Regardless of the time and care spent on maintaining your car’s factory-fresh finish, paint contaminants are inevitable. Some contaminants, such as bugs, tar, and overspray are visible, but pollutants from environmental fallout, rail and brake dust cannot be detected with the naked eye. Evidence of this is rough, gritty spots when you run your hands across the paint surface. There is no wax or paint sealant available today that can possibly prevent this from happening. These airborne particles land on your car’s surface, work their way through the clear coat, wax or sealant, and make their home against the paint. Over time they abrade the paint, allow oxidation to begin, and cause tiny rust spots in your paint. In order to preserve your vehicle’s satiny-smooth finish, these enemies must be removed. No amount of washing or polishing alone can do that. With Wolfgang Elastic Poly Clay, these harmful particles are eliminated from paintwork quickly and effectively.

Claying is a recent technique, designed (in the 1990s in Japan) to replace the old methods of machine compounding or grinding away the contaminants. The old techniques, though effective, also compromised the integrity of the clear coat and eventually the paint. Wolfgang Elastic Poly Clay acts as a magnet to foreign particles, literally pulling the paint-fouling grime away from the surface of the paint. You simply rub the clay across the surface, yielding a satiny-smooth, unpolluted, and immaculate finish. This is the optimum surface for applying polish, wax or sealant. Without this step, you will trap these harmful particles, possibly doing more damage than good.

Where do paint contaminants come from? There are three major sources: rail dust, break dust and environmental pollution—all unavoidable in our modern world. These contaminants affect all finishes on your car and can cause serious damage when left untreated. Thanks to the discovery of the effectiveness of clay as a contaminant magnet, this job is a breeze.

The most thorough car bath cannot rinse away every last bit of residue and overspray that contaminates, and eventually eats away, at your car’s paint. To get that show quality, silky-smooth finish, you will need to follow the wash with a clay bar treatment. This step is essential to attain a pristine surface, especially desirable before applying wax or paint sealant.

Wolfgang Clay Lubricant is specifically designed to be used with Wolfgang Elastic Poly Clay. When applied on a freshly washed surface Clay Lubricant creates an ultra-fine, slick protective layer between the paint and the clay. This allows the clay to glide across the surface, acting as a magnet for any foreign particles left behind after the wash. When this step is complete, your car’s surface will actually be exfoliated, “purified” and free of contamination.

A lubricant of sorts must be used with all types of clay. Soapy water can work, but it can’t provide protection for your paint. Some detergents react with the clay and cause it to deteriorate. Wolfgang Clay Lubricant is a high-tech formula containing super-polymers, which provide a sheer, ultra smooth surface and enhance the effectiveness of the clay. Its high-lubricity formula makes the process extra-gentle on your car’s finish—loosened particles are safely lifted away without scratching even the delicate clear coat. The clay literally glides across the surface with little to no effort. You will be amazed at how much debris is lifted from the car with each pass. No more dust, smudges, or fingerprints. When you feel no grabbing or resistance whatsoever between the car and the clay, the claying is complete. Simply wipe away any residue with a clean towel. You are left with a gorgeous finish.

Tech notes: Claying with Wolfgang Poly Clay and Wolfgang Clay Lubricant twice a year is sufficient. For the ultimate outcome, follow claying with Wolfgang Pre-Wax Polish, then protect and seal in the shine with Deep Gloss Paint Sealant. This will yield an unbelievable showroom-quality finish.