Claybar tips?

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

I just picked up a Meguiars 80g claybar set which comes with the clay, the detailer that it wants you to use as lubricant, and a container of wax. I'm not new to the wax scene but I'm finally going deeper into the car detailing arena because I've heard amazing things about claybars. Tips? I will be doing it on a 06 ford Explorer w/24k miles (to give idea of paint condition), and 95 Z28 w/69k miles (however it has minor paint swirls and stuff because I think the previous owner left it outside - but we've had it for ~5 years and its been inside under car cover, waxed every time it goes out, seen rain once, maybe twice but it was cleaned off as soon as we got home.

I tried the it on a little area of the Explorer's roof and it didn't seem like it did to much, or made too much noise like the directions said it would. How do you really know if it's done picking up contaminants? I just went until it felt real smooth when rubbing the bar on the area.

I talked to someone who suggested just using soapy water in a spray bottle instead of the company's lubricant. Is this a good idea, or should I just stick with the company's stuff?

Also what about storing the claybar? I have it in an old tupperware right now, but...

Any other suggestions/advice will be appreciated as well.

Also, Rich189...how much do you charge for a full detail?

[bad64chevelle]

be liberal with the amount of lubricant you use for the clay. If your paint isnt really oxidized you wont notice much of a difference. I buffed and waxed the crap out of my truck before the winter and when i clayed it in june it didnt do much of anything. Nick (the hammer) we did his 99 Lightning that was oxidized pretty bad and the thing came out like brand new! The more you hear the grittyness the more its working, and the less you hear the less your gonna notice a difference.

[ws6 jim]

One tip I've heard is you split the bar in 2 so if you drop it you won't lose the whole bar. You just rub it good on top of the area where it is lubed and you should see the dirt transferred on to the bar. Then you fold it over and continue with the area as needed or move on to the next section. Be careful and spend a lot of time to do it right and then the wax will really be easier and look nicer. The quik detailer to use is fine. When I detail a car thats never had it before it can take 1-2 hours before I am happy with it.