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Why is paint decontamination prior to polishing so important?

The vehicle paint decontamination process explained in 7 steps

The decontamination process is an important step before polishing your vehicle; doing this correctly will drastically change the condition and appearance of your vehicle’s paintwork. The most effective way to decontaminate a vehicle is to use a Clay Bar. This will remove bonded contamination which washing alone won’t shift. Using a clay bar correctly will result in a silky smooth surface ready for the next step in the detailing process.

Using our Contamination Removal Bars (Clay Bars) and Purple Passion paint cleanser, this process is enjoyably easy to do. Our clay bar range paired with a clay lubricant, such as Clay Rider, will drastically reduce the chances of marring. Purple Passion is classed as a paint cleanser but has a small amount of cut to remove light marring. It also contains gloss enhancers which assists in providing the perfect finish when used with our polishing pads.

ValetPRO Contamination Removal Bar Grades

  • Medium (Yellow): for softer paintwork and light contamination removal – perfect for enhancement detailing.
  • Mild (Orange): ideal for regular detail work on most vehicles.
  • Heavy (Blue – advised only for experienced users): for harder paint and in depth details.

Step one:

Break off a piece of Clay Bar and knead it into a shape that’s large enough to grip with three fingers.

Step two:

Spray a clay lubricant, such as our Clay Rider, to the panel you wish to work on. (Ensure you follow label guidelines).

Step three:

Use the clay bar on the surface of the paintwork in a straight back and forth motion, starting from the top and working your way down the panel. You’ll notice contaminants building on the face of the clay bar giving it a dirty like appearance, meaning it’s time to refold the clay.

Step four:

Wipe off any residue from the clay barred panel; our Ultra Soft Buffing Towel is ideal for this job.

Repeat steps two to four until the whole vehicle has been clay bar decontaminated.

Step five:

Apply a few pea sized drops of Purple Passion paint cleanser onto your chosen polishing pad.

Step six:

Spread the Purple Passion evenly over the panel on a low speed if applying by machine polisher. Once evenly spread, increase the speed and use slow movements to start polishing the panel, removing any light marring and swirls. Steps can also be carried out by hand although the process will take longer.

Step seven:

After a few passes, buff the panel with a buffing towel such as our Ultra Soft Buffing Towel to reveal the freshly decontaminated and polished panel.

Repeat steps five to seven until the whole vehicle is finished.

Once all steps have been completed, we recommend applying a layer of wax to help protect your vehicle’s surface. Read the next issue to find out about the correct application of waxes.

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