How to High Speed Polish a Car

Your car’s paint job is one of its most recognizable features. Taking good care of the exterior of your vehicle is as important as caring for the interior. Frequently washing your car will extend the life of your vehicle, and waxing will protect your paint job against the elements. Polishing your vehicle is an important part of keeping your paint job in the best shape possible. Hand polishing is the best way to keep a showroom shine on your car, and using a high-speed polisher can make short work of a rather challenging job.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Car soap
• Car wax
• Old towels
• Hose
• Buffer

1. Place your car in a sheltered spot. Direct sunlight can bake the wax onto the surface of your car before you get a chance to buff it, causing permanent streaking.

2. Wash your car thoroughly before polishing it. Be sure to remove any traces of dirt and grime from the surface of your car so the buffer does not scratch your paint job.

3. Apply a small bead of wax to your car and turn on the buffer, running it on low speed until the wax has been worked into your paint. Add more wax as necessary until you’ve coated an entire section.

4. Allow the wax to dry thoroughly. Once dry, turn the speed of the buffer up and polish the wax from the car’s surface.

5. Coat the entire car in a second layer of wax, using the buffer on a polishing speed to get the highest shine possible from your car. Take care not to press down on the buffer and eat into your paint job.

6. Check your car over carefully for any spots that got missed. Polish them separately, taking care to blend away any marks or streaks. Wipe down any streaks with a soft cloth and take pride in the shiny new surface of your freshly polished car.

Tips & Warnings

• Use only buffer-safe car polishes. Some polishes contain abrasive materials that can severely damage your car if used with a high speed polisher.
• Do not place too much pressure on your buffer. The RPMs of a high speed polisher will eat into your car’s finish if you press too hard.