Polish to Shine, Not to Scratch – Car Polishing Tips
Apr 2015
Polishing your car like a pro doesn’t need expensive or humongous equipments. The most important factor when polishing your car is to make sure that you are doing it the right way that will not end up scratching your car. Polishing your car revitalizes it and increases its market value. A thoroughly polished car has no damage marks, contaminant and pollutant-free surface, no sub-surface defects, and a highly glossy finish.
Steps for Beginners
Those who are not very familiar with the tools and machines must use this step-by-step guide. It is always good to learn new things so don’t fear getting your hands on car polish machines.
Wash the car. Don’t remove the dust with a towel or a cloth. They leave swirl marks on the paint. After washing the car with plain water, put an adequate quantity of car cleanser on the external surface and gently rub it with a wet sponge. Wash again to remove all contaminants with water.
Use an automotive chamois to dry the car.
Apply a little amount of car polish to a foam pad. Make sure the foam applicator is clean without any residue.
Cover small sections of the car with polish. Overlap with several light strokes.
Use a dry chamois to buff the remaining polish.
Advance Pro steps
Wash the car with a cleanser and a sponge. Rinse the car with water but don’t dry it.
On a polishing wheel, place a slightly damp pad. Apply a little polish and start rotating the wheel on medium speed keeping it parallel to the car. This will remove the swirl marks and fix the damaged paint.
After completing the process, wash the pad with pressure pipe.
Wash the car again with plain water and thoroughly dry it with a chamois.
Mount a soft pad on an orbital sander. Mix 60% wax and 40% polish and apply it on the pad. On medium speed, wax the car in back and forth motions targeting the swirl marks and paint damages. Keep the pressure low.
Leave the wax to dry and use a chamois to dry other areas of the car.
Finally remove the remaining wax with chamois.
For a final inspection, move the car into sunlight. Any damaged paint areas and swirl marks will become visible. Repeat step 5 if there are any remaining marks.
