I have narrowed it down to 'Bilt Hamber' but there are 3 grades and I can't find the info to decide which is right for me...or the main differences between them.
Soft....Regular....Medium?
The paintwork is generally in excellent condition
I am a newbie trying to decontaminate the paint before I wax the car and read some good user comments on this product from users on another forum.
Is any grade less/more aggresive?
Any advice please

Cheers
Brian

 

Hi,
I use the Meguiars clay bar on my car, not sure what grade it is, but it sure gets the contaminents off and leaves the paintwork sqeaky clean.

My advice to you would be to start with the soft grade first and see how it goes. If you are not happy with the result then go up one the next time you need to clay bar the car.

I do mine twice a year and keep it waxed and under cover when not in use, still looks like new.

 

+1 on Meguire's. It seems to be very gentle and works great.
Vector

 

As you're in the UK, the Meguiar's Quik Clay Starter Kit or Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit are both widely available here and very effective.

Graham

 

Most clay sold to the public is the "soft" type and will work fine. The harder clays are sold commercially to body shops and are used to remove overspray rapidly, not what you are trying to do. The biggest mistake you can make is to not use a clay lubricant or not use it liberally. That can result in superficial scratches to the clearcoat. So make sure you wet the surface completely and do small sections at a time.

 

I have been using a Nanoskin Speedy Prep Sponge and it works great!!

Much easier to hold than a clay bar and no reforming needed. Also if you drop it on the floor, you just rinse it off and away you go unlike a clay bar that you have to throw away. I bought a combo pack that has fine and medium grades. The medium is useful on areas that get nasty grime like rocker sills and wheel arches. I use my regular QD for lubrication.

They also make a towel version and a pad that goes on a D/A for effortless claying

Nanoskin Autoscrub Speedy Prep Sponge Combo Pack

Cheers,

Allan

 

Thanks Allan,
But it is not practical for me...

 

Brian,

The link was just to show the product, you don't have to buy from the US. The product is available in the UK at the detailing supply places.

(I'm not affiliated in any way with the product, just use it )

Cheers,

Allan

 

I've been reading about the Nanoskin pads and it has received outstanding reviews. Another great timesaving product!

 

I guess I'm of a different era; I did a Google search and this came up at my first try -

New to the UK in 2013, SPEEDY Surface Prep Towels offer a number of distinct advantages when it comes to removing bonded contaminants from exterior automotive surfaces.

SPEEDY Surface Prep Towels | Innovative Decontamination Towels

 

I had been noticing what looked like small 'dots' in the paint. When feeling the paint with the hand, it felt smooth to the touch. In the past, on this and other vehicles, I had been able to feel the contaminants on the paint.

Did a Zaino clay bar followed by their Z5 and Z3 polishes. The spots went away, so my lesson learned-clay bar once a year to keep that black paint reflective.

(iphone pics)

thanks-
mag