[Perfectlap]

you should always clay bar your car before waxing/polishing.
There are soft and medium clays. Medium for stripping everything (contaminants on not-so-new cars like ferrous particles, acid rain, etc.) leaving the paint bare and softer grades for removing lightly bonded debris like tree sap, tar, silicas from sand on the road etc. Washing your car might not dislodge this type debris from the paint surface but rubbing on the paint with a wax applicator will break them loose. Voila! instant sand paper on your paint.
Black paint won't let you get away with that.
You should also wash after claying to clear all those abrasives away.

Even with a daily driver, you should only be touching your paint a couple times a month so claying once a month when you apply your wax topper is not much extra work and will keep your paint away from the time intensive de-swirling process.