[4ss4s1n]

Yes,you can usually use sandpaper to buff out small scratches,followed by a good rubbing compound then a good wax.

As for washing the car,I like using a good wash mit that wont scratch,followed by a good wax like meguiars clear coat wax.
Of course this is all up to your personal preference.

You can find most of this stuff at your local Pep Boys,Auto Zone,etc. Although I could never find any running coumpound where I live...

And to answer your last question,you can use a sealer instead of a wax,they usually last quite a bit longer than regular wax's,but with all the stuff they put in wax's these days,once again,its all up to you.