What is detailing clay?

Detailing clay is a very effective product for gently removing contaminants such as insect residue, industrial fallout, or tree sap from your car. The clay is very sticky so that it adheres better and picks up all surface contaminants as it moves. With detailing clay, you can clean not only the paintwork, but also the windows, headlights, and rims.

What does detailing clay do?

Dirt that you can't remove with a hand wash can easily be removed with detailing clay. Detailing clay can remove superficial as well as stubborn contaminants, such as sap droplets, without much effort.

You've probably experienced it too: your car is freshly washed, you run your fingers over the paint, and you feel small bumps. Your fingers get stuck as they glide over it. If the paint were pore-deep clean, your fingers would glide over it silently. Even after a thorough hand wash, residues of tar, resin, insects, or other contaminants remain on the paint. The fenders, doors, and sills are particularly affected. Because of such deposits, water does not bead off your car body but collects and drains slowly.

After using detailing clay, your paint will be smoother than ever before and thus perfectly prepared for a polish, sealant, or wax treatment. These are many times more efficient when the paint is free of all interfering surface deposits. Polishing is now quicker and much more effective, as deposits do not first have to be polished away. The paint is polished more uniformly. In addition, you reduce the risk of leaving intense paint scratches from industrial fallout particles during the polishing process, as these have already been gently removed during paint cleaning with the clay.

The situation is similar with a sealant or wax treatment. If you apply a sealant to your paint without first having treated it with detailing clay, the product will only lie on top of the deposits. The contaminants will eventually detach, and the sealant layer will crack. The paint protection will then no longer be effective, and its durability will also be shortened. With prior paint cleaning with clay, the paint protection can adhere directly to the paint without interfering surface deposits.

How do detailing clays differ?

Detailing clay is available in different abrasiveness/strengths, which have a different color depending on the manufacturer. Generally, milder clays are blue, medium are green, and harder are red.

For beginners and advanced users, we recommend milder detailing clay. For everyday contaminants and newer paints, soft to medium clay is sufficient. If the paint is particularly weathered and dull or you have very stubborn dirt on the paint, you can use hard detailing clay. Highly abrasive clay really removes all deposits, but it can also leave fine micro-scratches on the paint. Only professionals should work with it.

Simply erase dirt? How to use detailing clay!

Using detailing clay is simple and absolutely doable for beginners. You don't have to be a pro for this. Here we explain step-by-step how to clean your car with the clay.

To achieve a good cleaning result, you must thoroughly wash your car before treating it with the detailing clay!

1. Put on protective gloves.
2. Halve the clay (for a 100g pack). You only need half to treat the paint. You can put the rest back in the packaging.
3. Form the clay into a ball and then flatten it into a disc (approx. 4-5 cm).
4. Spray a special lubricant generously onto the clay and the surface to be treated (max. 60x60cm). Always work on sections first.
5. Place the clay on the paint and glide it over the paint in short horizontal and vertical strokes. Do not apply pressure! Caution: Do not work in circular motions, as circular scratches are harder to polish out later.
6. Spray more lubricant if the clay sticks. The clay must never touch dry areas.
7. Continue with the next section. Fold the clay so that the dirty area is inside. Always work with the clean side. Then repeat all steps for the remaining sections.
8. After cleaning with the clay, you can remove lubricant residues with a dry and clean microfiber cloth.

How often can detailing clay be used?

Detailing clay can be used until it is heavily soiled. If you notice that the detailing clay is no longer picking up dirt, you should use a new pack. The detailing clay is probably so heavily soiled that no new dirt particles can be absorbed. On the mostly colored clay, you can clearly see when a lot of dirt has been absorbed. Stop the application then, so you don't leave scratches on your paint.

As a rule, a 100g pack of detailing clay is sufficient for 2-4 applications. A precise indication cannot be given here because the size of the vehicle and the degree of contamination play a role.

Our tip: You can clean dirty rims with used detailing clay.

If the detailing clay is still usable after application, you should moisten it before putting it back in the plastic box. This way, the detailing clay does not dry out. You can store the clay at room temperature. If the clay has hardened at colder temperatures, you can put it in warm water before use. Afterwards, it can be easily kneaded back into shape.

Are there alternatives for the lubricant?

A special lubricant is essential for paint cleaning with clay. This allows the clay to glide over the paint without friction. We strongly advise against using a shampoo-water mixture or even dish soap as a substitute for a lubricant. These attack the clay and cause it to become porous and dissolve. Special lubricant for detailing clay has very good gliding properties, which makes your work easier and is gentlest on your paint. The clay can be easily moved back and forth on the surface.

We recommend our 5-piece Rocket Detailing Clay Kit.