Clay vs. Synthetic Clay

Are you new to Claying? Have you ever wondered what the difference is? Well, we are here to help. The main difference is way in which it is used. I know what you are thinking. How can they be the same but used differently? Let me explain. A clay bar is just that a bar of clay. Think of something similar to play dough but a little bit firmer. This needs a little bit of work before it is used to make it pliable. Once you open your clay you want to break it into thirds. This is because you will not need the whole bar for one car. You want to keep the unused clay in a air tight container so it is ready for next time. With the clay you are ready to use, you need to show it some love. Massage it in you hands to make it more pliable. Once you get it pretty flat it is ready to use. Now grab your favorite detail spray, preferably something high in sillicone, and get to work. I like to start on the windshield because working it on glass really helps break it in. Plus, you will be amazed at the results of what it can do to glass. You will know when an area is complete when there is no more resistance when you glide the clay over it. Once you are done with your project most of the time the clay you used is no good anymore. Unless your car was not in that bad of shape. My suggestion is if you are not sure throw it out. You do not want to risk damaging the paint of the next car you clay. This brings me to my next point. If you happen to drop it on the ground, regardless if you are in a spotless garage or outside, THROW IT OUT. Clay is great at what it does because it picks up the tiniest particles it come in contact with. So basically, if you have a habit of dropping your clay, your bar may only last one car. That was a very expensive Clay session.

This leads me to Synthetic Clay. The biggest difference is how it is constructed. It is just that synthetic. Because it is synthetic it can be manipulated into many applications. It can be found on a Mitt, sponge, towel, or even DA pad. If you are comfortable with a polishing machine this makes claying so much quicker. For the most part they are exactly the same. The way you use them doesn't change. Just the amount of work you have to do to use it does. With regular clay as stated above you need all the pliability before you start. With synthetic clay you take it out of the package and get to work. You still need to grab your favorite detail spray. I would still start it on the windshield because it helps break down the wax layer on the surface of the clay. Here is the advantages of synthetic clay. Besides the different ways you can find it, one synthetic clay regardless of form it is in lasts for about 30 cars.  That means for the home use it may be the only one you will ever buy, depending on how often you clay and how many cars that you clay. The best part is, if you happen to drop it, just rinse it off and continue.