Washing is the process of removing loose dirt and grime from the surface.

Surface prep or "cleaning" is a separate process designed to safely remove swirls, scratches, acid rain etchings, pore-imbedding stains, tree sap, dead - oxidized paint, as well as stubborn surface contaminants that regular washing will not remove.

Paint that has been neglected or that has undergone severe environmental contamination should first be washed. After washing, you should evaluate the surface to see if you have bonded contaminants. If you do, then we recommend using Meguiar's Smooth Surface™ Clay Kit to remove them safely. After claying, it's time to remove any remaining defects with a safe but effective paint cleaner like, ScratchX. ScratchX contain mild diminishing abrasives and are safe to apply by hand or with Meguiar's G-100 dual-action polisher on all paint finishes.

After your finish has been thoroughly clayed and cleaned to your satisfaction, you should then protect it (and all your hard work) with a coat or two of a premium quality wax. For those of you with medium to dark colored finishes, you may choose to apply a pure polish before waxing to increase the clarity of your clear coat finish, bring out the richness of a non-clear coat finish and maximize gloss on all paints.

Meguiar's always recommends that you use the least aggressive product to get the job done. By this we mean start with the least aggressive paint cleaner first and only move to a more aggressive paint cleaner if your initial testing clearly indicates you need more "cutting" action to remove the defects and restore a smooth surface.

Meguiar's makes several types of paint cleaners and compounds. We do not recommend applying our machine applied paint cleaners by hand unless the label clearly states in the directions that the product is safe to apply by hand. Because modern clear coat paints are scratch-sensitive, some of Meguiar's machine applied paint cleaners and compounds may actually mar your finish if applied incorrectly. If you discover you have serious surface imperfections in your finish, we recommend that you call our Customer Care Hotline first, or take your car to a professional detailer and ask them for their opinion.