The Benefits of Car Polish
By Michael Mankarious
© 2002 einszett® North America


Featured Products: einszett PolishWax, einszett Paint Polish, Extra Paint Polish

Polishing is often neglected and overshadowed by waxing, but is by far the most beneficial step in maintaining the pristine appearance of your car's paint finish.

Although polishing produces the majority of tangible results in car paint maintenance, it is often neglected because its intended purpose is not understood or it’s seen as an unnecessary step. Because polishes produce the most dramatic results, we feel it’s worth discussing their importance in the process of proper car paint maintenance.


What Are Polishes?

Unlike car wax, which act as a temporary shield designed to take the abuse of environmental elements so the paint surface below doesn’t have to, polishes are the real labor force in the process of paintwork care maintenance and enhancing appearance. Polishes maintain and extend the life of paint by one, removing dirt too stubborn for general washing; two, removing oxidized  paint (‘aged paint’); three, smoothing out surface scratches and swirl marks (which are circular surface scratches); and four, conditioning the paintwork so that it doesn't dry, crack and peel. Knowing this, it's easy to see why polishing should be given considerable consideration as part of your overall car detailing regimen.

Put Away the Elbow Grease

Think polishing and you usually think hard labor. Unless your vehicle is heavily oxidized due to many years of neglect, there is a lot less effort involved than you would expect. But let's add a disclaimer and state that the amount of effort required, regardless of the condition of the paint finish, is very much dependant on the product you use.

einszett formulates its polishes to produce the best results with the least amount of effort. einszett polishes contain, on average, 30 percent less water than other brands. A more concentrated solution requires less product to achieve the desired results. Another benefit of having less water is that the polish is easier to work with in hotter temperatures. Instead of drying quickly and turning into powder, the polish remains wet longer allowing the user to polish longer and get the desired results.

So, if the fear of hard labor prevented you from taking care of your car's paint finish, it’s time to put that to rest and give the einszett polishes a try.

Types Of Polishes

The first step in polishing is choosing the right polish. Contrary to popular belief, you do not choose a polish based on the color of your paint finish. Practically all paint finishes are coated with a top layer of clear paint also known as clear coat. So, regardless of the color beneath, you're always treating the clear coat layer. So, you want to choose a polish based on the condition of the paint surface which we have categorized in three different levels: new/well-maintained, dull, and weathered.


New and Well-Maintained

For paint finishes that are brand new or very well-maintained there is einszett PolishWax. PolishWax is a mild paint cleaner. PolishWax removes stubborn dirt, hides minor surface defects, removes light oxidation, and conditions the paintwork enhancing the depth and finish.

Like all of our polishes, PolishWax contain oils that condition the paint finish, adding gloss and depth, and reducing the appearance of very fine surface scratches and swirl marks. In addition, PolishWax contains carnauba wax which helps protect the surface against pollutants such as road grime, hard water, acid rain, bird droppings, sap, brake dust and the effects of UV (Ultra Violet) rays.  It is also formulated with concealers that disguise the appearance of holograms and clouding that appear under certain lighting conditions.  PolishWax is not formulated to remedy swirl marks, which are fine circular scratches in the paint finish, and oxidation. To address this concern, we move to the next step up in polishes.

Dull Paintwork

The average paint finish fits in this category. The finish no longer looks as pristine as the day you bought it. It may have light scratches and swirl marks (or spider-webbing as some call it). einszett Paint Polish is a mild polish and was created to address this type of dull finish. While many cars today have clear coat applied to the paintwork, which is designed to inhibit the aging effects of Ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun, it is not enough protection for the paintwork alone and in itself requires maintenance. Clear coat, which is simply non-pigmented paint with UV ray inhibitors, oxidizes and requires regular polishing and maintenance to maintain its depth and shine.

Paint Polish is effective in treating surface defects such as oxidation, medium surface scratches and swirl marks by smoothing out the scratches using fine abrasives. As you polish, the abrasives made of clay granules smooth out the edges of the scratches to make them appear less visible. Paint Polish is formulated to bring back average looking paint finishes back to their original showroom shine.


Weathered

For those with paint finishes that have suffered from many years of weathering or have deep scratches and swirl marks, there is Extra. Extra is formulated to remove heavy oxidation, scratches and swirl marks that can make the paint finish look and feel very coarse. Extra utilizes more abrasives than a standard polish to cut through heavy oxidation and smooth out more aggressive swirl marks. On very weathered paintwork, Extra is able to dramatically reduce oxidation and restore luster. The finish will have more gloss and return closer to its smooth, original finish. 

For even better results, following-up with einszett Paint Polish, you'll produce a more dramatic finish.  Paint Polish will further enhance the depth and gloss results produced by Extra.

When To Polish?

Now you should know which type of polish best meets your needs. Now let’s quickly recap why polishes are important. Many of you are constantly confused between waxes and polishes mainly due to false information and advertising. A true wax is designed only to protect a paintwork’s surface from environmental elements. They are not designed to clean the paint or maintain its overall condition. Polishes on the other hand can be compared to washing and applying lotion to your body. Polishes clean and rejuvenate the surface of your paintwork by removing aged paint due to oxidation, UV-Rays, temperature variances, as well as environmental influences such as bird droppings, sap, acid rain, etc. Polishes restore the gloss and depth of your paintwork and as a result extend the life of it. This is why it is so important to not rule out polishes from your paintwork maintenance regimen.  In addition, polishing the paintwork prior to waxing will allow waxes to bond better and last on the paintwork surface longer.

We recommend polishing twice a year – preferably spring and fall. After thoroughly washing the paintwork surface, apply the polish with either a 100 percent terry cotton towel or foam applicator pad (if applying by hand) or use an orbital buffer if you prefer applying by machine. An orbital buffer is a safe way to get machine results but with the safety of hand application. Dual Action orbitals will not harm the surface of your paint finish like a rotary polisher can—which should be reserved for professionals. In addition, an orbital buffer will cut down your application time plus give you consistent results (read: you won’t be tired after hours of polishing which can lead to uneven results). Whether you choose to apply by hand or machine (by the way, our polishes are designed to be applied by both methods) polish small sections at a time. Do not polish your entire paint finish and then attempt to wipe it off – three by three foot sections are ideal. Otherwise, you will find yourself attempting to scrape off the product from the paint finish. In the unlikely event this happens to you, simply apply more product over the dried polish. This will safely soften the dried polish and allow for easy removal.

After applying the polish, by working it into the surface until it nearly disappears, wipe off with a clean cotton towel or better yet an einszett Microfiber Towel (microfiber towels are highly suggested because of their very fine surface area that won’t cause minor surface scratches). Remember, when polishing do not apply too much or too little pressure – the same amount of effort as we always suggest for surface care.


Summary

The benefits of polishing far exceed those of just waxing. While one works best with the other, polishes remain the work horse in the overall maintenance of the paintwork by removing aged paint, restoring depth and gloss and reducing or removing the appearance of surface defects such as surface scratches and the dreaded swirl mark. It also creates the ideal surface for a coat of wax.