How can I achieve the perfect finish? Car Polishing Detaling Malaysia

5 Steps to a Perfect Finish

One of the most common questions asked by serious car enthusiasts & car owners in general is “How can I achieve the perfect finish?” Many car owners wonder how their friend’s 10 year old daily driven car is still in immaculate conditions, as it was released from the showroom or even better!

Keeping a car in pristine conditions throughout its entire life is quite easy but requires some knowledge. The problem is that many professional car detailers conceal their tricks of the trade. In this article I have decided to share the secrets & you will be impressed how a car can be kept looking at its best with just 5 easy steps, which are highlighted below.

 

Let us take a look at each step in more detail:

Step 1: Washing

I cannot emphasize enough that car washing is one of the best treatments a car can get in the art of car detailing. However, car washing should be executed with extreme care because it can act as a double-edged sword. Amazingly enough, 95% of swirl marks are inflicted by inappropriate washing techniques & cheap utensils.

Car Shampoo

One of the most important & the most overlooked product is car shampoo. Most car enthusiasts are meticulous when it comes to polish & wax selection, but will most of the time go for cheap car soaps. Cheap car soaps & dreadful dish washing detergents will rob essential oils & strip wax protection leaving paintwork exposed to the elements. Cheap car soaps will waste your time because they will dissolve that wax layer that you dedicated so much time & effort to apply. A quality car shampoo should clean your car thoroughly without dissolving wax protection. Instead a quality car shampoo should enhance gloss & protection. It should provide enough lubricity for your wash mitt to glide smoothly over paint without inflicting frustrating swirl marks & should be rich in paint conditioners that nourish your vehicle’s paintwork & replenish those essential oils lost through evaporation. In addition, a quality car shampoo should produce persistent suds that last throughout your entire washing procedure.

Recommended product: Sonus Gloss Shampoo

Wash Mitt

A few years ago natural & synthetic sponges were popularized for car washing. The main advantage of sponges is that they absorb large quantities of washing solution which help to lift grime & lubricate the surface being washed. The main disadvantage on the other hand is their solid surface which provides very little or no room at all where particulate matter can be trapped & kept away from the surface being washed. Modernization has largely replaces traditional sponges with microfiber sponges or wash mitts. These have the same advantages as traditional sponges in terms of water retention but the spaces created between millions of fibers will reduce swirl marks dramatically by trapping large quantities of particulate matter. However, these have been superseded by natural sheep skin wash mitts. The main advantages of these type of wash mitts is their super soft texture & longer fibers which trap particulate matter more efficiently.

Recommended product: Sonus Ultimate Wash Mitt

Drying Towels

Today, natural & synthetic chamois are still popular amongst car enthusiasts & car owners in general. The main problem with these type of drying utensils is drag, which unbelievably strips wax protection to some extent, & their inability to absorb water completely, leaving behind invisible streaks that reduce shine & create water spots. Silicone squeegees are renowned for their ability to dry cars in minutes but should be considered as swirl mark factories. This is due to the fact that silicon squeegees are too stiff to cushion particulate matter & will simply drag any dust across paintwork. Without cushioning, these particles will create superficial scratches that will be revealed in direct sunlight as gleaming cobwebs. Although it is very difficult to convince, microfiber waffle-weave towels should be considered as the ultimate drying utensil. However, not all microfiber waffle-weave towels have the same water-absorption capabilities. The best towels are those with a 70/30 percentage blend of polyester & polyamide, respectively. These towels are calculated to absorb 10 times their weight in water & produce a streak-free finish. Microfiber towels are so soft that they will cushion any dust particles, reducing swirl marks considerably.

Recommended product: Sonus Der Wunder Microfiber Drying Towel

 Step 2: Claying

Automotive detailing clay consists of a plasticine-like material impregnated with special abrasives. In contrary to popular believes claying will not remove paint. Claying will glide smoothly over a special lubricant & will only remove contaminants that sit on paintwork. In this way clay can neither remove swirl marks nor contaminants that have penetrated deeply into the paintwork. Many individuals still don’t understand the concept of claying. Basically our vehicles are continuously bombarded by a myriad of environmental insults. Paintwork can be shielded against most of these contaminants by regular applications of a pure premium wax. However, the slightest neglect will cost you a lot. The point when wax protection is at its weakest or worse when the wax degenerates completely is a golden opportunity for environmental contaminants to stick to your vehicle’s precious paintwork. Such contaminants will literally glue to the paintwork & will be practically impossible to remove by normal washing. If neglected, these contaminants will penetrate deeply & stain the finish. Direct sunlight will bake these contaminants giving rise to harmful byproducts that will oxidize the finish. This process will not occur in an overnight & may take several years to show its devastating effects. Like cancer, these effects will usually be noticeable when the finish has incurred large quantities of damage & it’s too late to remedy. For this reason, such contaminants should be clayed as soon as possible at least on a 6 monthly basis. Claying will not only prevent expensive damage but will also expose your vehicle’s finish making it more radiant.

Types of clay

You can find a wide variety of automotive detailing clay. Some vary only in color, whereas others differ in aggressiveness. The major difference between a mild & an aggressive clay bar is that aggressive clay removes superficial contaminants faster. The problem is that aggressive clay may also inflict microscopic scratches in your vehicle’s finish making it look dull. This dullness can be remedied by polishing, but aggressive clay is better left in the hands of professionals. For car enthusiasts we always recommend fine clay which gets the job done safer & without the need of subsequent polishing.

