After you've spent a day washing and waxing your pride and joy, you look forward to giving it that final stroke: when you run your hand across the freshly waxed paint, just to feel how smooth it is.

We have all seen the commercials. A guy walks into a junkyard and finds a weathered-looking car with severely faded paint, and with one swipe of the “miracle” product, it suddenly looks factory-new ...

After a few years, your car’s finish can get damaged by everyday crud. Airborne metallic particles, road tar, insect residue, bird droppings, honeydew (often mistakenly called tree sap), road salt ...

At some point, no amount of washing will remove this buildup and restore the car's finish to showroom shine. That is when it is time to reach out for a clay bar. Rubbing and polishing compounds will ...