The best way to maintain your car’s paintwork is by washing, polishing, and waxing.
A lot of us tend to wash our cars frequently enough – say every week or two. This is probably because it is just easier to do and more affordable to pay someone (or something) to do it for you.
Although the remaining part of the detailing process is required less frequently than washing, it is no less important. Yet, a lot of us neglect to keep on top of it.
This might be because:
- you simply forget or didn’t realize it was necessary
- didn’t want to pay a professional detailer a small fortune to do the job
- or maybe you’re not so confident in doing it yourself
- perhaps you didn’t even realize you could do it yourself and achieve excellent results
Well, you can achieve excellent results, and within a manageable budget that you will save you having to pay a professional detailer.
In this guide, we’ll take you step-by-step through how to clean and polish your car and resurrect its amazing paintwork.
1. How Car Polish Works
Polish is an abrasive product that removes an extremely thin layer of paint from your car. The more abrasive the polish, the more aggressive it will act on your paintwork.
Fine Abrasives
Some polishes are very fine abrasives, and will only “cut” a negligible amount of paint from the surface.
This is mainly down to the abrasive particles being smaller and therefore easier to breakdown during application. These are typically called finishing polishes and tend to give deep glossy finishes and work best on very minor imperfections.
Coarse Abrasives
Other polishes are described as coarser abrasives and tend to contain larger particles that take longer to break down during application.
These particles will cut more of the paint from the surface more effectively than the smaller particles contained in the less abrasive finishing polishes.
In these cases, the finish will appear cloudy and require a follow-up treatment like wax to bring the gloss back to the paintwork.
Polishes of this type are typically called compound polishes and work well on deeper scratches and swirl marks.
Note, that polishes work by acting on the clear coat layer of the paint. So, if a scratch goes deeper than this, it will be impossible to fix it with a polish.
2. The Condition Of Your Paint
No Clear Coat
If your paint has no clear coat in places, then you should not use polish.
Polish works by cutting away at the clear coat of the paint, so applying it in this scenario will cause the type of damage that only a body shop would be equipped to repair.
Low Clear Coat
Similar caution should be applied if your paint is noticeably thin. You really don’t want to cut through the clear coat completely.
Hard Paint
If your paint is harder than average then it will benefit from a harsher abrasive polish than a fine one, especially if you want to remove defects.
- Best dual action car polishers
3. Be Prepared
Get all the products and equipment you need before you start.
The last thing you want is to be in the middle of the job and realize you don’t have enough polish to finish.
The same also applies if you will be applying the polish by hand or with an orbital buffer – slightly different tools and requirements for each method.
4. Work Area Conditions
You should do this job in a shaded location, and not in rain. Keep out of direct sunlight when polishing your car.
5. Don’t Take On Too Much
If you are a beginner then it will be prudent to use polishes that are designed to be applied by hand the first few times.
Hand-applied polishes are usually more forgiving to mistakes than machine applied ones and can still achieve excellent results.
Now you are prepared
Step 1: Wash The Car By Hand
- Using a jet hose, spray the car with water to loosen up any dirt
- Apply an all-purpose cleaner or pre-wash all over your car.
- Spray this off with water.
- Apply your shampoo so that your car is covered in snowy like shampoo.
- Using a soft brush or sponge scrub the surface, especially any area that may have accumulated extra dirt over time e.g. grills, wheels, arches, and crevices.
- Rinse your car again
- Using wheel cleaner and brush give the wheels a once over and then rinse.
- Get two buckets – one with soapy water, the other with plain water (to rinse the washing mitt). Wash the car starting with the roof then progressing downwards.
- Wash the mitt frequently to avoid any washed off debris from scratching your car.
- Rinse thoroughly
Step 2: Decontaminate Car Paint
This step will remove all the contaminants that the washing step couldn’t. It is arguably the most important step to achieving the perfect finish.
Chemical Decontamination (Optional)
- Tar remover: Spray car with tar remover and remove with a microfiber towel as you go along
- Iron remover: Spray the whole car with iron remover and wait for a few minutes before rinsing off thoroughly, as these products can damage clay bars.
Clay Bar (Essential)
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Get your clay bar and a spray bottle full of water or slightly soapy water to keep the surface lubricated
(consult the clay bar instructions for specific recommendations on which lubricants to use). - Rub the clay bar all over your car, section by section.
- Make sure to keep checking the condition of the clay bar as you go along. If it starts appearing dirty then fold it over and continue with the freshly exposed clay.
