Originally Posted by patpur
Mike I've never had a problem with just plain H20. Maybe its the Zaino Clay Bar? I've clay'd various cars at least a dozen times. Imafink was just over here two weeks ago and we did his that way as well I'm sure he'd back me up. Perhaps other Clay is different?
Pat
Sal Zaino doesn't recommend plain water either; from his website:
To use Z-18 ClayBar™, you spray a water-based lubricant on a small area of your car and rub the bar back and forth with light to medium pressure. If the lubricant begins to dry, you'll need to spray more. Z-18 is fairly sticky, and cannot be used dry. If you try using it dry, you'll make a big mess. We suggest mixing one cap full of Z-7 Show Car Wash with water in a 16 ounce spray bottle. Z-6 also works as a lubricant for Z-18 ClayBar, but Z-7 Show Car Wash is much more cost effective.
The key here is "water-based lubricant". You need to lubricate the surface, not just wet it. I don't know anyone who recommends plain water for claying as water itself isn't a great lubricant. Even for wet sanding we prefer something a bit slicker than plain water. I think you run a greater risk of hazing the paint ever so slightly by not having sufficient lubrication. While you may not have an issue yet, to me this is like guys who use a water blade to dry their car - they haven't caused a scratch YET, but eventually they will and then their attitude will change. Whenever I touch my paint I always err on the side of caution.