Believe it or not, there are people who actually enjoy detailing their cars—people who delight in the process and who enjoy spending the time to polish every surface of their vehicle. It’s tedious, but they love it. And we know those people exist because we’re those people.
That might sound like torture for you, but there are some pretty great reasons to polish your car, such as preserving your paint and being a big ego boost because, afterward, you can cruise around town in a clean car. Oh yeah, you know you see me.
You could pay someone to polish your car, but because the process is pretty straightforward, you can also do it yourself. Either way, it isn’t taxing, as long as you know the basics. So hop aboard; The Drive’s awesome info team is here to teach you the ins and outs of polishing a car so you’ll be riding clean in no time.
Estimated Time Needed: Approximately two hours, depending on the weather, the size of your vehicle, the age of the vehicle, and its color.
Skill Level: Beginner
Vehicle System: Exterior
Car polish is a mid liquid abrasive that fills and smooths many exterior imperfections that occur naturally (or not) over time. Polish also fixes the issue of oxidation and paint fade, and it’s especially important when dealing with older cars, which often have lacquer paint jobs.
Polishing a car is pretty easy, but you can really mess up the paint if you’re not careful. Here are a few of the pitfalls most commonly associated with car polishing.
Working on your car can be dangerous and messy, so here’s exactly what you’ll need to ensure you don’t die, get maimed, or lose a finger and that you keep your jeans, shirt, and skin spotless—hopefully.
Fortunately, polishing a car doesn’t take an army of different tools and supplies, but you will need a few things to get started. We’re not psychic, nor are we snooping through your toolbox or garage, so here’s exactly what you’ll need to get the job done.
Organizing your tools and gear so everything is easily reachable will save precious minutes waiting for your handy-dandy child or four-legged helper to bring you the sandpaper or blowtorch. (You won't need a blowtorch for this job. Please don’t have your kid hand you a blowtorch—Ed.)
You’ll also need a flat workspace, such as a garage floor, driveway, or street parking that’s well-ventilated. Check your local laws to make sure you’re not violating any codes when using the street because we aren’t getting your ride out of the clink.
Grab your supplies and park the vehicle in a shaded spot, if at all possible. Polishing isn’t difficult, but you’ll need to give yourself all the time you can to spread the polish and work it into the paint before it dries.
With that out of the way, let’s get into the details!
a. Keep the spinning wheel as close to parallel to the surface as possible.b. Apply constant pressure with the polisher and move evenly across the surface of the car.c. The vehicle’s clear coat will heat up and will become warm to the touch. This is when scratches and other damage will begin disappearing.d. As the polish is absorbed and removed by the polishing pad, the newly shined paint will start to show. As this happens, move to a new area and repeat the process.
You just saved money and time by polishing your own vehicle. Way to go!
The Drive’s editors have spent our fair share of time polishing cars and fixing botched polish jobs done by people who don’t care to get a job done right. We’ve picked up a few helpful tips over that time that we’d love to share with you here.
The phrase “work smarter, not harder” applies to polishing a car just as it does to anything else. Spend your time wisely and don’t spend money that you don’t have to.
In this video, Larry from AMMO NYC gives an in depth breakdown of the entire process, and explains the reasoning and intricacies behind it.
You’ve got questions. The Drive has answers!
A. A professional polish can cost anywhere between $50 and $200 or more, depending on the type of car you have, the quality of the shop doing the polish, and the level of wash/detail you’ve chosen.
On the other hand, opting to polish yourself can save big cash. You probably have some of the things you’ll need on hand already, such as a hose and a chamois cloth or microfiber towel. You can expect to spend up to $100 or so to do the job yourself, but that money will buy enough supplies to polish a few times.
A. Your car is your baby, apart from your human and fur babies, so we get it, and we understand that you want to keep it looking as pristine as possible. Even so, you should only be polishing your car every 3-4 months. It’s not good for the paint, it’s a waste of time, and you’ll spend money unnecessarily.
A. Polishing compounds are abrasive and strip away thin layers of your paint. Continuing to do this over short periods of time can ruin the finish and make your paint extremely weak. This leads to chips, easier scratching, and other issues.
A. Polishing and buffing are extremely similar, and are sometimes used interchangeably. There’s even a debate among the detailing community on if there is actually a difference! For the most part, the polishing process is known to require coarser compounds, which strip a bit more clear coat and paint compared to buffing. The decision to buff or polish depends on the car and its condition. If you’re interested, check out our guide on How To Buff A Car.
A. For the average person doing this job on their own, with no professional experience, no. A vast majority of the time, you will achieve the same outcome when polishing or buffing. The choice is yours. The processes are basically the same. It sometimes comes down to the age of your car, the color, and the condition of the paint.
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