Should I polish the paint after claying? The paint is already very shiny so I'm thinking about just skipping the polish and going straight to the sealant after claying....any advice?
Also, do I have to wash the car again after claying and before sealing? or is wiping away the clay lubricator with a microfiber good enough?
Hello Shane,
Is that Car Black? If not, maybe Midnight Blue? In either case, you can possibly have your hands full!
As you've asked, and some have answered, about the possible necessity of having to polsh after claying? Maybe, maybe not? Hard to say?
With a white vehicle, and/or hard paint, claying may have no apparent negative effects? And then possibly with a black vehicle, and/or soft paint, claying might look like you just washed the vehicle with a brillo pad. With white paint, it can "hide" lots of defects, but black, or very dark colors can often have no mercy.
Whether you need claying or not is a simple test. The Baggie Test. After the car is washed, and clean, take a thin cheapie sandwich baggie, the thinner the better, like the cheap sandwich bags one gets from a Dollar Store. Place your hand inside, and feel the paint by gliding your hand across it.
Check all panels on the car. They sometimes say the hood and roof can be the worst, but not always. Especially since new vehicles today often come with protective plastic sheeting on these areas when they are shipped by rail or truck. The entire car might be smooth, and then again, it might feel like a piece of 100 grit sandpaper?
There's no harm-foul of claying where it is needed. But usually, if some areas are rough, you'll most likely then be best off claying the entire vehicle, and be done with it.
Will polishing then be needed? Maybe. Can polishing be done by hand, and omit the need of a machine like a DA Polisher? Sure it can, but it will take longer, that's a given.
To perfect the paint, and ready it for a durable sealant, wax, or a coating, where you're hoping to "freeze" that paint in that pristine condition, could take many hours, even days, even by machine.
A good, easy to get, and easy to use polish that will work well by hand, would be something like Meguiars 205 ultra finishing polish. Great product, very versatile, and gives fantastic results, even by hand. Simple to do a panel at a time, apply gently like a wax, then remove with an MF Towel, then move on to the next panel and repeat. Any nasties still seen in the paint on any particular panel of the vehicle, simply repeat.
After claying, and/or polishing, there will usually be oils, and lubricants left on the paint's surface, which can effect proper bonding of a wax, sealant, or coating. Some just commonly use something like a 15% IPA wipe down to remove any traces of clay lubes, or polish oils, or they use other specifically made products for doing such, such as Carpro Eraser, or another like DP Paint Prep Polish. This helps get the paint squeaky clean and oil-silicone free, so a LSP product will better bond, and the purpose is of course so that any products will last and protect the paint longer.
Seems all the Palm Beach Motoring Group (PBMG) house brands, such as DP, Wolfgang, Blackfire, Pinnacle, and as well as others such as Carpro have every product under the sun needed within their own car care systems line to clean, clay, polish-perfect, and prep the paint for their final protectant products.
To use any of the products within those lines, use them for what they are made for, and follow directions, one can usually be promised nothing less than stellar final results.
I've used many products within the Wolfgang Line, all are totally outstanding, and worth their cost.
Again, I hope some of this helps, and hasn't confused you further. I gather due to where you live, it will be important to apply some good protection very soon, before the weather turns too cold to do such processes.
Mark