Sometimes just washing your car is not enough to get a smooth contamination free surface to apply a wax or sealant to. When contaminants such as bird droppings, brake dust and environmental pollutants settle and stay on your car's surface, they become embedded in the top layer of the paint. Auto detailing clay is a natural or synthetic compound used to remove contaminants from the surface of your car’s paint, glass, fiberglass and metal. how does auto detailing clay work?Clay is gently moved across the surface of a vehicle and ‘lifts’ any foreign debri that protrudes from it due to the tacky surface of the clay. The particles stick to the clay and is therefore removed from your vehicle. The surface being clayed should always be wet with clay lubricant to prevent loose debris from scratching the vehicle. Clay bars range from fine to aggressive for removing heavy contaminants. Using an aggressive clay or the wrong technique on soft paint can cause micro marring(scratches) which would require machine polishing to remove. Because of this in most cases I will not clay unless I am going to polish. Can you clay without polishing? Sure! But best practice would be to polish and wax after. How do I know If need to clay my car? Chances are if you are reading this you have never used detailing clay on your car. Here is a trick I learned years ago from Mike Phillips at Autogeek. After you properly wash and dry your vehicle do the'' Baggy Test". Simply use a clean sandwich baggie by placing your hand inside the baggie and then feeling the horizontal surfaces like the hood, roof and trunk lid. The film of plastic acts to intensify the surface texture created by contaminants bonded to the paint making it more dramatic to your sense of touch when you feel the paint through the baggie. One last note Always follow claying with a quality car wax or sealant. Clay will remove existing wax! The paint and surfaces that you have clayed must be sealed in order to protect the paint from corrosion, UV, bird droppings etc. I hope this information has helped you understand what detailing clay is and when to use it.
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CQuartz Fabric brings long-lasting CQuartz coating technology to fabric convertible tops, interior textiles, carpets, and fabrics. It forms a Super-Hydrophobic barrier that repels water and stains, while resisting abrasion, UV fading, alkaline and acid attack for up to 12 months. CQuartz Fabric does not change the feel of the surfaces to which it is applied.
Cquartz Fabric transforms the substrate into a super hydrophobic surface that is durable, flexible, and long lasting against harsh or caustic detergents. Areas Of Application:
Courtesy of http://www.carpro-us.com/
Do you have dull, yellowed and cloudy headlights? Without proper maintenance the suns UV rays degrade and discolor plastic lenses. Dull lenses are a safety issue and can make a car look old and neglected. The last set of headlights I restored my client said before they were restored they could not tell when the headlights were on! Now that is dangerous. I am going to share with you my go to headlight restoration kit for restoring headlights. Stop being fooled by these infomercials saying you can just wipe there product on and have a clear brand new looking headlight it's not going to happen. I have seen people use toothpaste and a rag. This approach may work for very light oxidized lights because of the fine abrasives in toothpaste but will still leave a haze and takes a lot of elbow grease. Use the right tools for the job! If you want to do it right pick up a 3M headlight restoration kit from your local parts store. This will have what you need to get like new results. This kit gives you everything you need to restore your headlights with a drill! Kit includes: 3M backing plate 4 P800 grit white abrasive discs 6 P500 grit yellow discs P3000 Trizact™ foam disc Orange foam compounding pad 1 oz. 3M Headlight Lens Polish Sample Although this kit is great having your headlights done by a professional detailer will yield better results. Depending on how badly damaged the headlights are there may be extra sanding steps and the use of other tools such as a direct drive polisher or a Dual action polisher. When I correct headlights for customers I take it to the next level by using a combination of machine and hand sanding to make sure they are absolutely perfect before compounding. If you notice the kit above is only supplied with a compound and a cutting pad. To further refine the clarity of the headlights they need to be polished with a light cutting polish and a finishing pad. After I have corrected the headlights to like new condition I then apply a permanent resin based coating designed to protect headlights against yellowing, fading and discoloration for the life of the vehicle. Before you go out and spend hundreds on new headlights try the 3m headlight restoration kit or contact me to restore and protect them permanently! Protect you windshield and glass with Carpro Flyby30. CarPro FlyBy30 is a durable coating designed to repel water, dust, dirt, sleet, snow and other airborne contaminants on your vehicle’s exterior glass. This state-of-the-art nano-based coating provides 6 to 8 months of protection for your vehicle’s exterior glass including the windshield, side windows, mirrors, etc. CarPro FlyBy30 gets its name from its ability to cause water to bead up and roll off at speeds in excess of 30 mph! Before applying the coating I wash, clay, and polish the glass to make sure no contaminants are left. This will also remove some small scratches in the galss. What to Expect: Perfect clarity Provides safe, and high visibility driving in poor weather conditions 6 to 8 months of protection Water beads up and roll off at speeds in excess of 30 mph Can be used on all glass and mirrors |
AuthorRussell Benz is the owner of Devine Shine Auto Detail LLC located in Crossroads/Little Elm Texas. He is a IDA certified detailer and installer for CS-II coatings. Categories
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