Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/441929
January / February 2015 19 Photos by Spencer Cochran the car if possible. 2 You will need both a clay bar and proper clay lubricant to protect the surface. Most clay bar kits come with lubricant, but a good finishing spray can work also. Without lubrica- tion the clay cannot glide across the finish, and can leave residue that can mar the surface. Start by cutting the clay into at least three smaller pieces, shaping them into flat surfaces. 3 Time to get started, most of the work will be on the top surfaces of your car and the hood is the most visible part of your car so I start there. After the hood is completely done move to the trunk lid, then fin- ish the top of the fenders before moving to the side of the car. Work in small sections (24"x24") so that your lubricant doesn't have a chance to dry out. Spray the area with plenty of lu- bricant. With light pressure, glide the clay back and forth across the surface. Work in one direction and back only do not change directions or make circles. Do not use too much pressure, let the clay do the work. (Putting too much pressure on the clay can mar the finish). Move the clay back and forth un- til you feel it glides effort- lessly, then remove the clay lubricant with a microfiber towel and move to the next section. Reshape your piece of clay after each section so that there is a clean fresh sur- face exposed. If you cannot reveal a fresh surface, break off a new piece of clay. Continue to work in 24"x24" areas until you get the whole car clean. Another helpful hint is to lightly wax the fender areas behind the wheels with a mild cleaner wax to remove as much road debris as possible before clay baring those areas. (Also you can clay bar your windows and wheels). Tip: If you drop your clay bar on the floor or ground throw it away and get a new piece, you do not want to scratch your finish with a contaminated piece of clay bar. 4 Now that you have re- moved all of your wax and contaminants from your finish it is time to pol- ish your car. Claying will not remove machine swirls and scratches (it does re- move wax swirls). With no wax on your car finish small scratches can be eas- ily seen and now is the time to polish them out. (I like to use Mequiar's polish or P21s paintwork cleanser). If the scratch is too large for a polish to remove, I use Mequiars Scratch X2.0 on those areas first. You should not put a lot of pressure on these cleaners as it can mar the finish quickly. Anytime you use a stronger polishing agent on your paint you fin- ish up with a lighter polish until the finish is free of any small scratches and the sur- face is glossy again. Tip: You can mar your finish by using too strong of a polish, let the professional take out the scratches that mild polish products won't. 5 After your paint has been clayed and pol- ished it is a good practice to give your car a re-wash be- fore proceeding to the next step, which is glazing and waxing your paint. That wraps up this install- ment of the Cleaning Cor- ner, next time we will cover glazing and waxing your car. - Spencer