I have always just washed and waxed my cars, but from this fourmn i see that there is also products called clay and polish,
what do each of these really do and should i incorperate them when i wash my car?
do they wear out the paint, polish sounds like it might be abraisive

 

Clay bars are for safely removing contaminants from the paint and do not wear out the clearcoat or cause any damage if used correctly. The word polish is usually used by detail companies to describe any product that increases shine and removes defects. Some are abrasive and some aren't. Just have to read the label carefully.

With cars as new as our Fits usually just a good clay bar followed with either wax or polymer sealant does the trick. Skip anything that says "cleaner" unless your paint can't be made perfect with the clay bar.

 

^^ +1 good advise.

 

you can use the griot's clay all year long before your wax or polish.

it is a very soft clay. not all clays are that abrasive.