IT'S MORE THAN A HANDFUL OF CLAY
THE USE OF CLAY IS A FANTASTIC INNOVATION,FOR THOSE IN THE AUTO DETAILING BUSINESS
AND SOMETHING THAT EVERY DETAIL SHOP NEEDS TO USE.
Who doesn't remember the hours we spent as children entertaining ourselves making monsters, noodles, bowls and various other things with clay? Later generations called it Play Dough, another version of the same thing.
Of course, if you were into ceramics, you actually could form real things like vases, plates, pots and bowls from clay and then bake them in a kiln to keep permanent your creative masterpiece. It seems clay has been with us since ancient times providing both recreational and practical applications.
In spite of its presence, it has taken years for a use to be found for it in the detail business. For the past 15 years clay has been available to detailers in the USA. Clay is a safe, fast, effective and economical way to remove paint overspray and other environmental pollutants from the surface of a motor vehicle.
In addition, it can also remove, with varying degrees of effectiveness, surface rust; rail dust fallout and other things that you can't see on the surface, but only feel.
What is it?
Without revealing any trade secrets or formulas, the clay that has found its way into detail and body shops is a special formulation that has the ability to remove, off the surface, the above mentioned items. It can work equally well with plain water, soapy water or a special lubricating chemical.
To understand better how it works, think of the times you have used a piece of masking tape to remove lint from your clothes. You must keep using it until the tape is covered with lint and will no longer pick any more lint off the fabric.
The clay works the same way, except that you rub it around like waxing the surface.
Where did it come from?
They say that "necessity is the motherhood of invention." From what I can tell, the necessity for such a product evolved in Japan where they have horrible air pollution and a lot of white cars. This combination results in black stains that can't be removed in a car wash. Clay usage evolved as operators searched for a quick, low-cost way to remove these stains.
I can't say this is a true story, but this is what I am told. In any case, we know for sure that the use of clay came from Japan and it�s expanded use as an overspray remover originated in the United States.
Who has it?
Without naming names, it seems that its entry into the U.S. market was through the Auto Wax Co., who later obtained a U.S. Patent on one type of clay. This company has done a remarkable job of marketing it to detail and body shops for the past few years and had had a virtual monopoly.
But that did not last, as a number of U.S. companies have introduced their version of clay that was not in violation of the Auto Wax patent. In fact, another U.S. manufacturer has recently obtained patent on their clay product.
Pricing:
The going price for an 8 oz. brick ranges from a high of $39.95 to a low of $14.95.
Numerous companies have introduced a number of choices today and the above selling prices are negotiable. Some companies point out that their product is better than Auto Wax because it does not contain any abrasives, and relies solely on the adhesive quality of the clay to take off the contaminant. This is an advantage because it does not scratch the paint, which could then require buffing or polishing.
How does it work?
Say you were going to use the clay to remove paint overspray from a car:
The first step is to completely wash the vehicle of all dirt and grime to prevent contaminating the clay with unnecessary dirt particles.
Once clean, you would spray the surface with either plain water, soapy water or the special chemical that comes with the clay.
Start rubbing the clay in a circular motion observing if the overspray is coming off. If it is, you keep going over the entire vehicle until all overspray is removed. If the results are not satisfactory, re-spray the surface and repeat the process where needed.
The alternatives to this process, should the contaminant not come off, would depend on the company selling the clay.
Some would recommend using the more aggressive clay; others using a better lubricating fluid than water, and others using a super fine grit wet emery paper (10,000 and 8,000 grit). Which product is best, and which alternative process you should use is really a matter of preference. All I can suggest is that you try them all and use the one that works the best for you.
Certainly, price has to be a factor in your decision. That is, if you can get the same results, or better from a lower cost product, you should buy it.
What is a fair price to pay is a matter of manufacturer or supplier cost, and market conditions. In the beginning when only one company had the clay, the pricing was higher. Now that several more are on the market there have been drastic price reductions. Hooray for supply and demand capitalism.
Summary:
What clay you use, and where you purchase it from isn't the point. The use of clay is a fantastic innovation for those in the auto detailing business and is truly something that every detail shop should not be without.
If you have any specific questions about the clay, its use or where to purchase it, contact me.
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