How long does clay last?

[rbb1305]

As the title states, I am wondering how long the clay is good for in the kits they sell. I have the Smooth Surface Clay Kit and used 1 of the 2 packages of clay to do my wife's '03 Acura TL. I followed the directions and folded over the clay multiple times. Now I have some black on the clay from the gunk that was on the paint. How many times can I use the clay before it is spent? And should I use both packages? I used just one and it seemed fine. Thanks!

[Murr1525]

Re: How long does clay last?

Well, if you can fold it, and still get clean clay, then it is fine.

If you are starting to get some specks coming through even after folding, then it might be best to use that clay for wheels/exhaust, then discard it.

Its hard to say how long things will last. If a car was in real bad shape, one kit might only do half the car. If a car was in great shape, you could clay it 5 or 6 times with one piece.

[Ryan L.]

Re: How long does clay last?

The packages are seperate just for that reason, use one then once it is done then use the other one. Its really hard to say exactly when clay is done and needs to be thrown away. The best way to tell is how dirty it is...use common sense to tell.

Ryan

EDIT: Matt is stalking my posts!! Just kidding

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: How long does clay last?

There really is no definitive answer. Like the others have said, after kneading if its still dirty discard.

[jfelbab]

Re: How long does clay last?

My routine has me using one piece for the paint, then I move to the glass, the chrome, stainless accents, and finally the wheels, inside and out. After this routine the clay is too contaminated to reuse.

With the Meg's Smooth Surface kit, the clay already comes in two pieces but with others I cut the bar in two. I typically get two vehicles from a clay kit.

IMHO, clay kits are very inexpensive and I wouldn't want to skimp and possibly mar the paint with dirty clay.

Most of the vehicles I do are in new or like new condition so if you have a really badly maintained vehicle you will need to use more clay.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: How long does clay last?

IF you use brand new clay on a car that has a lot of built-up bonded contaminants it won't last very long because it will remove the built-up bonded contaminants and trap them into itself.

That's a good thing but it means your paint is clean and your clay is dirty.

If you use a brand new clay bar on a car that's not very dirty, as in it doesn't have a lot of built-up bonded contaminants then your clay won't get very dirty and it will last for more uses the next time you detail your car.

What are you working on?
How contaminated is the paint?
How does the paint feel after you wash the car?
Is it smooth and glassy feeling? Or does it feel like #40 Grit sandpaper?

[rbb1305]

Re: How long does clay last?

Thanks for the replies. I used the clay on my wife's Acura. The paint wasn't touched for a while. Before doing anything, the paint had a lot of drag on it. After claying the car, and polishing and waxing after. The paint felt very silky. The clay does have some black in it now, yet still seems clean to my eyes. More grey than black.

It was mentioned that the kits are inexpensive. Now, I would not call it alot of cash, however at my auto store the kit is $18 I think. Is it possible to ust buy the clay? I read someone on here the differences in the different types of clay. Is there an option to just buy a big block of clay that is similar to the one in the kit? Would regular clay do the trick? I always have QD on hand so to buy the kit with more QD isn't really the best option to me. But if that's the way it is, then that's the way it is.

How often do people clay there vehicles? Do you just use the 'feel' test or do youy say, 'OK, 3 mos. have past, time for clay.'?

[Murr1525]

Re: How long does clay last?

If you want to buy seperately, you would look at the Pro-Line Mild Blue Clay, and then the QD of your choice.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: How long does clay last?

How often do people clay there vehicles?

Do you just use the 'feel' test or do you say, 'OK, 3 mos. have past, time for clay.'?

These questions come up all the time, as such there's a thread about them in "Hot Topics" because it's a Hot Topic.

From the homepage you'll see this in the center columm...


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Click on Hot Topics and there's 4 pages of "Hot Topic Threads", and this one is so hot it's a sticky...

How often do I need to clay my car's finish?

The second picture kind of tells the story as to how often...