Will a clay-bar remove a ceramic coating?
Quick answer: Generally no - a clay bar won’t strip a properly cured ceramic coating, but it can mar the finish and diminish hydrophobics. Only clay when needed to deal with a specific problem, and with plenty of lubricant, then apply a maintenance topper; full removal needs machine polishing.
The clay bar its self should do harm to the ceramic coating, but what's on the clay bar might cause damage.
A clay bar is a sticky brick of plastic which will pick up metal particles, grit and other contaminants, when you rub it over your paintwork. This removes it from the paintwork, but it sticks it to the claybar which you are then rubbing over your paintwork. This will cause light scratches and swirl marks, which is why we use clay bars and similar products at the beginning of our process, before polishing the car.
We would advise against using them as a matter of course as part of your washing routine. If you have any of the problems that clay bars are designed to address, such as industrial fallout, there are other, less aggressive ways of dealing with them.
Written by Danny Argent. Last updated 20/10/2025 16:43
Services
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🔥🔥🔷 Car Ceramic Coatings
We offer a range of Graphene, Diamond and Ceramic Coatings for cars of all types. -
🔷 Paintwork Correction
For removal of scratches, blemishes, and etching. Using machine polishing, we can buff out, correct areas of damage to your car's paintwork.