Creating the finish
Polishing is likely to be the most dramatic effect of any detailing stage, done correctly you should not only lift years of ingrained dirt and grime, but also knock years off the vehicles looks. Polishing contrary to popular belief, this is actually where all the paints, depth clarity and looks will be enhanced and/pr created, it dose not come from a true wax or sealant, and whilst these products can add a little more lustre to the finish, polishing is the real key to a show stopping shine.
Types of Polish
There are many different types of automotive polish, but to make this a little easier to explain we will give you the main 3, firstly you have the most common, all in one and hand polishes, these products are usually designed to be worked by hand and usually contain an aspect of a abrasive, glaze and many also wax in one, now whilst these are good enough for most they tend not to satisfy the “purest” & detailers, second you have what is known as “pre wax cleansers” these are usually a fine finishing abrasive designed for use by hand, they don’t contain wax, or glaze and will generally do a more focused job when looking to deep clean and polish the paint compared to an all in one, then third you have compounds, usually designed for use by rotary or dual action machine polisher in a professional environment ie body shops, vehicle manufacture and detailers to name a few applicants. These tend to come in larger sizes, 1L and above, and come a an array of varying grades (similar to grades of sand paper). In this guide we are going to stick to the basics and show you how to use Pre wax cleansers and all in one polishes by hand.
What you need
A good quality pre wax or all in one polish, microfiber or foam polish applicator, good clean microfiber towels
How to
Firstly we prefer the use of microfiber applicator pads for hand polishing, but you can use whatever feels more comfortable for you personally. Ensure you have firstly washed the car throughly and secondly clayed and decontaminated the paint properly. Now dampen your applicator with a mist of water or detail spray, then add your polish to the pad (start with one or two small pea sized pieces) 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. Now you have created the finish you can seal it in and protect it by topping with your favorite wax or sealant of your choice.