Recommended product: Sonus SFX Ultrafine Deatiling Clay & Sonus Glyde Clay Lubricant

Step 3: Paintwork deep cleansing

As already mentioned, with inadequate protection certain contaminants manage to penetrate deeply & stain the finish. If dealt with immediately, such stains can be abolished with special products commonly referred to as paint cleaners or paintwork cleansers. Although they are identical to traditional polishes in terms of consistency & mode of application, paint cleansers work a little bit different & contain chemical abrasives rather than mechanical abrasives. These special solutions will dissolve deeply embedded stains & abolish them completely without harming paintwork. Here we need to emphasize that quality paint cleaners will not remove paint. They will simply purify paint (& its overlying clearcoat) making it clearer & more reflective.

 

Step 4: Polishing

Polishing is the process by which a superficial layer of paint is removed to reveal a new surface. Polishing removes surface defects, such as oxidation, scratches & swirl marks, thus smoothing the surface. Polishes exist in various grades & they should not be used without the appropriate knowledge. Polishes can be considered as sand paper in liquid form. Like sand paper, polishes contain abrasive particles that “sand” paintwork at the microscopic level. Different grades of polishes contain abrasives of different size & shape. By convention, the larger the particles, the more paint is removed per stroke. Some polishes are so aggressive that their constituent abrasive particles can be felt when the polish is rubbed between your thumb & index finger. Many individuals think that one single polish can do all jobs, but this is not the case. Different paint conditions require different polishes. For instance, an aggressive polish would be fine for a severely neglected vehicle, but will be catastrophic for a brand new vehicle, even if the finish created looks superb to the naked eye. An aggressive polish can produce quite good finishing but it removes large quantities of paint. Many individuals think that because no color is transferred to the applicator while polishing, the product they are using is harmless. The problem is that very few individuals know that modern paintwork is covered with a clear coat. As the name suggests, the clear coat is transparent & will not release any color no matter how hard you polish. Color transfer will only occur when the clear coat has been completely eradicated. Here we should emphasize that the paint system will fail if only 1/3 of the clear coat is removed. Therefore it is essential that you stick with a trusted brand that provides a variety of polishes with different grades of abrasiveness. A Classical example is Sonus Corporation, which provides 3 different polishes, each of which can be used on its own or in combination to tackle different situations. The table below shows the function of these polishes:

Product	Use	Car Condition
Sonus SFX1	Renovation of severely neglected paint	Severely Neglected
Sonus SFX2	Swirl Mark Remover	Brand new to well-conditioned
Sonus SFX3	High Gloss Finishing	Brand new to well-conditioned

Although coarse polishes will remove paint defects very efficiently, they will remove large quantities of paint & will inflict microscopic marks called micro-marring, which can be removed by a finer polish. If you have a well-conditioned car with only a few swirl marks, & you use an aggressive polish, chances are that you will remove the swirl marks completely (together with large quantities of paint) but you will still be unhappy with the finish. This is because aggressive polishes produce haziness. Sometimes this haziness is too mild to be obvious, but will be pronounced when you park next to a professionally detailed vehicle. Brand new or well-conditioned vehicles should be polished at maximum twice a year with a fine polish, such as Sonus SFX2. Although this polish provides exceptional finishing, we recommend following up with Sonus SFX3 for a mirror finish. Reserve an aggressive polish, such as Sonus SFX1 for relatively deep scratches that occur from time to time.

Recommended products: Sonus SFX1 Restore Polish, Sonus SFX2 Enhance Swirl Remover, Sonus SFX3 Final Finish Polish

Step 5: Protection/Waxing

Waxing is one of the most important treatments because it will protect your vehicle against a myriad of environmental insults, which include bug, tar, soot, factory fallouts, salt, mist, acid rain, tree sap & bird droppings to name but a few. Regular waxing will keep your vehicle in pristine conditions & will prevent more time consuming & laborious procedures because it will prevent oxidation & inhibit binding of environmental pollutants. Vehicles should be waxed at least every 3 months & if you’re serious about protection, you should also apply a spray wax every week after washing. Waxing is easier than polishing because it doesn’t require any hard rubbing. Simply spread the product as thinly as possible using light pressure, allow it to cure for the recommended period of time & then buff with a quality microfiber towel. Once again, always use quality products that will offer serious protection. Trying to get the job done with a cheap product is simply a waste of time & money.

Recommended products: Sonus SFX4 Paint Sealant, Collinite 845 Insulator Wax, Collinite 476s Super Double Coat Auto Wax

Regular Maintenance

After you have performed the 5 listed steps in the right order, all you have to do is to maintain the beautiful finish by frequent washing at least every week, & regular waxing at least every 3 months. Your vehicle will also benefit greatly from a weekly spray wax. This will prolong the shelf life of the liquid/paste wax & boost shine. The entire procedure can be repeated every 6 to 12 months depending on the level of protection (i.e. wax quality & compliance) & the type of shampoo & washing/drying utensils used. By applying a quality wax regularly you will keep the finish shining & contamination-free, whereas by using the right shampoo & washing/drying utensils you will keep swirl marks to the minimum. So practically you can go a long way with just frequent washing & regular waxing.