Ever glanced at your car parked up and noticed how it gleams in the sunshine? Or enjoyed driving through town knowing your car is turning heads and looking its best?

It’s a great feeling when your car is shining after a great polish. But how can you make your car’s flawless finish and shine last?

Achieving the ultimate at home polish is doable, but its success is down to your car polishing technique! So take your time to do a fantastic job and follow our top tips to on how to polish your car for the best results. You’ll be gleaming in no time.

How can I polish my car at home?

Achieving a brilliant car polish shine at home is achievable using the correct kit and technique to polish your car for flawless results.

You’ll need some crucial kit:

• Microfiber cloths – clean cloths are required for each step of the car shine process for the best results, so stock up!
• Car polish – there are a number of at home car polishes available, so always read bottle instructions closely looking out for specific application methods for best results.
• Small soft brush (toothbrush is great) for detailing areas.
• Finishing wax product and cloths.

Buffing for beginners – The best car polish technique

The results of your car polish shine will actually depend on your preparation. Polishing is in fact the part of the process which erases and imperfections as well as adds a beautiful shine. So take your time.

Car polishing tips – preparation is key!

1. Thoroughly clean your car first, removing and obvious dirt, as well as dust and hidden grit in your car’s seals, gaps and car badge.
2. Dry your car down, even if it’s a sunny dry day, don’t rely on the sun to do its work as a thorough hand dry using a clean microfiber first, will allow you to achieve the best polish results on application.
3. Apply your car polish – less is more! Apply in smaller areas of your car to test and improve your technique as you apply. The slightly abrasive nature of polish will help lift any minor scratches and looking like new – music to our ears!
4. Wipe away any excess polish from the crevices – inspecting any gaps in car panels and seals as well as the detailing of your car badge.
5. Follow instructions on your car polish bottle for any particular methods recommended by the manufacturer.
6. Finish your shine with a wax – wax is a great last step to buff your car shine to perfection.

This is the top coat to your at home car shine job, which leaves your car gleaming with a protective layer of sealant following a detailed polish application. Apply wax, buff off …and buff again for added shine….read more about how to wax your car at home.

How often should you polish your car?

Realistically, a through clean, polish and wax of your car will take some time to complete at home. Taking the time to resolve your car’s minor imperfections with a polish and wax application is best to do in line with the change in seasonal weather – to save you from battling the elements and undoing your good work too prematurely.

Can I polish my car alloys at home?

Yes, you can polish alloy wheels at home. For a great shine on your wheels as well as your bodywork, polish your alloys regularly to bring them back to life and get them looking their best.

Simply work in small section, in the same direction as the grain to avoid streaking, applying with a clean cloth and/or small soft brush or toothbrush to remove imperfections and improve the results.

For best DIY results, read more about applying a finish to your alloy wheels.

If you do have damage to your alloys which cannot be polished out at home, ChipsAway technicians are specialist in repairing alloy wheel scratches, to guarantee your alloys are restored and back to feeling like new.

Does car polish remove scratches?

Unlike wax, car polish cleverly helps to smooth out minor scratches in your car’s bodywork. The liquid formula has slightly abrasive texture to gently work out surface scratches, which aren’t too deep (ideally your scratches will not have reached your paint colour beneath).

This is important because you can use polish to successfully smooth out these small imperfections before building them back up with layers of wax; but deeper scratches that reach and damaged your car paint will need further attention to rectify the scratch for a flawless finish.

There are some DIY scratch repair kits available to help. But if you have large scratches or dents that need removing, ChipsAway can help and have your car looking as good as new without the stress.

Give us a call on 1800 937 226 to find out more about how we can help you.