When you polish your vehicle, you're actually scraping off a thin layer of paint to get rid of minor blemishes and make your vehicle look like new. While this job is not difficult, you will need a unique set of tools and materials, and it will take a long time and be tedious. To polish your car, you'll need a rotary or orbital polisher, wool pads for the polishing compound, and soft foam for polishing your car.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Washing and Covering the Car
Step 1. Wet the entire car using the wide nozzle setting
Before starting to polish your car, rinse the surface to remove dust and dirt. Set the hose nozzle to the wide/spread setting to spray the car. Start at the roof of the car and work your way down to the base of the car. Make sure you rinse each side of the car to remove any visible dirt.
- You can use a bucket of water if you don't have a hose.
- If you have more money, you can take the car to a car wash service for professional work.
Warning:
If you use a strong nozzle setting, sensitive parts of the car can be damaged by water pressure, such as the rearview mirror or window trim.
Step 2. Apply car shampoo to the vehicle
Wet a clean car washcloth or microfiber with car shampoo water, and wring it out until the cloth looks foamy. Rub the cloth on the surface of the car until it becomes soapy. Re-wet the cloth with shampoo water if needed.
Use an all-purpose shampoo. There are several brands of shampoo that are designed to clean your car before you paint it, but you don't really need it before you polish your car
Step 3. Rinse off the soap with a hose or bucket of water
If the entire surface of the car has been shampooed, rinse thoroughly using a hose with a wide nozzle setting or water in a bucket. Start at the roof of the car, then work your way down until there is no shampoo left.
Step 4. Dry the car with a microfiber cloth
Start at the roof of the car and work your way downhill. Don't miss the car roof. Wipe any wet areas with a clean microfiber cloth. Wipe in a circular motion to make sure there are no smudging marks on the windows or body of the car.
- It's a good idea to have some washcloths ready. That way, you can immediately replace the cloth if the old one is too soaked.
- Don't worry about the tires because they won't be glossed.
Step 5. Cover the headlights, door handles, trim and other car parts with masking tape
Polishing a car is done with a lot of friction, so you need to protect the sensitive parts so you don't accidentally rub the edges while working. Also cover non-metallic parts of the car, such as plastic bumpers or spoilers.
- Check the window frames to see if there is a strip of plastic, metal, or vinyl between the paint and the window. If there is, also cover this part with tape.
- Also cover the patterned paint on the car, if any. Stickers with stripes, flames, or other motifs will come off when you polish your car.
- Spread newspaper or other backing paper over the front and back glass, then tape the edges to protect them.
Part 2 of 3: Shine Paint
Step 1. Rest the wool pad against the scouring tool base plate
You will need to attach the wool pad to the scrubber before starting to use it. Wrap the wool pad around the lip of the flat plate on the bottom, sliding it up. Some rotary and orbital scourers use adhesive strips to attach the pad to the scouring plate. If the scrubbing tool has locking clips on the lip side to secure the pads, wrap the pads against the plate, then flip the latch to keep them in motion.
- Use wool pads and foam pads that match the diameter of the rotary or orbital scrubber. This diameter is usually indicated on the scrubber near the handle or the base plate blank, which is the part of the disc that rotates when the trigger is pressed.
- You can polish the car manually, but it will be very difficult and ineffective. It is impossible to obtain the same uniform results that rotary or orbital scrubbers produce and should therefore be avoided, unless there is absolutely no other option.
Step 2. Apply the polishing compound to the first 0.5-1.5 meters of the car by applying it in a zigzag pattern
Start from the roof of the car. Hold the compound bottle with the tip facing down. Squeeze the compound bottle to pour it as desired in an alternating pattern along the entire length of the vehicle. Don't worry, the car won't be damaged if you use too much polish.
- If the car is old or has deep scratches or scuffs, use a scrubbing compound. Choose a polishing compound if your car is fairly new and you just want to give it a little rejuvenation. A scouring compound will be slightly more abrasive/coarse than a polishing compound so choose based on the condition of your car's paint.
- The scrubber will spread the compound so don't worry if you accidentally miss a small part or pour too much in a certain area.
- You will work by section. Do not immediately pour the compound all over the car because it will dry out later.
Step 3. Set the power of the scrubber to the lowest setting
Rotary or orbital scrubbers have a rotary knob on the handle or head of the machine to adjust the power. Before turning on the appliance, set the power level to the lowest setting. If the compound doesn't seem to rub off your vehicle's paint, you can increase the power later while you're glossing your car.
Warning:
Be sure not to "burn" the paint on a high speed setting or let the compound sit in one place for too long. To prevent this, start with the lowest setting and keep moving the polisher while you polish the car.
Step 4. Turn on the scrubber and gently touch the vehicle
Hold the scrubber with both hands and turn it on by pulling the trigger or flipping the switch. Wait 4-5 seconds for the tool to reach its ideal speed, then gently touch the pad to the paint surface. Try not to press the pads against the paint as they only need to be slightly touching each other to work effectively.
