How to prepare a car before polishing step by step guide auto care hq

Just How to Prep a Cars And Truck Prior To Cleaning: Bit By Bit Manual.

Refining an automobile may appear a little bit intimidating if you’ve certainly never attempted it in the past, however it’s certainly not really that challenging if you recognize the suitable strategy. Among one of the most significant points you need to have to think about, is actually the planning.

If you wear’t adequately prep your auto’s paintwork prior to fine-tuning or even intensifying, you’ll either find yourself along with drab end results, or even lead to blemishes and also swirl signs. Within this write-up, I’ll take you by means of each planning phase so you receive the best appearance. Thus allow’s start.

The Quick Solution.

A cars and truck ought to be actually readied prior to brightening or even coating adjustment through cleaning completely and also getting rid of any kind of aged waxes, sealers or even finishings. The coating ought to at that point be actually sanitized chemically, observed through claying, and also lastly washing and also drying out.

Listed here’s the bit by bit procedure to see to it you receive professional-level end results.

Washout the Vehicle.

Obviously, the initial step when traveling to best paintwork, is actually to clean the auto. If you read this write-up, the odds are actually that you currently recognize just how to clean your auto adequately without resulting in blemishes and also swirl spots. However if you’re searching for some additional suggestions, at that point look at this write-up.

There are actually merely actually pair of variations when cleaning your auto prior to fine-tuning, contrasted to every other celebration.

See to it you are actually extremely extremely complete. Any kind of filth or even dirt left may scrape the coating when brightening. So the auto ought to be actually stainless. Pay out attention to the door spaces, logos and also grille. Carry out certainly not utilize a hair shampoo consisting of any kind of wax or even gloss-enhancing substances. Make use of a fundamental hair shampoo along with excellent cleansing energy to see to it there is actually no deposit on the car after that. My favourites are actually Bilt Hamber Automotive Clean and also Vehicle Chem Super Foam.

Aside From that, the clean procedure is actually the specific very same. Thus begin through washing completely, utilizing a pre-wash or even snowfall froth, washing once more, and afterwards utilize a microfiber of sheep’s woollen glove to cleanse the auto. After that offer everything an ultimate rinse down. Currently, on the upcoming action.

Bit Old Waxes and also Sealants.

Polishes and also sealers need to have to become adequately gotten rid of prior to brightening the auto. If they are actually still on the coating, at that point they are going to congest the brightening pad. This needs you to utilize even more gloss or even substance and also even more elapseds. Therefore, the procedure may manage two times as lengthy.

At Times, if you possess a specifically challenging sealer or even layer, the gloss will certainly certainly never also touch the paintwork. So you need to have to see to it it has actually been actually gotten rid of ahead of time.

There are actually numerous techniques to remove the coating of coating security.

One method is actually to utilize an all-purpose-cleaner (Bilt Hamber Surfex HD at around 25% in the cannon) in combo along with a snowfall froth. I coating the auto within this mix, allow it dwell for a number of moments and afterwards discuss the auto along with a well-maintained rinse glove. After that I’ll simply rinse out the foams away.

I discover that this is actually a quickest and also efficient procedure that benefits aged or even much less resilient security items. You may take a look at my description and also demo within this video recording on the Automotive Treatment headquarters YouTube network.

There are actually lots of various other approaches though that you may make an effort to eliminate the wax or even sealer on your car.

You’ll manage to check out if the wax or even sealer has actually been actually adequately gotten rid of through noting the water behavior. If water still pieces off the auto promptly, or even kinds grains, at that point you’ll demand to make an effort once more.

Chemical Purification.

The upcoming trait you need to have to accomplish, is actually sterilize the auto. In time, “impurities” may accumulate on the paintwork, featuring water areas, tar, iron after effects, plant drain and also coat over-spray. They cannot usually be removed by routine washing.

Things like tar and tree sap are easy to spot, but others are less noticeable. You’ll know if your car has contamination, by running your hand over the paintwork when it’s just been washed and dried. If it feels rough, there are invisible contaminants on the surface.

There are two methods of decontamination: chemical and physical. Chemical decontamination should be performed first in order to reduce the risk of scratches and marring in the physical decontamination stage.

Chemical decontamination involves three process:

Tar removal Iron fallout removal Water spot removal.

These are usually all performed in the same manner. You may purchase tar removers, iron fallout removers and water spot removers in sprays. They are usually applied to a wet car, left to dwell for a few minutes and then rinsed away.

Tar removal is arguable the most important, as the physical decontamination process is unlikely to be able to tackle it later on without a dedicated chemical spray.

However iron fallout removers and water spot removers are also very important if you want to really reduce the risk of scratches, swirls and marring in the next stage.

Physical Decontamination.

Physical decontamination uses clay. This is usually synthetic and can come in the form of a clay bar, mitt or cloth. Personally, I prefer clay bars as they are more effective and cheaper in my opinion.

Clay is used to pull all the contaminants off the paintwork, or shave them down until they’ve been completely removed. Here’s how to do it.

Lubricate the paintwork with a wax-free car shampoo Knead the clay until it’s slightly warm and flat Dip the clay in the shampoo and water Glide the clay across the paintwork in straight-lines until you feel the paintwork become completely smooth Rinse away any residue.

It’s a really simple process and should only take around 30 minutes on a smaller, newer car. Older and larger cars may take around an hour depending on how bad the decontamination is.

Despite being fairly straightforward, there are definitely things you need to keep in mind. Clay is an abrasive substance, so has a high level of potential to cause scratches, swirl marks and marring.

