A Few Questions about Detail Clay

So I've always used the 'traditional' clay, like the type Meguiars sells etc.

My questions are . . . how long does it last, or how often to replace it?

My other question is about 'synthetic' clay, like the type offered by 'Griots' etc. which looks more like a sponge-handled buffing-pad for lack of a better description.

What are your experiences with both ??? Are there any pro's & cons?

For what it's worth, my truck is a 2006 DC Tundra in 'Blue Steel Metallic' and the paint is still overall in excellent shape. My main goal is protection of the clear coat / paint itself. I know these trucks had problems with the clear coat going bad, so I'd like to prolong it's life as much as possible.

Last November 2020, I gave the truck a good bath, then clay'd it, and put 2 coats of Griots 3 in 1 Ceramic Wax following their instructions. I have been VERY satisfied with how it's lasted. The only 'upkeep' I've done is using a very little bit of Griots Ceramic Speed Shine as I dry the truck with a microfiber towel. The paint is still beading up really good considering I'm just a hack do-it-yourselfer. But I think it could be time for another light clay job.

Thanks is advance for any thoughts or feedback.

 

Generally speaking the least aggressive clays are usually more aggressive than the synthetics clays. With this in mind the synthetic clays are good for situations where you won't follow up with a polish/correction. This doesn't mean synthetics won't mar, they can mar heavily contaminated vehicles or vehicles with softer paints.

 

As far as "preserving" clear on your truck there may not be much you can do at this point if the vehicle lived most of its life without protection. You can look for products with UV protection and/or a sealant/coating with some more permanence.

Personally I'm a fan of ceramic coatings but this will require a good decon and correction (most of your shine comes from your corrections) before you can apply the coating. Some of the consumer grade products are fairly easy to apply and can last 1 to 3 years. If you enjoy cleaning and waxing your car, coatings are probably not for you as waxing is not necessary; though there are some fairly recent waxes specifically made for waxing coatings.

 

I don't like the idea of having to wash/clean the synthetic clay so I've always stayed with the real yellow meguires clay

 

Good choice of LSP.....cannot go wrong with Griots 3 in 1. You can always perform the 'plastic bag' test to see if your paint needs to be clayed. If it sits outside, or is a daily driver, odds are it does, even if only lightly contaminated. I've used the Griots (real) clay, as well as their fine clay mitt. Their regular detailing clay is, to me, on the mild side. I never cared for the mitt.....it just never felt right to me. I picked up some 3M Perfect-it clay, which is more aggressive than the Griots. My truck is a daily driver and sits outside 24/7. It gets clayed at least once a year, sometimes twice, depending on how the paint feels, or where the truck has been.

As far as how long it lasts.....I think Griots says you can get about 20 uses out of a clay bar, but that really depends on just how contaminated (and how large) those vehicles were. I have a count on the outside of the container to keep track of uses. When I can no longer find clean areas of the clay when folding and kneading it, it either goes in the trash or I might use it for wheels.

 

My general rule of thumb is if I have never clayed the vehicle before, then it gets true clay (Meguiar's Mild typically). If I have clayed it before and applied a sealant/wax/coating, a synthetic clay mitt will do the job just fine (and is much quicker).

Traditional clay pros:
-more effective at stripping contaminates (less wiping for the same result)
-can visibly see what you're removing so you know when to mead the clay

Traditional clay cons:
-depending on aggressiveness, can and will mar your paint (I don't care what you may read online, clay barring WILL mar any vehicle's paint. I've done enough to know it will cause some sort of issue. Whether you can see it or not compared to myself is a different matter)
-one tub (bar split into two pieces) will net you approximately 4 vehicles before it should either be thrown away or transitioned to something like a wheel clay

Synthetic clay pros:
-longer lasting (one nanotech mitt can get you anywhere from 20-40 cars depending on usage)
-larger surface area covering more ground quicker

Synthetic clay cons:
-takes longer to remove the same contaminates
-most synthetic clay mitts (only experience I've had is with mitts) are black/grey meaning it is hard to see when the mitt has gotten to the point where it should be tossed
-improper technique/lubrication can cause the synthetic clay to transfer to the paint, at which point only a traditional clay bar is effective enough to remove it

 

I know this is an older thread but can you "over clay" your vehicle ? I have done mine twice since I got it in August and I just waxed it with Turtle Wax with Graphene. Looks pretty good, but how often do I really need to clay? I used Meguires detailing clay FWIW.

 

To me...it depends on what it's exposed to. A garage kept car will need to be clayed less often than one that sits outside. My truck sits outside, and gets clayed 2x a year. My wifes Yukon is garage kept, and she drives it to work twice a week. It typically gets clayed once a year. In contrast to that standard.....my neighbor's truck is garage kept. It goes to work 4 days a week, but where he works, it gets exposed to all kinds of airborne contaminants every day...sanding dust, fiberglass dust...diesel exhaust. In a case like that, it gets clayed when needed.