Polishing the Body

Before polishing the body, wash and dry it thoroughly. Polish the entire body, including metal trim, if water remains on it in large patches. After treating the body with polish, water droplets that land on the body will run off or bead up into small separate drops.

Use liquid or paste polish to treat the body. Follow the manufacturer's instructions printed on the package of the specific product. Two types of polishing compounds are available:

Wax-based polish forms a protective film that shields the paint finish from the harmful effects of sunlight and aggressive substances contained in polluted air. This type of polish is intended for treating the body of a new vehicle.

Cleaning polish restores the original shine and returns depth and richness of color to a dulled paint finish. These polishing compounds contain mild abrasives and solvents that remove a thin contaminated layer of the paint finish. Use cleaning polish to restore the original shine if treatment with wax-based polish does not produce the desired result.

When tar, insect spots, and similar contaminants are removed from the body surface with various solvents, the protective polish layer is also removed.

Therefore, after cleaning contaminated areas of the body, apply polish to these areas, even if the rest of the body does not need polishing.