Car Polish: A Guide To
Creating The Ultimate Finish With A Hand Polish
Here at Auto Finesse detailing products and car care we believe that polishing your car is likely to have the most dramatic effect of any detailing process, done correctly using a car polish should not only lift years of ingrained dirt and grime but also knock years off the cars looks. Polishing contrary to popular belief is actually where all the paintwork depth, clarity and looks will be enhanced, it does not come from a true carnauba car wax or paint sealant, and whilst these can add a little more lustre to the finish, using a car polish is the real key to paintwork with a show-stopping shine. Under the car polish umbrella, there are three different types of car polish that can be used when polishing a car by hand.
All In One Car Polish
The most common type of car polish for consumers is the "all in one" this is the name given to a car polish that also contains glaze and car wax within, producing great results fast. However, these rarely produce a permanent finish. Unlike a compound that actually cuts the layer down to reveal a fresh even surface. An all in one car polish contains three main ingredients. The first, a mild abrasive. A mild abrasive will help remove any light wash marring that you may have inflicted over time. As these are mild, an all in one car polish will not inflict any swirls or marring itself. An all in one car polish also includes fillers by way of an acrylic or polymer elements. These fillers will help to mask any imperfections in your paintwork surface which the mild abrasives could not remove. This is where an all in one car polish differs to a compound with its filler content, intern making an all in one car polish semi-permanent result against a compound which leaves permanent results. Finally, an all in one car polish will contain car wax. Auto Finesse detailing products and car care all in one car polish Tripple contains T1 carnauba wax. Intern this will help protect the paintwork finish which you have just created. However as this is not a dedicated carnauba wax, Tripple will only protect your vehicle for around a month. For this reason, we always recommend that you use a car wax or seal your paintwork with a paint sealant after polishing.
Pre-Wax Cleansers
As well as an all in one car polish detailers also call upon pre-wax paintwork cleansers to cleanse and polish paintwork prior to the application of a luxury carnauba wax. As with an all in one car polish a pre-wax cleanser is designed to maximise the looks and durability of a luxury carnauba wax. Typically a pre-wax cleanser will hold fewer abrasives than an all in one car polish. In replacement, a pre-wax cleanser will often have a higher level of glazing oils. These oils help maximise gloss levels prior to waxing. The ingredients in a pre-wax cleanser such as our Rejuvenate pre-wax cleanser make this a perfect car polish to use by hand and by a machine polisher prior to applying a layer of your favourite car wax.
What You Need
A good quality car polish, whether this is in the form of an all in one polish or pre-wax cleanser, a microfibre or foam polish applicator and a good clean microfibre cloth. The combination of these two detailing products will help you restore your paints clarity.
How To
Start by ensuring you paintwork is clean and free of any contaminates. Prior to hand polishing we recommend that you decontaminate your paintwork. For more in-depth information on paintwork decontamination be sure to check out our paintwork decontamination guide. Next grab your next item from your detailing products, a microfibre or foam applicator and your chosencar polish for your paintwork. Now dampen your applicator with a mist of water or detail spray, then add your car polish to the pad. Start with one or two pea sized dots of car polish to your pad. Now work the polish in straight lines working in small areas at a time, be sure to ensure even coverage by over lapping your strokes, and remove, repeat as you feel necessary or until the desired result has been achieved. Once you've worked the polish into your paintwork remove the hazed residue with a fresh microfibre cloths. Now you have created the finish you can seal it in and protect it by topping with your favourite car wax, luxury carnauba wax or paint sealant of your choice.
