Clay barring works best on older ceramic coatings that have already worn off a bit. If your vehicle’s coating is more than a couple of years old, a clay bar will work great for you. Rinse the car every few minutes so the soap doesn’t dry on the surface. Stick with microfiber cloths; regular rags or towels can scratch the paint and leave behind fibers on the surface.
Leaving moisture on the surface may make the clay bar harder to use.
It’s important to lubricate first so the clay bar glides smoothly across the vehicle’s surface without damaging the paint job. Never use a clay bar without first applying the lubricant.
If the clay bar gets stuck on the surface, just apply a little more lubricant and carry on. Avoid rubbing the clay bar in a circular motion; this could scratch your paint job.
If the clayed area feels smooth, the first section is all set! Just move to the next section and repeat the same steps until you’ve clayed and wiped the entire surface of your vehicle. The baggie amplifies small particles so you can feel them easily on the surface of your car.
Any debris or residue on the surface will prevent the new coating from bonding properly.
A polisher can cut through new ceramic coatings easily. If your ceramic coating is less than a year old, or if you recently got a ceramic coating and dislike the results, use the polishing method to remove it. Dry the surface with a clean microfiber towel before proceeding. Be as meticulous as possible; any debris left on the surface may scratch the paint during the polishing process. If you want to be extra thorough, consider clay barring the car before you polish it.
There’s no “right” size cutting pad for this job—it’s best to have a few sizes on hand. Use the bigger pads for large, flat surfaces. Then, switch to a smaller pad to go over small or tight areas like door handles, bumpers, etc. If you prefer to use compound instead of polish (either gets the job done), use heavy-cut compound. [8] X Research source
This applies the polish to the entire section, but you still need to work the polish.
Work carefully around hard edges so you don’t grind them down.
When the polishing pad looks caked with polish and debris, just rinse it clean with water and keep going. Once you polish and wipe each section, move to the next section. Then, just keep repeating this process until you’ve polished the entire car.
