Car Care: Restore Paint Finish with Clay

After you've spent a day washing and waxing your pride and joy, you look forward to giving it that final stroke: when you run your hand across the freshly waxed paint, just to feel how smooth it is. But sometimes, it still feels gritty. Where's the glasslike texture you anticipated? It's lying somewhere under that new coat of wax.

Several factors contribute to paint contamination: Air pollution, bird droppings, and industrial fallout are just a few. Surprisingly, even brand-new cars and trucks can suffer from paint contamination. So how do we remove these harsh paint-slayers from our vehicles' finish?

Several car-care product manufacturers offer a clay-bar system. Professionals have been using clay for a decade; consumer-based varieties have been around for about five years. Here's how it works: As the clay bar passes over a properly lubricated paint surface, it pulls and shears away contaminants. Think of it as exfoliation for your painted surface, although it won't replace polishing, color sanding, or scratch removal. Those are entirely different processes, and if your finish is badly damaged, clay treatment probably won't help.

Start with a clean, dry vehicle, remembering to wash it with a cleaner formulated for automotive finishes. Avoid dishwashing detergents; they're engineered to remove grease from your dishes, which means they will also remove wax from your paint.

Spray a lubricant--Mothers, for example, includes a bottle of Showtime Instant Detailer with its clay--onto a two-to-three-foot section of the surface. Never use water, as it doesn't offer the lubricating qualities needed to avoid paint damage.

Using light pressure, rub the clay back and forth on the freshly lubricated section, overlapping each stroke. You should be able to hear the clay removing the contaminants. It may sound rough at first, but as contaminants are worn down, the tone and feel will get quieter and smoother. Reapply Showtime as needed to keep the area well saturated. The largest amounts of contaminants accumulate on the horizontal surfaces, so these areas take more time than the sides. Figure 30 minutes to an hour for most vehicles. Wipe the area you just finished claying with a clean, soft, dry terry towel.

Now that you've just stripped the paint clean of the bad stuff and opened up its pores, it's vital to apply a protective coat of wax or sealer. Mothers includes a four-ounce container of its Original Formula Carnauba Cleaner Wax with its kit, but use whatever combination of products you're happiest with. Run your hand over the area you've just waxed, and you'll discover the smooth, quality finish that was there all along.