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Preserve That Shine ... A Crash Course on Car Polishing

A brand new shiny car is a joy for every owner. The pleasure, however, does not last long as over time the car's exterior paint develops scratches and gathers dust grime and oil marks. Paint, over time also ages and starts appearing dull. Car polish helps give your car a bright shiny finish. To do that, the car polish has to have some essential ingredients which work hard to remove dust; grime and oil as also remove the minor scratches that develop.

It is critical that one understands the difference between a car polish and a car wax. Normal car wax gives a water protective layer and a shiny finish. Since car waxes normally do not have abrasive ingredients they cannot remove scratch marks. Abrasive ingredients present in the composition of car polish helps remove scratches. Car polish has hydrocarbon solvents that help remove dust, grime and oil marks, and scratch marks are taken care of by the abrasive elements in the polish. Abrasive ingredients works by removing a thin layer of paint, only a few microns thick. Since only a very thin layer is removed, the paint now starts looking brand new.

While the paint surface now looks new, it is still lacks the shine owing to the abrasion. Including wax ingredient in the car polish gives the burnished effect. There are different varieties of car polishes available in the market. Water solvent polishing agents based car polish is one of the types. Aqueous dispersion car polish is used by automated car washes. The most common type of car polish being used by car owners are Silicone based car polish. Silicone has some very useful properties for getting a good shine. The silicone acts as a lubricant, water repellant and as a high gloss ingredient.

Car polish is sold in tins, as liquids and even as a spray. Aerospace technology used by NASA has also been incorporated to produce patented car polish. Their sprays are based on "Electrophoresis Dynamics" wherein the ingredients on following a strict application procedure meld very close to the paint surface after the abrading and cleaning process is over. They are held tightly by magnetic force of attraction thus giving the paint an extra protective covering for long durations. Polishing a car involves hard labor, either manual or by use of automated tools. Polishing a car is a three-step process of polishing with hard, medium and soft pressure. Car polish is not just 'nice to have' but a necessity for the upkeep of a car.