Decontamination

Decontamination is the catch-all step between washing and polishing — chemical (iron remover, tar remover, bug remover) and mechanical (clay bar or block) cleaning that pulls bonded contamination paint-safe shampoo can't lift. Skip it and you'll seal grit under your coating or drag it through the clear coat with a polishing pad. Run decon on any car you're about to coat, on a daily driver once or twice a year, or any time the "baggie test" reveals roughness on freshly washed paint. Standard sequence: wash, iron remover, tar remover, clay, panel wipe.