What to take into account when polishing and polishing a car?

Polishing and polishing a car is essential to highlight the design of the vehicle and give shine to all its parts. But the materials and methods we use will be decisive to achieve the desired finish.

Next we will know the whole process, from washing the vehicle to applying the wax to obtain a radiant result.

Materials for polishing and polishing a car:

• Car wash soap
• Suede cloth or microfiber towel
• Scotch tape Premium or professional for car
• Polishing machine rotary
• Wool and foam polishing pad
• Polishing compound
• Polishing wax

1. Wash the car

Rinse the entire vehicle. Starting from the top down, wash one section at a time, rinsing the entire car with the soap between each section.

When it’s absolutely clean, you can give it one last rinse and dry it with the suede cloth, working from top to bottom again.

2. Tape what you need to insulate

Whether we are polishing by hand or with a machine, it is very important that you cover certain sections of the car, especially when you use a machine. Polishing a car can sometimes take a long time, but if we take the space to do it, we will save money.

A rotary polisher It rotates at approximately 1000 RPM, which can generate a lot of heat on the surface being polished. Use the Scotch tape to protect everything you don’t want to burn or wear out.

But before starting, it is necessary to have professional adhesive tape for carsas it does not leave any stain or adhesive on the surface. This type of tape comes in various widths depending on the size of the area you want to cover.

You can use any type of tape, but some just aren’t as sticky as they should be, and others leave a lot of residue that can take a long time to clean.

A general rule of thumb is to tape everything you don’t want the polishing machine to touch.

Taping certain areas will ensure that you don’t make a mistake by unintentionally hitting something with the polisher. In addition to providing security, the tape can save you a lot of cleaning time by preventing polishing dust from settling in cracks.

Tape to polish the car

Here are some recommended areas to cover with tape, before you begin and while you are polishing:

• Emblems, badges and taillights.
• Rubber seals around door, window and lid jams.
• Plastic pieces
• Door handles and mirrors
• Surrounding panel edges

Scotch tape

Taping the edges around the area you are working on will help prevent these areas from coming into contact with the machine.

Some curves can be tricky, but we must be precise and understand that it takes a while.

When applying the tape, press down firmly with your finger. This will ensure that the tape does not come off while you are polishing.

It’s also a good idea to remove any tape when you’ve finished working a section. If you let the tape sit for a while, it may leave residue. If this happens, it can be easily removed with a microfiber towel and an all-purpose cleaner.

Other tapes They are suitable for cabinets with an oven and depending on their composition, they can be removed up to a day later.

Scotch tape

Lastly, be careful when removing the tape from the painted edges or chrome trim. If there is damage to these parts, you could potentially remove some of the paint or chrome. If you are concerned about a particular area and you don’t have professional tape, run the tape through a cloth before sticking it to the car to reduce its stickiness.

3. Polishing the car

Polishing removes oxidation and minor scratches that affect a vehicle’s paint, leaving a shiny finish.

Start by buffing with the wool pad and buffing compound, which is what removes small scratches in the clear coat.

Apply the compound directly to the car and spread it around a small section with the pad.

Start by keeping the pad flat on the surface of the painting and alternating up-down and left-to-right movements in one section.

Avoid tilting the pad, as this concentrates too much heat in one spot and can ruin the clear coat.

Polishing a car

Once the compound has spread evenly and has a hazy appearance, wipe it off with a microfiber towel.

4. Polishing process

Now that the scratches have been removed, it’s time to give it a smooth finish with the buffing process.

Switch to the foam pad and repeat the process with the polishing compound.

For best results, start with medium pressure on the surface and gradually reduce until the compound spreads into a thin layer, then wipe it off with the microfiber towel.

Before applying the wax, rinse the car again and dry it well.

5. Apply polishing wax

The wax will fill in small scratches that polishing did not remove. It will also give your painting that smooth, wet look.

Most liquid waxes come with their own foam pad.

Apply the wax to the pad and spread it evenly in a circular motion. Wait a few minutes for it to dry a bit and get cloudy, then wipe it off with another clean microfiber towel.

Once the wax is applied, we can only contemplate that we have polished all the details, and enjoy the work we have done.

Polishing and polishing a vehicle is a task that requires precision, perseverance and dedication. The time we dedicate to the task will be evident in the result we obtain.

There is no better reward than appreciating a car that looks shiny and totally refreshed.