Iron and Fallout Remover
Gtechniq W6 Iron and Fallout Remover
Most of these iron removal products are the same. In this case, there’s pretty much only one way to skin a cat, so all of the products use the same chemical. And let me tell you, it smells like burning butt cheeks. This stuff is nasty, but it’s a necessary evil if you’re concerned with removing iron and fallout from your paint. This is the stuff that turns red when it comes in contact with iron particles. Great for getting rid of those pesky orange dots on white cars.
To be honest, I don’t use these products very often – mainly just when I’ll be ceramic coating a vehicle after polishing. In that case, I want to take every step I can to remove anything from the surface of the paint.
Clay Bar
I don’t use traditional clay bars as often as I used to. I prefer to use the Nanoskin Autoscrub sponge listed below. I’ll still use this Lithium Fore Clay if I feel like the paint I’m working with is too sensitive for the sponge.
Most clay bars are the same material. There’s an interesting story behind it that you might be interested in reading – but I won’t get into it here. The short version is that someone patented the clay bar and everyone had to license it from them.
Clay Bar Alternative
In the real world, I reach for this sponge 9 times out of 10 when detailing a car. They’re quick and easy to use and they do the job nearly as well as a clay bar. The difference is that they last longer, don’t require constant kneading to find a clean side to use, and unlike a clay bar, they aren’t considered garbage as soon as you drop them. You can simply wipe them off with a towel and keep going.
There are different variations of this type of product, like discs and mitts. Personally, I find this small sponge the most efficient to use. It’ll fit in most tight areas but can still make up ground quickly on large ones. I was skeptical of these at first, but I’m completely sold on them after a few years of usage.
I’m not too concerned with the chance of marring the paint with these because I will very rarely clay bar a car without polishing it after. Even the finest clay has a chance of marring the surface so it’s usually best to follow it up with a quick polish no matter what you use.
Clay Lubricant
Clay bar lubricant doesn’t have to be anything fancy. You can use a product intended for this specific purpose like Luster Lube or use anything else such as soapy water, detail spray, or rinseless wash. The reason I’ve chosen Luster Lube as my favorite is because it’s slick enough to use with a clay bar and it’s also easy to buff off after. I get annoyed by clay lubes that leave a film behind.