Thanks everyone! It looks like a pre-poo is intended to provide moiture and/or strength (protein) and protect strands from the striping that a poo may introduce. Oils in a pre-poo also contribute to an easier detangle.
These are my conclusions so far. I will be adding more oils to my pre-poo because tangles are really causing me to hate wash day!
When I do pre-poo which is only once every 3-4 months, I always use oil, any kind of oil, but usually liquid shea/olive oil/coconut oil. Ill add this to hair lightly spritzed with water and sit under the dryer. Then wash and deep condition as usual.
I prepoo with hairveda sitrinillah. I do it for easier detangling in the shower and more moisture. I will leave it on for maybe 20 -2 hours depending on how much feel like procrastinating.
Asking the question isn't stupid, nor is pre-pooing before clarifying.
I've been using coconut oil before I clarify with bentonite clay. It seems redundant to do so since clarifying removes everything, but I'm already in the habit of doing it so I do it anyway. If you have products you're trying to get rid of, doing a pre-poo is a great way to use them up.
I always "pre-poo". Anytime I'm going to get my hair wet (swimming, cowashing, or washing/clarifying) I make sure to put coconut oil on my hair before I wet it. I usually leave it on for at least 30 minutes, but it could be hours depending on when I decide to wash. Coconut oil is highly penetrative and it has a lot of great properties for the hair, which is why I use it. It also really helps me detangle.