How to Pair Clay Tools with the Right Polish for Best Results
Claying your car is just the first step. Here’s how to choose the right polish afterward—so your paint looks smooth, clean, and flawless.
After you clay your paint, you may notice it looks clean but not quite perfect. That’s normal—claying removes bonded contaminants, but it can sometimes leave behind micro-marring or reveal swirls and imperfections that were hiding under the dirt.
This is where polish comes in.
Why You Should Polish After Claying
- Removes light marring from the claying process
- Boosts gloss and clarity in the paint
- Preps the surface perfectly for ceramic spray or wax
If you're claying, you’re already doing above-average paint care—don’t skip this step. It’s where all your prep starts to pay off.
Best Polish to Use After Claying
Picture Perfect Polish is the ideal follow-up product. It combines light cutting with a flawless finish in one step—so you get clarity and shine without needing two separate compounds or pads.
Why Picture Perfect Polish Works So Well After Clay:
- Removes any haze, oxidation, or light swirls
- Polishes to a high-gloss, coating-ready finish
- Works with DA and rotary polishers (and even by hand)
- No dust, no streaks, no stress
Do You Always Have to Polish After Claying?
No—but it’s highly recommended. If your paint is already flawless or you're doing a maintenance wash, claying alone may be enough.
But if you're following up with a ceramic spray like Tough As Shell or Gloss Boss, polishing helps those coatings bond better and last longer.
Polish Smarter After You Clay
Use Picture Perfect Polish to clean up micro-marring, restore clarity, and set the stage for your coating or wax.
