How to polish the car: this leaves the paint like a mirror

The bodywork of our car It can lose the shine that it brought from the factory over the years. To polish it again , it is advisable to know which products are the most suitable and how to use them correctly. Not all methods that currently exist in the network will allow you to achieve the best results.

If you follow the steps below, you will make your car look again . A somewhat more laborious process than simply cleaning the body, but whose results are worth applying from time to time .

Always clean before polishing

Before to polish your car you must clean it thoroughly . Depending on how dirty it is, you will have to resort to one of the following methods to make sure it is well. It is not the same to clean a vehicle with three years, than one with nine. The second will have impurities and dirt embedded in the enamel, which should be removed before polishing.

Washing with soap

There can be no stains or debris that tarnish the polishing work you are going to do later. If your car has stubborn stains , such as resin, mosquitoes or parched bird droppings, try to eliminate them completely.

Maybe with typical car washes strong> or pressurized water hoses is not enough. There are fairly cheap products that can be applied with a sponge without scratching the paint. You can use them to wash the entire body or at least to review areas that resist if that is the case.

Clay bar

For cars with more years behind them, a full debugging . For this, the best solution is a Clay bar . A clay whose texture allows it to remove the impurities embedded in the enamel. You can buy for very little money and in the package usually comes everything you need to apply it. The method to use it correctly includes the following steps:

Wash the car with pressurized water to remove the dirtiest fat. A pressure wash is a good alternative.
Spray the surface with water and soap to lubricate the clay bar. Sometimes, the mix is included in the package you buy. If this is not the case, you just have to mix water with a lot of soap.
Scrub the body little by little with the clay bar. Do it in small circles.
Go kneading again the putty when the surface you have used is very dirty.

Apply the polish

This step consists of removing the superficial scratches and the enamel that has lost its shine . For this, a polish "medium" is usually used to remove the surface layer and another "thin" to polish the enamel remaining on the air. The result if done well is a car as bright as when it was new.

Important notice

Summer is the enemy of polish . Make sure you do not make this step in the sun or when it is very hot. The steps to apply it are as follows:

Covers the entire surface of the sponge with the "medium" polish.
Either by hand or with a machine, go through the entire body without forgetting any part. It's about wearing down the most superficial layer, so do not squeeze too much. If you crush the sponge completely it is that you are going from strength to strength. You can incide a little more in areas where there is some persistent rayon, but do not forget that it is not about removing all the enamel.
Remove the medium polish with a cloth that does not scratch and does not leave any lint. The typical made with old cotton sheets is the best, although one of microfibers can also be worth it.
Repeat the process with the "fine" polish. If you do it by hand, let it be in small, fast circles. Do not use the same sponge that you used for the "medium" polish.

First of all, look at the instructions of the product you are going to use, in case the brand in question has any particularity. You can also opt for a multipurpose, because although they will not get such good results, they will save you a lot of work. You decide.

Scratches that can be removed and those that can not be removed

To differentiate the scratches that can be removed with polish, it is enough to have a clear principle: If you have crossed the enamel of the painting there is nothing to do . It is not always easy to know if this has happened, because over time they fill with dirt. If you have washed the car well, the dirt will have disappeared completely. The clay bar is especially effective if you follow the direction of the rayon.

If you have gone through the enamel, you will know it because the interior of the "rayajo" has no brightness and because it is usually a somewhat lighter color . If you do not see it with the naked eye, you can use a magnifying glass . This way you will save yourself from polishing on a flaw that has no solution no matter how much you want to polish it.

If you also want to leave the car as new by inside , we recommend the article How to clean the interior of the car: upholstery, dashboard, glass ... It will be like releasing it again. And if you want to finish cleaning the windows like a professional do not miss How to clean the car's windows: mosquitoes, bird droppings, dust ... You may be interested