How to Polish a Car Yourself

Wash the Car

• Drizzle a generous amount of car soap into your bucket, then fill it with water.
• Soak down the entire vehicle thoroughly with your hose-attached brush, knocking loose any large bits of dirt or debris.
• Wet your sponge and make sure it’s full of soap, then rub it firmly over the vehicle body, one section at a time.
• Rinse each section after washing so you don’t give the soap suds a chance to dry on the vehicle and leave marks.

Also, did you know you can polish your car with a hair conditioner?

Remove Stubborn Bug Stains

• Inspect the vehicle after washing for bug stains or other stubborn bits of dirt.
• Spray these spots with bug stain remover, then use a heavy-duty shop towel to rub them until they disappear.
• Use rubbing alcohol and another shop towel on tree gum or other spots the bug stain remover couldn’t handle.

Rinse and Dry

• Give the entire car a final rinse with your hose-attached brush, making sure to wash away all the bug stain remover, rubbing alcohol and any remaining soap suds.
• Dry the entire vehicle carefully with a microfiber cleaning cloth.

Prepare Polisher

• Attach a foam polishing pad to your polisher, then plug it in.
• Dispense a generous portion of car polish, about two inches in diameter, onto the pad.
• Place the polisher pad against the body of the vehicle. Don’t switch the polisher on until the pad and polish are pressed firmly into the vehicle. Otherwise, it will spray polish everywhere. Don’t forget to check out our collection of the best car polishes.

Apply Polish One Section at a Time

• Switch the polisher on at low to medium speed, then move it slowly over the vehicle’s surface.
• Spread the polish out thinly so it forms a whitish haze on the vehicle, but not so thin that you can’t see it anymore. Use more polish as needed.
• Restrict polishing to one section of the vehicle body at a time. When switching off the polisher, be sure not to lift it off the vehicle until it’s completely stopped spinning.
• Go over each section for five to 15 minutes with the polisher until you’re confident you’ve worked the polish thoroughly over every inch of car paint in that section.
  • Expect to spend only a few minutes on each section for small cars, and up to 15 minutes per section for large SUVs and trucks.
• Rinse each section after polishing with your hose-attached brush, scrubbing lightly to remove the polish residue.
• Polish all sections the same way, rinsing each when done.

Do a Final Rinse and Dry

• Rinse the entire vehicle once more after polishing is complete, scrubbing lightly with your hose-attached brush to remove any remaining polish.
• Dry the vehicle with your microfiber cloth, and you’re done.

FAQ

How often should I polish my car?

How frequently you should polish your car depends on factors like how often you drive and how harsh your climate is, but a good rule of thumb is to polish it every six months to a year. If the elements are harsh where you live, consider polishing it more often. But remember that too much polishing can eventually damage the clear coat. On the other hand, polishing often enough is important to maintain your car’s appearance and value.

Can I polish a car without a power polisher?

Yes, you can polish a car without a power washer. It might take a lot of time and patience, but it’s definitely possible to achieve good results polishing a car by hand.

What are some common mistakes when polishing a car?

According to Parham Koukia, lead detailer and operations manager at Panda Hub, there are three common mistakes people make when polishing their cars. First, he says, is using the wrong pad or product for the type of paint. “Many DIY lovers grab an aggressive compound or hard foam pad without realizing it’s too abrasive for their car’s clear coat,” he says. The second common mistake is “not decontaminating the surface first.” Koukia details, “If you haven’t clayed or deep-cleaned the surface, you’re essentially rubbing dirt into the paint, which leads to micro-scratches and swirl marks.” Lastly, Koukia reports: “The biggest mistake I have seen with DIY lovers is working under direct sunlight or high heat. Polish dries too quickly in the heat, which causes hazing and makes buffing more difficult. It can also bake the product into the paint.”

How do you avoid damaging your car’s finish if you polish it yourself?

To avoid damaging your car’s finish, Koukia recommends always spot testing the product first. “Every product reacts differently to the paint,” he says, “So, start with the least aggressive combo (pad and polish) and see how the surface responds before moving forward. He also recommends that those who aren’t professionally trained use dual-action polishers over rotary tools because they are more gentle and less likely to burn the paint. Finally, Koukia instructs, “Keep the pads clean. Polishing pads load up quickly with residue, and if you don’t clean them between passes, you’ll reintroduce defects or cause marring.”

About the experts

Parham Koukia has been detailing cars for nearly 15 years, starting at an early age and pursuing his passion since. He is the lead detailer and operations manager at Panda Hub, a car detailing service that connects detailers with clients, making the entire process convenient and reliable.