This risk can be reduced by ensuring the paint and clay is very well lubricated. It should never grab at the paintwork.

Also, keep folding the clay to make sure you’re using a clean area, and never drop it on the floor. If you do, throw it away and grab a new piece.

Make sure you check out my complete guide to claying to learn some essential tips to make the process safer and more effective.

Rinse and Dry.

Now the paintwork should be contaminant-free and stripped of any old waxes and sealants. All you need to do is make sure the paint is residue-free and dry.

It can sometimes be worth going over the car again with a clean wash mitt and wax-free shampoo to make sure the paintwork is squeaky clean. But in most cases, a good rinse down will be sufficient.

Then you should dry the car carefully. I find that the best method, is to use a leaf blower (or car-dryer if you have one), to blow water out of any panel gaps, seals or crevices on the exterior. This is important because you don’t want water drips when you’re polishing. Then you can just dry the car using a slightly damp microfiber towel.

Tape the Trim.

Now the car is clean and dry, you’re almost ready to start polishing. But there are still a couple of essential stages if you want to get the best results posible.

Taping the trim on your car’s exterior is very important. If you’re using a machine polisher, whether it’s a dual-action or rotary, you need to tape the trim for a couple of reasons.

The machine polisher will damage the trim (especially if it’s rubber or plastic). Tiny bits of trim residue will get in the pad and can scratch the paintwork.

So don’t skip this step out!

I recommend using a low-tack tape and making sure all the trim, and plastic such as the headlights is properly shielded from the polisher. Don’t worry about damaging the trim, if you use something low-tack, then there won’t even be any residue left behind afterwards. Just make sure you don’t keep it on for any longer than a few hours, especially if it’s very warm or the glue will harder more.

Also, when you’re actually polishing, be careful around these areas. Consider using a smaller polishing pad in situations where it’s difficult to avoid touching the trim.

Inspection.

If you want professional-level results, then you’ll need to properly inspect the paintwork before proceeding. So before you pick up the polisher, make sure you know exactly what you’re dealing with.

Polishing and compounding removes a layer of paint. In order to remove scratches, you’ll need to level the paint using these techniques. But you have to be careful certainly not to be too aggressive, because there’s only so much paint to begin with!

Take a look at this article on the risks of polishing before you continue to make sure you know how to minimise them and don’t cause more damage.

There’s a fine line. Remove too much paint and it’s unnecessary and will reduce the amount of protection the clear coat on your car is able to provide. Remove too little, and you won’t effectively remove the scratches or swirl marks.

Measure the Amount of Paint on the Car.

Of course, you can never actually see the depth of paint remaining on your car. But there is a machine that can help you out called a paint-depth gauge. You can pick them up online pretty cheaply and they’re quite easy to use.

Use the paint depth gauge on the door jamb paint to see how thick it is. This will be used as the reference because it typically hasn’t been polished. Use the gauge on a panel to get a reading. Subtract the panel reading from the door jamb reading. This tells you how much paint has already been removed.

This method isn’t completely accurate, and there are still some risks, but it definitely gives you more of an indication of how much paint you’re dealing with rather than just polishing away blindly.

Assess the Damage.

If you’ve decided that’s it’s safe to continue with the paint correction, then next thing you need to do is assess the level of damage that you want to remove. By this, I mean the amount and severity of the scratches and swirl marks. This is best done under a bright torch inside a garage, or when it’s dark outside.

There are tonnes of variables when it comes to polishing such as:

The polish The type of machine polisher (or if you’re hand polishing) The pad type (microfiber or foam) The machine speed The amount of polish The number of passes How soft the car’s paint is.

The main thing you need to do when polishing, is preserve the paint. So using a less-aggressive tactic is always preferred.

Using a very fine finishing polish is the best place to start, and a foam pad because it’s less aggressive than microfiber. If after polishing, this doesn’t remove the damage. Consider trying another pass, or switching to a microfiber pad or heavier cut polish or compound.

You won’t need to go through this trial-and-error process over the entire car. Just choose a section to start with and then repeat this over the vehicle.

It may seem a bit tedious, but taking your time inspecting and assessing the paintwork will a) help you get better results and b) preserve the paintwork and prevent over-polishing.

You’re Ready to Go!

Okay, so you’re finally ready! Remember to take your time, keep cleaning your pad (using compressed air or a microfiber towel) and change it if it gets too clogged. Soon you’ll be actually able to sit back and admire your car’s mirror finish.

Considering machine polishing your car? Take a look at my complete machine polishing checklist to make sure you have all the right equipment for the job.

Frequently Asked Questions.

I thought it’d be a good idea to round off this article with a few related questions about prepping your car for paint correction. So here are the answers to some of the most FAQs.

How do you prepare a polishing pad?

A polishing pad should be prepared, or “primed”, before using it on the paintwork through rubbing the compound or polishing liquid into the pad to ensure it’s evenly coated. Then 3-5 pea-sized dots should be added to the pad before polishing the paint.

How often can you machine polish a car?

You should only ever polish a car when necessary, and never part of a regular, in order to preserve the amount of paint remaining on the vehicle. Take a look at this in-depth guide to how often you can polish a car to find out more about this topic.

Thanks for reading! I hope you’ve found this article useful. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the website to learn everything you need to know about car detailing.

I first became interested in car detailing around 3 years ago and also learnt all the main techniques on my very first car. I spend a lot of time detailing my current car, and trying to keep my family’s cars looking presentable too!