Hello all,
The valeter at work has not stopped going on about clay cloths for a few weeks so thought I would give one a go. He is a rare dealer valeter who gives a monkeys about his work so I trust his opinion on cleaning products. The Cloth is well made and the microfibre seems to be high quality.
These cloths are meant to be a new thing and, according to the supplier, are selling like hot cakes. The idea is that they do the same as a clay bar but will last a lot longer and are easier to use and maintain. No special lube is needed - only a bucket of warm water to rinse as often as you want to.
So here is what it looks like - basically a micro fibre cloth with the 'clay' impregnated on one side. It’s not really what I would describe as clay but more of a rubber.
Pic showing both 'clay' side and reverse
Close up of the 'clay' side
Now I’m not a pro detailer or valeter so my views on this product are purely based as a keen enthusiast who likes to keep his car clean and shiny. I use clays bars when my paint isn’t looking its best and have used them for years. Iv always been nervous about using my clay bars more than a few times as the way I think of it is the more its used the more stuff its taking off my paint so the more rubbish is in it when I use it again. I tend to only use a clay bar three time at the most then get another one as I don’t want to add scratches to my paint. The idea is that this cloth doesn’t hold onto the contaminants that it removes but holds onto them until washed out in warm water. The process is near identical to using a clay bar but you don’t need to keep folding the cloth as you would the bar. So when at clay stage the plan is dunk the clay cloth into warm water and use the clay side as you would a bar. I found this very easy to do and you can feel the surface getting smoother as you use the cloth. I was recommended to wash the cloth out in warm water every panel but I’m a bit paranoid about scratching the paint so I did it every few wipes. Do the whole car then onto the next step of your process.
Using the cloth is really easy and a little quicker than using a bar. It’s not quite as satisfying as using a bar because the clay side is dark so you can’t actually see the crap that it’s taking out of your paint as you go. I was a little puzzled if the 'clay' cloth would do as good a job as the bars I have been using because the 'clay' side is not sticky at all, even after being submerged in warm water, but it does seem to do the trick. I used a very technical test
to see if my paint was silky smooth which was to put my fingers in the cellophane from a cig packet and feel the paint. If there is any imperfections in the paint this method usually allows you to feel them - the end result was smooth as you like.
Pros -
Will apparently last at least ten times longer than a clay bar (Iv only used it once but looks new still)
Only need a bucket of warm water as lube
Easy to use
Don’t have to keep folding when in use
Low maintenance (wash in warm water)
Cons -
No visual confirmation that it is working
Cost (if it does last as long as suggested not an issue)
From my experience with this clay cloth I am really impressed, if it does last as long as suggested it will be a very handy and low cost bit of kit. Time will tell!! As far as I can tell it’s as effective as a clay bar so I'm happy with the results.
Not seen any other info on these things so thought I'd put my impressions here - if already reviewed my bad - sorry
