Do you know about clay bars? Clay bars are safe and effective tools that can be used for any make or model of a car. They’re used when washing a car for a detailed clean. There’s nothing worse than washing your car, spending the time or money or both just to have an unflattering reminder that your car was once dirty. Say goodbye to streaks and remaining dust that you are unable to get in a simple wash.

Regardless of going to a carwash or doing it yourself, there is a general order to be followed: washing, drying, claying, polishing (if necessary), and waxing. Does the order matter? Yes. Do you have to do all of the steps? No, only if you want to. 

One of the details that is completely choice-based is claying a car. A clay bar (or detailing clay) is the act of removing contaminants from the finish of your vehicle. Hence, it collects all of the little particles left behind and is meant for a more detailed job. Usually the clay bar is followed by a polish or wax. 

Can you skip the clay bar and head straight to polishing and waxing? Yes! However, the detailing clay is much more preferable to have a smoother feel and to ensure that most of the small particles are removed. It is possible to still have a smooth feel, even without a clay bar, but you’d need the best cleaner wax for cars which can end up being more time consuming and costly than applying the clay bar after washing your car.

Waxing a car does not remove all the contaminants, but it does leave a protective layer. This is why claying compliments waxing. The two go hand-in-hand to extend the life of your freshly cleaned car. This is exactly why claying benefits waxing. 

Think of it like this: when you place a screen protector on your phone, you don’t put the sheet right away. You clean your phone with alcohol, dry it, then use the small microfiber pad that’s provided to collect all the dust and prints, and then you place the screen. This is to prevent having air bubbles around dust. 

Applying that example back to the car, placing a wax without claying the car would make the car feel rougher and trap all the particles. If you choose to go through a car detailing route, I suggest trying out the clay bar for yourself!