Start near the edge of the section so you only have to work in one direction. For example, if you are dabbing compound on 0.5-1,5 sections of the hood panel, start at the corner near the windshield or headlights and work your way to the sides
Step 5. Work in an alternating pattern on the area you want to polish
Start moving the scrubber as soon as it hits the paint. Guide the wool pad in the compound by sliding it lengthwise across the surface of the car. When you reach the end of the horizontal line, move the scouring tool slightly and work horizontally in the opposite direction.
- The compound will appear to spread out and into the paint. If the compound just rubs off without sinking into the paint, try increasing the speed of the tool or pressing the scouring tool a little harder.
- The polish should fully blend into the paint when finishing a section. The surface may appear greasy, and there may be patterns left by the scrubber. However, there should be no lumps or color left by the compound.
- Re-bleach the area twice if there is still enough polish to appear on the surface of the vehicle.
Step 6. Repeat this process on each part of the vehicle
When one part is done, turn off the scrubber. Apply the compound on the next vehicle section, and repeat the previous process. Work from the roof of the vehicle down so it doesn't hit the finished polish.
It doesn't matter if there are circular marks on the paint. These marks will disappear when the car has been polished
Part 3 of 3: Car Polishing
Step 1. Replace the wool pads with foam pads
Remove the wool pad from the tool and slide the foam pad onto the scouring plate. Install foam pads in the same way as wool pads. Tuck it around the lip of the glossy plate or secure it with Velcro.
- You do not need to clean the plates when swapping bearings. If there is a polish on the plate, you can wipe it off with a paper towel.
- Foam pads are more ideal for finishing polishing because they are more even than wool pads.
Step 2. Apply polish to the first 0.5-1.5 meters of the vehicle section
Essentially, you're doing the same thing with a polishing compound, but this time using a polisher and a foam pad. Start with the part that was first glossed. Squeeze the polishing bottle to zigzag it. Wear it liberally to cover the related car parts.
- All car polishing products can be used. You won't damage your car just by using too much polish.
- Like a polishing compound, you'll be working in small sections and moving from area to area. Don't rub the polish all over the car at once as it will pool in one area making it difficult to spread evenly.
Step 3. Set the device to medium power setting
Unlike the polishing compound, which is worked from a low power setting to a high power setting, the polish should be applied starting at a medium speed and then gradually decreasing. This ensures that the polish is spread evenly and as thinly as possible over the entire surface of the vehicle.
Step 4. Lower the foam pad after it starts spinning and work in a snake pattern
Pull the trigger or turn on the scrubber and wait 4-5 seconds for the tool to start rotating. Start at an angle and work your way up lengthwise before moving up and moving the scourer in the opposite direction. You can rub the area 2-3 times, but don't stop moving the scrubbing tool while you're using it.
Warning:
If you stop moving while the engine is running, the paint on the car may be damaged. Never leave a live polisher sitting in one area for too long.
Step 5. Reduce the speed of the scouring tool if you notice any smudges or polish remaining
If the polish seems to blend in perfectly with the paint, you don't need to fiddle with the power settings of the polisher. However, if rubbing marks appear, lower the speed of the tool and wipe the area again. Usually you need to repeat 2-3 times so that the rubbing marks are completely gone.
There should be no visible residue remaining on the vehicle after it has been wiped
Step 6. Repeat the process on every 0.5-1, 5 meters of vehicle section
When you complete one section, move on to the next car section. Use the same foam pad and work in a similar pattern. Start with a medium setting and reduce as needed. Cover every part of the car until there are no rubbing marks left.
Step 7. Wipe the car with a microfiber cloth
Take a clean microfiber cloth and wrap it around your dominant hand. Start at the top of the car and stroke each part of the vehicle in a circular motion. This is a preventative measure that will spread the missed polish while wiping off any excess or unnecessary layers.
- Do not wipe windows with a microfiber cloth.
- Do not use the same microfiber cloth used to wipe a washed car, unless the cloth has been washed and dried thoroughly.
- If there are any remaining rubbing marks, it's a good idea to rub some wax on the car to get rid of them.
Step 8. Remove the tape and window shield
Remove the tape covering the sensitive parts of the car. Take the paper used to cover the front and rear windows of the car. Throw it in the trash and enjoy your car now looking brand new!
Step 9. Wax your car for added protection
Get a genuine synthetic or carnauba wax from a repair shop or auto supply store. Dab a coin-sized wax on a clean microfiber cloth or sponge. Gently rub on the surface of the car in a gentle and circular manner. Rub each area 3-4 times to help the wax absorb into the paint. Repeat the process on each section until it covers the entire surface of the car.
- Use a clean microfiber cloth to wipe off excess wax. The paint should look new and shiny. There should be no visible lumps of wax.
- It's a good idea to play it safe about the number of candles to use. If the amount used is too much, the wax will be more difficult to seep into the paint.
