I'd heard fantastic things about clay bar and a few weekends ago, decided to give it a shot. For those who don't know what clay bar is it's basically...um...well, a clay bar that you run in crosshatch patterns over the paint and it removes all the environmental fallout and contamination that even wax won't remove. You know those bumps you feel even after waxing? That's what it gets out. You have to have it lubricated otherwise it will mar the clearcoat but all clay kits I've seen come with a lubricant of some kind. This one came with a quick-detail spray.

At any rate, I gave the Santy a good wash and dry then moved her into the garage and got working. You spritz a small amount of the lubricant onto about a 2-foot square section of the hood and just glide the clay across it. If you feel and hear a 'gritty' sound, that's normal as it removes the contamination in the paint. The clay I bought was white so every bit of grit it removed from the paint showed up. Some of the stuff it removed blew my mind and after it felt so smooth! You have to polish it after clay because the clay removes old wax, too.

But there was a definitely noticeable improvement in the depth and the smoothness of the paint before and after. This also helps prevent oxidation and fading. If you're picky about your car or just want to get the gunk off, clay bar is definitely something to look into but be warned, washing, clay, and wax is probably a six to seven hour job so set aside most of a Saturday for it.