Learning New Things
To date, most of my services have been focused on improving the interior detailing process. As my services continue to grow, and I begin getting more requests for exterior services, I have decided to pick up paint polishing.
Paint polishing helps restore the shine on older vehicles, by removing built-up oxidation on the paint’s surface, as well as removing light swirls and scratches in the paint. To polish a car, the following steps are recommended:
1) Wash the car with a degreaser, an all-purpose cleaner diluted to the right concertation works really well for stripping any oils or waxes on the vehicle to expose the bare paint.
2) Decontaminate the vehicle with a fallout remover and clay bar. The fallout remover helps loosen up metal flakes embedded into the paint’s surface, most commonly from our vehicle’s brake dust. Clay bar helps strip out other contaminants on the pain’t surface, that cannot be removed by the fallout remover or a simple car wash. The purpose of this step is to make sure that we are not picking up any debris when polishing, which can further damage the paint and create more swirls and scratches.
3) Clean of the surface of the paint with a surface-prep spray or isopropyl alcohol. The step helps dry the surface to ensure that any chemicals we used in the previous stages are all cleaned off, leaving just the bare paint.
4) Polish. This can be done by hand or by machine. The polish should be applied in a circular motion, to create a smooth and even finish on the paint and smoothen our scrathes and swirls.
5) Protect. Ideally, we do not want to polish our vehicle’s paint often, as this will wear down the clear coat over time and may cause clear-coat failure. We can protect the surface of the paint, by applying a layer of wax or ceramic sealant. These products act as a barrier for the paint, and make it more difficult for dirt and debris to etch into the paint. Depending on where the car is kept (indoor or outdoors), this can shorten or extend the useful life of these protectants.
