaminants from your car’s exterior surfaces. This process is known as ‘claying’, using a ‘clay-bar’.
The process involves removing particles that stick to the clay when it is rubbed along the car’s surface. Claying is most commonly used on paint, but also works on glass & other painted surfaces but is generally used for achieving that glass smooth finish to vehicle paintwork. When done properly, claying is non-abrasive and will not damage your car in any way. In fact, anyone can ‘clay’ their car quite easily.
Vehicle Claying in Sheffield – How to do it yourself…
Step 1.
Before attempting this the first thing to do is wash your vehicle as you would or as we would recommend the old Sunday morning wash using a hose, bucket & sponge. Start by giving the vehicle a good rinse with the hose pipe or power wash which ever you prefer. Start from the roof and work down removing all loose dirt & road grime before soaping the car completely with a sponge or wash mitten. When this is complete, rinse the vehicle from the roof rinsing downwards. This will ensure the surface is clean and free from any abrasive grit or grime.
Step 2.
There is no real set way of starting to clay the vehicle but the best method is the ‘one panel at a time’ method. Starting with the roof and again, working from top to bottom (using safe steady step ladders for safety). Start by adding a little surface lubricant to the roof surface. This lubricant usually comes with the kit and allows the clay to slide effortlessly across the surface of the paintwork without the need to apply pressure. The lubricant can be a simple spray bottle filled with water and a few drops of baby shampoo or washing up liquid. Take approximately a quarter of the clay-bar and run under a warm tap to loosen the clay into a soft malleable putty type state. When the clay is soft & malleable, kneed the clay into a flat surface about the size of the palm of your hand.
Spray some lubricant onto the paint surface ensuring there is enough friction free movement of the clay. Place the flat palm sized clay onto the surface and using 2 or 3 fingers gently glide the clay over the lubricated surface without pressure. Always ensure that the surface has plenty of lubricant to prevent grabbing of the clay.
After claying half the roof turn the clay over and check the underside of the clay. This should now be covered in dirt, grime & contaminants. Using the clean surface, lubricate the other half of the roof and repeat the process. You can clay your vehicle as many times as you wish as this will not harm the vehicle’s surface in any way. When ‘claying’ is complete, wipe the surface with a soft lint free cloth before applying polish or body wax.
Tip: To help keep your vehicle in pristine condition we recommend ‘claying’ your vehicle 2 -3 times per year. - Tint Studio
Step 3.
Repeat the process over the entire vehicle moving from one body panel to the next. This way you can compare the feel of the panel that is done to the one about to be done. We recommend that after claying your vehicle it is advisable to wax or polish the paintwork for that all important smooth clean finish.
The used clay-bar can be re-used simply by running under a warm tap and re-kneading the clay into a re-usable state.
Happy claying 🙂