Vehicle polishing is a commonly misconstrued procedure, however one that is actually important to make the paintwork appearance as shiny as possible. In this post, we will be going through exactly what the function of a vehicle polish is, the dangers, limitations, and the preparation required to get the best finish.

Car polishing is the procedure of eliminating minor clear coat damage (scratches and swirl marks) utilizing a polishing liquid to flatten the clear coat which increases the gloss level. The car polishing procedure can be carried out by a maker or by hand and ought to be followed by securing the paint utilizing a wax, sealant or finishing.

Polish Isn't the Same as Wax

This is maybe among the biggest misconceptions in vehicle care. A lot of car owners fall under the trap of using the terms "wax" and "polish", interchangeably, however they have really various functions.

Vehicle polishes are slightly abrasive, meaning they have the capability to flatten the clear coat (the top layer of paint on the vehicle). This gets rid of any light flaws, generally caused during the wash procedure by using sponges, brushes or other aggressive strategies to clean up the paintwork. The general aim is to improve the gloss level. Simply put, the flatter the clearcoat, the shinier the paint.

Waxes are not abrasive and leave a protective layer on the paintwork to assist shield it from UV rays, dirt, road gunk etc. They do not have the ability to flatten the clear coat because they do not consist of abrasives. Polishes do not protect the paintwork, so it is important to wax after polishing to secure the finish.

The confusion in between waxes and polishes most likely occurs from the underlying claims that they both make the paint appearance shinier. Waxes tend to consist of chemicals that will include some level of gloss to the paintwork. They do not have nearly as much of an impact as polishing. A genuinely glossy finish comes from the flatness of the clear coat, not what you place on top.

How Does Polishing Work?

We've discussed this already by saying that polishes are abrasive and help to flatten the clear coat, nevertheless, it truly requires a bit more explanation. The clear coat on a vehicle is very rarely completely flat and will consist of some level of damage unless the car has been recently polished and properly maintained.

Polishes consist of mild abrasives in a liquid format which are created to eliminate the damaged layer of clear coat, to expose a fresh, flat layer of paint. They can be used using a machine polisher, or by hand with a foam or microfiber pad. They are used in circular motions, on a little location at a time and worked into the paintwork with the objective of removing an even layer. As soon as the polish has been worked in, the residue can be buffed away utilizing a microfiber towel. It might take multiple efforts in the very same area to accomplish the level of surface that is required.

What Types of Scratches Can Polishing Remove?

Polishing is just efficient in removing very fine clear coat scratches. It is not efficient in eliminating scratches that have gone through to the skim coat, which normally appears white in colour. Polishes are only designed to truly refine the paintwork to a mirror finish.

In order to handle deeper clear coat scratches, other strategies can be used instead. The most common is called compounding. Substances are still used in the same way as polishes and exist in a liquid format consisting of abrasives, however they have a greater level of "cut" (abrasion), compared to polishes. This means they are more capable of efficiently getting rid of clear coat damage. Remember though that they can not deal with much deeper scratches that have actually permeated the skim coat, as this will require the addition of paint.

Substances can in some cases leave some extremely light "hazing" since they have a higher level of abrasion. Compounding is generally followed up by polishing to refine the paintwork and get rid of the hazing to leave a glossier finish. This is known as a two-stage paint correction, the first stage being compounded to eliminate clear coat scratches, and the second being polishing to refine the surface.

There is also another strategy utilized to remedy clear coat scratches, called damp sanding. This is even more aggressive than compounding and is utilized to handle extreme clear coat damage. It will leave a haze behind, which can be removed with a compound followed by a polish to expose the shiniest surface possible.