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11. Clay bar

Clay bar

Grit, salt and damp make the next few months a tough time for your car.

Particularly vulnerable is the paintwork. Before applying a generous protective coat of wax, give the body a thorough clean with a clay bar.

This will remove all those tiny impurities that stick to paint, and leave a super-smooth finish for the wax to bond to.

Our clay bar test winner was Bilt-Hamber’s Auto-clay Soft (£10.95).

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New & used car deals

Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda Kodiaq

RRP £39,045Avg. savings £3,528 off RRP*Used from £11,195
Omoda 5

Omoda 5

RRP £24,040Avg. savings £1,535 off RRP*
Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £15,270Avg. savings £1,925 off RRP*Used from £6,777
Nissan Qashqai

Nissan Qashqai

RRP £27,435Avg. savings £5,965 off RRP*Used from £12,000
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
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