The Clay Bar - How A Piece of Clay Fits Into Cleaning Your Car

For all my time in the detailing business, I have heard more confusion and questions about this little blob. I hope to clear up some confusion and provide a little education.

When you “clay bar” a car, you are literally taking a lump of clay and “scrubbing” the exterior painted surfaces of the car. A lubricant is used in the process (soapy water or a liquid spray wax - my personal favorite), keeping the clay from sticking to the car and increasing the performance of the product. When the clay is used, the contact surface is so smooth and flat that it creates more surface contact than any buffer or hand towel can. This close contact is what provides the clay with the ability to remove surface contaminants like industrial fallout. The clay absorbs the contamination and does not transfer it back to the car.

At the end of the job your paint is left super clean and ready for the best wax application possible. If you do not clay the car and still wax it, you may notice little white specs on the car. This is where the fallout traps the wax. I have never felt a finish so smooth and seen a wax job as good as I have after a thorough clay job. You will be amazed at the results!

This is a job you can do yourself but I do not recommend it unless you have done it a few times already. The clay traps everything that it contacts so picking something up that will scratch your car is a real possibility. It is time consuming as well.

This is a process that is used in conjunction with buffing, but it doesn't always accompanies just buffing. If you want this process done, it is best to ask specifically for it.

If you do it on your own, I do recommend using a liquid spray wax. The job is cleaner and, I think, better. As for the clay itself, just use a high quality product and you will be happy. I recommend pretty much anything that you find at Griot’s Garage. They do a great job with their products.

Happy clay bar, people! Put some diapers in your car because the finish will be Baby Butt Smooth!

The Birds And The Bees…

It is finally spring time! The sun is shining a little more, the air smells a little more fragrant, the insects have multiplied, and the birds have started to return. For your car, spring can be a mixed blessing. 

While here in the northwest the harsh weather begins to calm, allowing some reprieve to your cars paint, the bird and insect life is just getting into full swing. These two creatures can launch an all-out assault on the exterior of your car. Between the seemingly infinite number of bugs in the air and the metric tons of bird poop that rains from the sky, we recommend a diligent and attentive approach to your car’s paint.

We all know that bird poop is first and foremost gross, then ugly, and finally harmful. It is especially acidic. Bird droppings contain significant amounts of Uric acid with a pH of 3-4.5 (that’s pretty high). Its so high that it not only can eat through the paint on your car but can dissolve building materials! Pardon the language, but you do not want that sh#* on your car! If left long enough, it will ruin the finish.

Surprisingly, bugs can be just as harmful to your car. When a bug is unlucky enough to have its final resting place on your front bumper, fenders, or hood, the resulting juices will leave a lasting impression if not cleaned soon enough. If left too long, the bug actually etches the paint and the body of the bug begins to sink into the clear coat. This leaves a permanent spot in your paint you can not only see, but feel with your finger.

Have no fear, however! Both of these menaces can be easily cleaned right away. All you need is a mild soap and water mix. Even a mild glass cleaner will easily lift the stuff off of your car. Wipe it off with a micro fiber towel and you are good to go! The bugs may take a little more scrubbing but they will come off if they are fresh.

You can also give yourself a little insurance by making sure that your car always has a good coat of wax on it. This will provide a less sticky surface making cleaning easier and adds one more layer of protection.

Drive clean and enjoy the sun!

Let's Talk About Scratches...

Before we get too far into scratches, how we all hate them and how we all somehow manage to get them, it is important to first understand exactly what the anatomy of your car's paint job is.

Most cars are painted in a two-stage process. After the primer is cured the first stage is applied. This is the basecoat - the actual color of the car. Once the proper number of coats is applied, the second stage begins. This is the clear coat. This is the final stage that gives your base coat a shine and a layer of protection. So, once the job is complete you essentially have three layers between you and the metal of your car. Ok, now on to scratches.

Scratches come in many forms. Some appear to be swirls, some appear white or are discolored, and others go all the way to the paint. All of these can be addressed and repaired to varying degrees.

There is a general rule that you can easily use to see what your scratches will need in the way of repair. If you drag your fingernail across the scratch and it catches, the scratch is usually too deep to buff out. Otherwise, a combination of cutting and buffing can be employed to fix the scratch because this generally means that the damage is limited to the clear coat.

Cutting and buffing are two separate techniques. “Cutting” means a wool pad on a buffing machine is used to “cut” down some of the clear coat to smooth out the edges and spread out the scratch. This process actually eliminates the scratch, where as light buffing and waxing tend to only temporarily fill the damage and hide it. Buffing is then used to polish out the damaged area making the scratch disappear for good.

