Hi, just being curious and trying to save some $ if possible. here! Can you clay your car using regular water as lubricant or you have to use the special lubricant like Mothers Showtime Instant Detailer?? Have anyone tried and what were the pros and cons?

 

I clay right after I finish soaping, using the water and soap as a lubricant

 

QD isn't that expensive ... if your going to do it don't cheap out ... water may work but you can also get streaking and possible marring.

I have used soapy water but depending on the soap & the clay you can see the clay crumble.

 

QD is fairly cheap u can get it for like 5-6 bucks at Wal Mart...

I recently clayed my fiance's car and ran out of QD so I just used ONR to finish the job

 

ICE has a cheaper alternative to mothers but they only give you one clay bar, but they give you about 12-16 oz of clay bar lubricant which will last for quite some time.

 

If you bought the clay as a kit, just use the QD that came with. No sense messing with a proven formula.

If you don't have the QD, pick some of for pretty cheap. It has good lube in it to keep the clay moving over the paint surface. Soapy water would work, too, but keep it nearby (rather than just soaping the car and then claying) as the last part you get to may be too dried to really lube you up right.

 

Water although its an excellent solvent it will not act as a lubricant and may cause the clay to disintigrate or scratch the paint surface

 

^ the man knows.

 

^like stogie said, I keep the soap abundant and I dont have any problems with the clay crumbling.

i cant tell if i'm adding marring as my car is silver

 

I also have never had the clay bar start to crumble...I have used Mothers and Meguiars with great success...

I have Luber and CG Clay Bar as well...Havent tried it yet...

 

I have had them crumble using soapy water but I can't remember which soap I was using or the concentration.

 

Oh I have never used clay with anything other then quick detailer...

 

Ive used water while claying for YEARS. Always after washing and during the rinse cycle.
The only time marring presents itself (Same is true when using a dedicated "lube") is when the surface and/or clay is too warm, or you're not using enough water/lube, and/or applying too much pressure.
*Only use enough pressure to manipulate the clay, while claying.
*Never clay before you wash, you may be "grinding" particles against the paint. Think twice/use caution when using No Rinse Wash products.
*Try using clay as a maintenance tool when polishing.
*Never let the lubricant dry while/after claying. Make it a point to use a QD or diluted QD for cleanup.

There is often too much science applied when detailing. A large part of this is due to an overabundance of marketing "must haves".......Common sense needs to be buckled up when detailing!

 

is there a reason for this? is it gonna damage the clear coat or the paint or leave stain?

 

Its much like washing your hands with soap, then letting them air dry.......

 

It'll be a complete mess to get off. And don't ever try to polish with clay residue on the car. DAMHIK.

 

i've always had good results with soapy water, just keep wetting the surface and I found mothers clay bar lasted longer than mcguires

 

I think you could use water, but i think id rather spend $2 on some cheap ass QD, then you could even dilute it 50/50 to make it last longer.

 

If only I could find QD for $2.

 

i think i'm going to start using ONR as lube for my mother's clay bar. the mother's QD leaves residue behind while the ONR will not.

 

Just think, you could find a dedicated clay lube for $8.00!
You can get a Gal of QD for $16.00 right here, thats 32oz for $4.00. Cut one Qt in 1/2 for your lube, and you just got it for $2.00!
Boom baby!

 

I preferred the Mother's to the ONR, but after giving it another try this weekend it works fine for me. I used a 3:1 ratio.