- Dry the car as you go along.
- Test the surface by running your finger along the surface. It should feel a lot smoother now that the cay bar has removed most of the unseen contaminants.
- Clay barring is important because any remaining contaminants can cause scratches when polish etc are applied in the following steps.
Step 3: Polish
There are two main methods with which you can apply your car polish of choice.
Polishing A Car By Hand
- Get your application pad and apply two or three dots of polish on to it.
- Dab the pad along the section you will be working on.
- Then start to work the polish in, by rubbing in small circular motions with a good amount of force.
- Continue this until the polish thins out.
- Wait for the polish to leave a dry haze – consult the product instructions for how long to leave it for.
- Using a microfiber towel, buff the polish residue away.
- Repeat this process on all panels of your car.
Polishing A Car With A Buffer
-
Note:
We advise using dual action polishers (aka orbital buffers), as they are safer to use than rotary buffers, especially for relative beginners.
Rotary buffers tend to require far more training and experience to operate safely without risking damage to paintwork.
- First off, test the polisher against a less visible part of the car to make sure that it doesn’t damage anything.
- Once you are happy with everything, add some polish to the buffing pad.
- Touch the paintwork with the applied pad and slowly start rotating in order to get a good spread on the pad.
- Then start applying the polish over the panel at the speed you require.
- Use long side to side repeating motion across the panel (you do not need to use a circular motion as the buffer itself will be rotating) and apply moderate pressure.
- Do this until the polish is worked into the paint and turns into a haze.
- Switch the pad to a microfiber buffing pad and buff the polish off.
- Give the polish time to cure (if instructed to do so by the manufactures instructions).
Step 4: Apply Wax
This step will fill in any remaining minor scratches and swirls, and will also add a layer of long-lasting protection that should withstand subsequent washes.
Wax will also enhance the shine even further.
- The process will be similar to hand applying polish.
- Get a fresh applicator sponge and add some wax to it.
- Panel by panel begin to rub the wax into the paint in circular motions.
- There is no need to use as much pressure compared to applying polish.
- Leave the wax to cure – consult the manufacturer’s instructions for specific directions on wait time, etc.
- Using a fresh microfiber towel, buff off the wax residue.
- This step can also be done with an orbital buffer, similar to the polishing step, just with less pressure applied.
Step 5: Admire The Work
Yep, after all that hard work, you should take a step back and admire. Your car should look miles cleaner and glossier than before.
This should last for at least a couple of months’ worth of washes and drives.
- Best car polishes
Conclusion
Those of you that followed the guide would surely agree that polishing a car is a step forward process, so long as you prepare and understand the significance of each step.
That feeling of satisfaction of doing the job yourself is something that you achieved, so enjoy it.
So long as you keep on top of the maintenance, you (and others) will notice amazing results in the longer term.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Polishing Bad For Car Paint?
If your paint has a layer of clear coat, then you should be able to use any polish with confidence.
Equally, as with any polish, caution should also be exercised, especially if you plan on using an orbital buffer to apply the polish for the first time.
Mistakes could lead to burning the painting away, causing the type of damage that only a respray will rectify.
The type of paint is also a factor to consider. If your paint is harder than average, then a more abrasive polish will probably be needed.
How Do You Professionally Polish A Car?
Read this article for step by step instructions on how to achieve a professional level finish. You need to purchase the correct products and equipment which is also listed in the article.
How Often Should I Polish My Car?
It is advised to do a full detail of your car twice a year. Before summer to protect again the sun and heat, and before winter to protect against the wintry weather and salt.
Whenever you do decide to do a full detail, the following jobs should be carried out on your car.
- Wash your car thoroughly, including wheels
- Decontaminate your car – including using a clay bar
- Polish your car
- Wax your car
- Clean the interior, especially leather treatment if required
You should do a regular wash of your car every one to two weeks.
All of the above is dependant on the conditions in which you keep your car (garaged, under trees, in direct sunlight, etc), and driving habits (long higher speed journeys tend to result in more insect debris and stone chips damaging your paint.
How Long Does Car Polish Last?
When you apply polish, you should always follow it up with a good quality sealant or wax. This will ensure that your polish lasts for at least two months.
If you don’t use wax or sealant to protect the polish, then the lifespan of the polish will reduce significantly.
Environmental conditions like the weather and debris will also affect the paintwork quicker.
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