How often do you polish?

[animescreen]

So i started using swirlx from meguiars to polish my car and remove the swirls but wondering how often do you guys polish? (i'm assuming it's an abrasive so shouldn't be used a lot and takes out clear coats little by little?)

Also if i use a mother's ball to polish the whole car... can i use the same ball to wax right after wards instead of washing the ball and drying it?

[ScottB]

you should polish as least as possible, as it is indeed abrasive. Paint cleansing lotions chemically remove old wax and contaminents so a good finish may only need these when rewaxing. Proper wash and drying techniques will help to create more time between polishing sessions.

I would never use the same pad, ball, or foam applicator for a polish and a wax. One is abrasive, the other is protection.

[CEE DOG]

Also if i use a mother's ball to polish the whole car... can i use the same ball to wax right after wards instead of washing the ball and drying it?

Definetly not

[HighEndDetail]

I would never use the same pad, ball, or foam applicator for a polish and a wax. One is abrasive, the other is protection.

I polish my ride, about once a year or two.

[Bert31]

So i started using swirlx from meguiars to polish my car and remove the swirls but wondering how often do you guys polish? (i'm assuming it's an abrasive so shouldn't be used a lot and takes out clear coats little by little?)

Also if i use a mother's ball to polish the whole car... can i use the same ball to wax right after wards instead of washing the ball and drying it?

I hope I don't make this more complicated than it should be but I will break the question up into three questions, 1) How often do I compound polish, 2) How often to I lightly polish the paint, 3) How often to I clean the paint.

1) I try to compound a car only once, when I first buy it and use smart washing and drying techniques to not need to compound for a long time or maybe never again (that is the goal).

I always buy used cars so they have been through tunnel washes and/or have been washed by hand but most likely with poor techniques so when I first get a car, it NEEDS compounding. I will do the normal wash and clay then I go to compounding generally requiring wool with a strong polish like M105 and possibly wet sanding in the worse areas, especially if I had to touch up some scratches and have a paint blob left over. Always remember to start less aggressive, don't jump immediately to wool and heavy polish. Granted, it seems like more often than not I need to go to wool and heavy polish due to the neglected finish of the paint and I have never owned a car with soft clear before.

After the swirls are removed the paint will most often have compound haze and possibly some holograms. So I will reach for a polishing pad such as the Lake Country white pad or the Edge Blue or Green pad. To make sure I get the haze and holograms, I may use 105 again on the polishing pad, SIP on a polishing pad or 205 on a polishing pad, all depends on how strong I need to clean up the haze and holograms. If I had to use 105 on the polishing pad, I will probably follow that with 205 on a similar pad or a slightly softer pad for example if I used a LC white pad, I may use 205 on a green or black pad. Or, if I used 105 on an Edge Green Pad, I will use 205 on a Blue Pad.

After the haze and holograms are removed I like to use a final step to really bring out the depth and shine. I will generally use PO85rd on a finishing pad such as LC Red, Blue or Gold or Edge White or Red. On softer paints, PO87 or 3M Ultrafina may be better options. So yes, when first buying a car, I may use 3 or 4 polishing steps.

2) I will lightly polish my paint each spring. I will use a very mild polish such as M205 or Menz 106 on a soft pad such as LC Black or Edge Blue. Even the safest washing can leave very light, very faint marring on a car after a year or so of washing. I figure the worst of it occurs during the winter washings so I do my light polishing around early Spring when I am confident the snow is finally gone. Also, claying your paint can leave light clay haze so a light polish will clean that up. I have found ever since getting my hands on a source for Opti-Clay (similar to Riccardo Clay and also cannont buy in the US) that claying haze tends to be less than what the clay we can buy in the US leaves behind. I know of several people who only use water as clay lube with Opti-Clay. This light polishing removes such a slight amount of clear I really don't worry about it.

After the light polish, I do the same routine with PO85rd on a finishing pad.

3) How often to I clean my paint. Three or four times a year. In the spring after the light polish and PO85rd I will us an All In One (AIO) to make sure I have the paint clean and put down a good base for my sealant. Two or three other times during the year I will only wash, clay, AIO and seal my car. On well maintained paint, a claying and cleaning along with a sealant touch up can really spruce up the look of the paint.

[mbkite]

Question on the aio ... does the aio have more cut then the 85rd.
thanks..