Complete Over Spray Removal May 29 2016

Our fascination with the Kleanmitt and new synthetic clay products is beyond measure.  It seems like the life and versatility of the products is endless, and we're always finding new uses, especially at home. 

I recently used an old Kleanmitt to completely remove overspray from my house's windows, and I'd like to share the experience.

It was clear that the previous caretaker painted our house shortly before we moved in.  How did I know?  The windows were covered in pale over spray.  It was difficult to capture in photos, but the effect was similar to having windows that are constantly dirty or dusty, as if they're covered in sand, even when they're clean.

Normally, I'd try to remove the over spray using a razor blade (DO NOT TRY THIS ON AUTOMOTIVE PAINT) ...but I had a weathered Kleanmitt to spare.  Since this was an experiment, I washed the windows using only water and the microfiber side of the mitt.  You can see just how filthy it was with buildup.

Dirty microfiber side of a blue Klaren Kleanmitt

The microfiber side did a great job picking up the slurry, and I gave it an extra pass or two to make sure the glass was clean.  I used the clay side on the glass with water in a spray bottle as lubricant.  I usually recommend using a waterless wash solution, or soapy water, but I was trying to eliminate as many variables as possible.  The result was an immediate difference in slickness and clarity.  The loud scratching sound caused by the clay passing over contamination was silenced in seconds as the tattered mitt lifted the old paint from the glass, and it was truly clean for the first time since I moved in.

House window contaminated with paint overspray

Clean home window with overspray removed using a Klaren Kleanmitt

The takeaway?  My worn-out fine-grade Kleanmitt continues to perform exceptionally in other areas despite its condition. 

The clay side of a fine-grade Kleanmitt, covered in removed paint overspray

You can tell by the comparison photo that it has been through the ringer.

 A comparison photo showing new blue fine grade Kleanmitt beneath an old, weathered blue fine grade Kleanmitt

I've already retired it from automotive use to prevent micromarring on paint, but it's still useful.  For that reason, I recommend you keep your old mitts and pocket clay.  They may be too filthy to use on paint safely, but I encourage you to test them on other surfaces and share your results.  In my case, it saved a lot of time and validated the product's effectiveness even in less than ideal conditions.