A perfectly maintained car is not just a beautiful sight. Its varnish protects the metal underneath and, polished to a high gloss, helps maintain its value.
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Before polishing, the car must be thoroughly cleaned
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Polishing can be done by hand or with a polishing machine
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You can choose between do-it-yourself and professional car polishing
Shiny paint looks like a well-made business card for the vehicle. So that the result of car polishing can be seen, here are the most important ones Questions, answers and tips compiled:
Why is car polish important?
A well-maintained paint job is not just for them optics of the car, but also for his Preservation of value and the price at sale. It also protects it from environmental influences. If it is attacked, moisture and dirt can cause the metal underneath to rust.
The car paint itself is affected by stone chips, road salt, insects, tree resin and the weather – such as sun and frost. They literally cause the top layer of paint to weather, and over time the paint loses its shine. Polishes contain tiny Abrasive particleswhich remove the top, dulled layer of paint and any scratches in it.
When is the best time?
It is best to use dry weather with medium temperatures. When it is cold, the polish cannot dry out properly and streaks can appear. In hot weather the polish would absorb into the paint too quickly, dry out and form streaks. It is important not to work in the blazing sun. The car in Spring Polishing has the advantage that there are not so many stubborn insect residues that make the work more difficult. The paint is then protected in good time against tree resin and new insect contamination.
How is the car prepared?
One thorough cleaning of the vehicle is the be-all and end-all here: dirt and dust that could cause scratches during polishing must be removed. There are special agents such as cleaning clay, for example against tar, resin and insect residue. If washing is not done by hand but in a car wash, a standard program without sealing (hard wax, nano sealing) should be selected – this makes subsequent polishing more difficult.
It is urgently necessary to remove the paint surface Flash rust to free. There are special means for this.
Now you can scratch and stone chip damage must be removed by hand. Repair kits and touch-up pens that correspond to the color code of the car are available from specialist retailers. Read here how to properly remove scratches from car paint. After the car is dry, certain surfaces receive protection from the car polish: the glass of windows and headlights is masked, Plastic and rubber parts such as bumpers and window seals are pre-treated with a suitable care product.
What polish does the vehicle need?
Choosing the right car polish depends on which one paint it is – for example metallic – what color it is and how heavily used it is. Hard wax polishes are particularly suitable for new cars and well-cleaned vehicles. Polishes with a lower proportion of abrasive particles are suitable for older cars or more weathered paintwork.
Polishes with abrasive particles are particularly suitable for older vehicles or heavily weathered paintwork. Depending on the degree of weathering, polishes with different degrees of grinding can be useful.
How do you properly polish the car?
It is best to divide the painted areas of the vehicle in games up and treat them one after the other. The actual polishing is done either by hand or with a polishing machine. If you choose the first route, apply the polishing agent Polishing sponge, pad or cotton wool and distribute it over the area with light pressure.
You either perform circular movements or the so-called Cross stitch, which is applied alternately horizontally and vertically. More than one pass may be required until the paint feels smooth again.
How is a car polished with a machine?
Compared to polishing by hand, car polishing is by machine more time saving. Anyone who masters the technology and works carefully will achieve a high-gloss, smooth result, especially if a product specially developed for machine car polishing is used. It is spread on the sponge of the plate moistened with water, which begins to rotate after switching on.
To ensure that the paint doesn’t get too hot, you can apply it not too much pressure exercise and not work in one place for too long. The machine must always on the move remain. You should be particularly careful with edges that are difficult to reach Corners by hand polishing.
Excess polish It is best to remove it from the surface with a soft microfiber cloth before it dries. When using pure abrasive polishes without sealing additives, the car’s paint should then have a Preservation receive. You can achieve the perfect shine with wax made from natural raw materials, synthetic sealants with polymers and nano or ceramic sealants. There are also car polishes with wax content, which save one step but sometimes produce a less shiny result.
Danger: The coarser the abrasive particles in the polish, the more difficult the products are to use. It is better to use abrasive polishes only from expert hand processed with the machine.
Effects of polish on the paint
In principle, a polish is nothing more than that Grind of the paint, but in the micro and nano range. Car paint is typically a robust 100 to 140 microns thick. Depending on the fineness or coarseness of the abrasive grains, around 0.1 to 0.5 micrometers of paint is removed during polishing.
How often should you polish a vehicle?
This depends on how intensively a car is used, whether it is parked outside overnight or in an (underground) garage, the type of paint and how old it is. As a rule of thumb: no more than one car polish twice a year.
Polishing error
The use of incorrect polishes and errors during polishing can lead to Damage to the paint lead, for example, to so-called holograms, i.e. streaks or round reflections. Beginners should therefore not immediately resort to a professional polishing machine, but rather practice polishing by hand first. You risk damage to the paint if
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You are using too coarse polish
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You are treating too large an area at once
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You are exerting too much pressure
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there is contamination on the paint, polishing sponge or cloth
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You work on one spot for too long with a polishing machine
Do-it-yourself or from a professional?
There is a lot to be said for polishing the car in a workshop, paint shop or car care service, for example the knowledge and Employee experience, professional polishing machines and materials. The professionals work under a roof and are therefore independent of rain, wind or strong sunlight.
Cost of polishing by an expert
The cost of a professional polish varies greatly and depends on the size of the vehicle, the current condition of the paint and the resulting effort. It’s best to get more than one quote and compare not only the prices but also the services. These start with a basic polish with paint cleaning, high-gloss polish and sealing at around 200 euros. If cleaning of the rims and a multi-stage polishing – coarse, high-gloss and anti-hologram treatment – are added, it becomes more time-consuming and correspondingly more expensive.
