Everything You Need to Know About Car Polishing

If you own a car, you may notice small imperfections on your car’s paintwork after driving it around Singapore for some time. From tiny scratches to oxidation marks – all of which will trigger your instincts to remedy them so that your car can appear flawless again.

As such, you decide that your car will need some polishing using a cheap car polish that you can find in Singapore. However, polishing your car is not enough to restore your car’s gleam when you first received it. You will need to get it waxed to improve its hydrophobic property.

In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about a car polishing service, including the difference between polishing and waxing a car, the list of things you will need to polish and wax your car, as well as a guide to polishing and waxing your car.

Car Polishing vs Car Waxing: How are they different?

A car polishing service is a process of removing minor scratches, oxidation, and other superficial blemishes from the surface of a car’s paintwork. It is similar to power washing, but with a finer abrasive.

Meanwhile, a car waxing service is a process of applying a thin layer of car wax to the paintwork to protect it from environmental effects such as pollution, UV rays, water spots, heat, dust etc.

As such, the primary difference between car polishing and car waxing is that polishes remove all surface contaminants, including oxidised paint, while waxes are designed to only fill in small scratches and imperfections in the car’s finish.

Therefore, the two processes are different in terms of the materials used and how they work. Despite that, the two processes complement each other in terms of enhancing the vehicle’s appearance and paintwork quality.

List of Things Needed for Car Polishing and Waxing

If you are looking to polish and/or wax your car all by yourself, whether by machine or by hand, here is a list of things you will need.

• Polishing and waxing compound
• Polishing pads
• Microfibre cloths
• Inspection light
• Paint depth gauge

1. Polishing and waxing compound

Given that there are many different types of car polish and wax on the market, finding the best options can be hard. So here’s a quick guide to the different choices and where they will work best.

• •  Heavy polishing compounds contain large abrasive particles to remove deep scratches.
  •  Mild polishing compound works to remove light scratches and swirls, giving your car’s paintwork a more refined finish.
  •  Natural car wax is made of natural ingredients and requires regular application as it tends to wear off quickly.
  •  Synthetic car wax is made of chemicals that can bond with paint which can last up to a year and is less time-consuming to apply.

If you want a car polish and car wax that is suitable for your vehicle, make sure to consider the above.

2. Polishing pads

You also have to consider which polishing pads to use as there are three main types – wool, microfibre, and foam. Wool can only be used for machine polishing, but microfibre and foam pads can be used for both types of polishing methods.

Wool is the most aggressive type of polishing pad due to its texture followed by microfibre and foam. If you are polishing your car for the first time, consider using foam pads as they can remove significant levels of clear coat damage.

If you have some experience in polishing your car, you can then consider using a microfibre pad as they are more aggressive in removing the damaged paintwork from your car.

3. Microfibre cloths

Whether you’re polishing or waxing your car by hand, having plenty of microfibre cloths on hand will come in handy. This is because you can use them to:

• •  Remove any remnants from your car’s paintwork.
  •  Wipe away the polish off your car’s paintwork.
  •  Clean the polishing pad after you have polished a section to remove paint residue and prevent the pad from clogging.
  •  Wipe away excess wax from your car’s exterior.

4. Inspection light

This is one thing every professional detailer have in their workshop – inspection light. After all, it’s never a good idea to blindly polish your car without a proper or close inspection of the paintwork.

With an inspection light, you can inspect your car’s paintwork before you start polishing, during the polishing process, and after you’re done polishing to see if the scratches are still there.

Plus, you don’t have to fork out a lot on an expensive inspection light. A good LED torch or even the torch on your smartphone will suffice.

5. Paint depth gauge

For you to safely polish your car without burning through the paintwork, you might need a paint depth gauge – a device that measures the distance between the top of your car’s paintwork and the metal underneath.

It will help you understand how much paint you have to remove and whether it is safe to polish your car. While you may not need this device, it’s generally used by professional detailers to ensure they don’t burn through a vehicle’s paintwork.

Guide to Polishing and Waxing Your Car

Now that you’ve got all your car polishing and waxing gear together, you can start preparing to detail your car’s exterior. Here’s a guide to polishing and waxing your car:

Polishing Your Car

Before you begin polishing your car, check for plastic and metal parts. This is because modern cars have features that look like polished metal but are either plastic or metal that has been painted and covered with a clear coat.

Once you’ve worked that out, you can use a polishing pad to apply the polish, including on your headlights and indicators. This will help remove the layer of dirt that settles on your headlights and indicators.

On your final polishing steps, use a specialised wheel cleaner to polish your wheel hubcaps. This will keep them looking clean and shiny.

Waxing Your Car

After you’re done polishing your car, it’s time to wax. Car waxing can either be a time-consuming process or a quick and short one depending on your choice of car wax. Just make sure to follow the instructions on your selected product.

That said, you should select a car wax that fits the colour of your car’s paintwork. This is because some car waxes have been developed for different colours of bodywork. So, if your car is black, select a car wax that’s suitable for it.

If time isn’t on your side, consider substituting your car wax for spray wax. It’s quick and easy to apply. Plus, you get to protect your car’s paintwork without exerting much effort.

And remember, always wash your car before you start polishing and waxing it. By doing so, you get to ensure the efficacy of your DIY detailing. However, if you require professional help, consider engaging a professional car grooming centre in Singapore like Lambency Detailing.

Get your car professionally groomed at Lambency Detailing

With the occasional polish and wax, you get to maintain that factory sheen when you first set your eyes on your car.

As a one-stop automotive centre for all your car needs, we offer comprehensive car exterior detailing services that use only 100% genuine SONAX products from Germany to ensure the quality of your car’s surface

Find out more about Lambency Detailing’s different products and services here. Book an appointment with us to get your car interior detailing now! WhatsApp: (65) 9658 5808 Email: lambency@quantum-globe.com