There are some times when wet sanding or “color sanding” is used to repair deeper scratches. This technique is very sensitive and should only be done by a professional. It is very easy to do more damage if you have never done this before. This will usually make the scratch disappear or minimize it to the point where you are happy with it. Again this is usually only used on scratches that are very aggressive.

Finally, when the scratch is all the way down to the metal, you are left with two options. Touch-up or re-paint. Touch-up is a great alternative to expensive re-painting although is not perfect. You will still be able to see the damage but the color will be the same and the metal will be protected. It is also important to understand that no amount of sanding and buffing will make this repair appear any better than a touch up job.

Each scratch is unique, and we are happy to answer any questions you may have. We will offer honest and thorough answers that are beneficial to you. Please feel free to call us at 253.474.7274 or comment below - we're here to help!

Adding Value With Dent Repair

When selling your car, it is important to make it as attractive as possible. Since I began working in the car industry, I have come to notice a few habits that people in the market for a car have. I do not sell cars personally, but deal with individuals selling them all day long. The most practical criteria when considering buying a used vehicle is the mechanical quality. However, it is often the car that looks newer and cleaner that is sold quickly, and for top dollar. We all want to buy a car that runs, of course, but we want a car that looks good even more!

There are some inexpensive ways you can really add value to your car, paintless dent repair being one of the best. When you take the time and effort to remove the dents, it adds incredible value to your vehicle. Cars that still have dents look as though the owner did not care much for the car and may lead the buyer to think that other needs of the car went unnoticed.

Even cars that have had body work can cause buyers to be suspicious of a vehicle's quality, however. When non-factory paint is used, a red flag pops up for many savvy buyers. To have the car painted implies that the car was in an accident, and the customer can become very suspicious of the car and its safety. With paintless dent repair, there is no altering of the cars factory finish.

I believe that it is safe to say that for every dollar of dent repair spent you should at least see two dollars added to the value of your vehicle. The process is quick and can be easily scheduled. Your car will sell more quickly and closer to the price you ask for simply because it looks good, leaving the customer nothing to point out for offering a less than reasonable price.

Paintless dent repair offers a valuable return on your investment, adding to the bottom line of any car sale. Be sure to watch for more posts regarding adding value to your vehicle and please leave a comment with any questions you may have!

Help, My Car Smells Like Smoke!

The materials on the interior of your car can trap many things, odors being one of them and cigarette smoke being one that is the most difficult to remove. Many of your store bought chemicals and shampoos will simply move the odor-causing material around and at best mask the odor that is produced. While this works, it is very much a temporary solution as the odors will soon be back.

When a person smokes in a vehicle the cigarette releases a bunch of chemicals into the car, such as Formaldehyde, Ammonia, Acetone, Tar and Carbon Monoxide (to name a few). These chemicals embed themselves and attach to the fibers of the carpet and sink into the pores of the leather and vinyl. So, as you can see now, the odor is everywhere and only an extremely thorough cleaning will help.

To remove these chemicals you need to use a solvent to break down their bond with the materials in the car, otherwise you are just scrubbing them in deeper. The problem with store bought chemicals is they do not always have the solvents necessary to clean the material and the perfumes they use simply trick your nose until they wear out and then you are back to square one. Even using the correct cleaning agents won’t always completely remove the odor. That is where the ozone machine comes in.

This machine creates a chemical reaction inside the car that eliminates the odor. The machine saturates the air with oxygen molecules and these molecules combine with the odor causing molecules to neutralize them. (Think of it as using Oxyclean for the surfaces in your car.)

The solvents used in successfully removing odors are quite aggressive, and if you are not experienced you could really damage the interior of your car. They also require a fair amount of safety equipment to use them properly. At The Car Bar we use a commercial grade shampoo followed by a spirits based solvent. They are so effective that the rags actually will turn brown from all the tar that is removed! Once the car is cleaned, an ozone machine is placed inside for 12-24 hours based on the severity of the odor. We want to make sure the job is done right, so if for some reason you still smell smoke, we fix it no questions asked. We stand by our work and are confident in the quality of our results.

So, whether it’s a New Years’ resolution to quit smoking, you just bought a used car, or someone decided to use your car as an ash tray we can make your smoke issue disappear for good! On a more general note, before we wrap this post up, we want to touch a bit on the purpose of our blog. Our goal is to offer solutions to many kinds of car care topics. If you have a question you'd like us to address, just ask! We are happy to answer any and all questions you may have. At the same time, we are are also more than happy to take on your project if you do not have the time or equipment, or are simply not comfortable doing it on your own. So please, ask us a question on our Facebook page, Twitter, via a comment on our blog, or via e-mail!