Polishing

[Voodoo333]

Hi, 

I the past I have washed my old cars with standard soap and water.  After buying a nearly new model I want to protect the paintwork and keep it as pristine as possible. 

1.After investigation I understand polishing takes off a layer of top coat. So I am worried that after several polishes,  the top coat maybe gone. I am wondering if you can polish the panel and replenish the top coat layer? 

2. When should I polish the car? When I see tiny scratches or should I do it several times a year without fail? 

I am a little confused. Hope you can help. 

J P

[Magnet]

Hello Jay,

An interesting question, and full marks in my book for clearing up some myths. Now, washing a car with a bucket and sponge (which is what I guess you do) is the only way to wash a car. Time consuming yes. Worth the bother when our friends from east of the Thames estuary will do it for you with their pressure washer lances for a few pounds? Most certainly, and I'm not saying they are all the same, but I have seen several nice cars with milky patches in the lacquer caused by the regular enthusiastic use of these pressure washers. The chemical cleaner often used, will take the skin off your hands in its undiluted form and how accurate is the dilution?? Anyway, enough of that and back to your much better method of doing it yourself - not using a pressure washer! 

Soap in the water is a new one on me, and I have always used a good quality wax car shampoo. I'm currently using Simoniz and have used it for a couple or three years now and find it very good (there are others) and less likely to leave water marks after washing it off. I never chamois my cars, since I find there is a greater risk of scratches and streaks. I wash mine on a dull day and ideally just before it's going to rain - no problem in this part of the country. No need to dry it off then.

Polish and taking a layer of paint (lacquer) off:- my view is that if you use a good quality wax polish ( minimum cutting agents) then you can forget about such issues. Just compare the constant abrasive conditions the car is subjected to as it passes at speed through the air along our roads. Don't worry about taking paint off by polishing with a good polish. Good polish? I've used Auto Glym resin wax polish since the time I had hair. I've tried others, and I certainly not saying there arn't better brands, but I've always come back to it for right or wrong. As I say there are others which are probably equally as good/ better. It's a bit like your favourite beer! 

How often to polish? I would say three times a year should be about it, and you will notice when it's due to be done again when the degree of the beading  effect (globules or whatever you want to call it) deminishes.

Good luck with it Jay, and I'm sure you will be pleased with the outcome.

Kind regards,

Gareth.

p.s. Where is Paa? 

[Golfcampaign]

It's worth noting that waxing and polishing are different operations that do different things. Waxing adds a layer of protection over the paint/lacquer to repel water and put a smoother and therefore shiny finish over the paint. Polishing, in it's true form, actually makes the paint itself smoother (think like ultra fine liquid sandpaper!) and this is when paint removal comes in. Ideally you should care for paint such that it doesn't get scratches or swirls and therefore does not often need polishing. Washing technique ( the two buckets method ) and avoiding automatic car washes goes a long way to avoiding scratches And marring. Having said that, I normally wax twice a year using collinite wax, which is known to last well. Other waxes would need a more regular application.

Some products, such as the AG super resin polish noted above, are a bit of a hybrid product containing fillers that cover micro-scratches to provide a smooth shiney finish. They work well but to the OCD purist are a bit of a cheat ( I still use it too 😀).

These days a lot of people don't use waxes at all. To some extent they have been replaced with polymer sealants, but that's a whole other subject...

If you really want to know about OCD levels of car cleaning and care head to the Detailing World website, but be warned - it's very easy to get drawn into a world of serious expense and geekdom. 

I hope this assists.

Cheers,

Luke

[JamboDave]

If you want to look after your paint work, change your washing habits, use the two bucket with grit guards and a wash mitt method with a pH neutral car shampoo.

When it comes to polishing your car, use a clay bar to remove the contaminants from the paint work that the washing missed, leaves the paintwork glass smooth.
Then polish the car followed by a wax. Hand polishing wont take that much paint off, but if you are that concerned then you could always buy a paint thickness meter.

Have a look at some detailing forums to get an idea of the products to use.
You will be astounded by how long it can take and how much money you can spend detailing your car, to get it looking pristine.
 

[Chops]

Ive been a valeter at a vw dealership for 19 years. Ive just started using a pure wax from autosmart which is amazing. The finish on my paintwork is like glass. 

Also used a clay towel for the first time (bit like a clay bar but 20x faster and safer) and its brilliant  

i usually use autoglym super resin polish wich is great,but this autosmart wax is far better. Goes on like butter and very very easy to remove