Polish and clay bar

[Cliffy]

Once I clay bath a car, is it necessary to use a polish before I put on a wax? Also do I need to put on a polish after I compound the car?

[AutowerxDetailing]

Once I clay bath a car, is it necessary to use a polish before I put on a wax? Also do I need to put on a polish after I compound the car?

Great questions!

A couple things to keep in mind. A claybar is essentially a super-duper fine abrasive. In some instances, and depending on how contaminated the paint is, the act of claying the paint may leave light marring. I only offer claybar paint decon when using a cleaner wax or polish after.

It isn't always necessary to polish before you wax. If you are already satisfied with the look of the paint, polishing will just be a waste of time. However, keep in mind, the look is all in the prep. No matter how great a wax you use, the look it creates is only temporary. It's what's underneath the wax that counts.

I'm not sure what you mean by "putting on a polish." I see the term "polish" being used interchangeably with glaze by even pro detailing shops in my area... Talking about putting on "2 coats of polish." I suppose they mean glaze to fill fine swirls and scratches. A typical "polish" (in the context of how it is commonly known on this forum) will be worked over the paint via hand or machine and then removed; or, in some cases, even chemically stripped off the paint prior to applying a last step product (LSP). Polish is meant to level the paint to remove imperfections by finely abrading away a microscopic layer of paint.

I hope this helps!

[AeroCleanse]

Only way to tell is to inspect the pain after the clay.