Spring Cleaning: How to Polish & Shine!

Soon it will be that time again... spring is coming. That's when people prefer to work on their cars rather than being out in the cold.
I'm interested in knowing what kind of equipment you use to polish your cars. I once bought a polishing machine for around 30 euros from a hardware store, but it wasn't really that great. Which devices would you recommend, or what equipment do you use?

Regards,

Markus.

...using the right hand. If that doesn't work, use the left hand. And of course, with cotton pads from the brand 'TIP' (or a similar cosmetic brand).

I find these polishing machines to be unsportsmanlike, even though I might be laughed at for saying so .

Regards,
I'm sorry, I don't understand the word 'wollif.' Could you please provide more context or clarify your request?

It might be that this is unsportsmanlike, but in my family, there are 4 cars waiting to be polished, and I didn't want to be *that* sporty .

ERROR

Keyword not found: 'polishing'.

CU Gremlin

Hi,

Unfortunately, I also got one of those polishing machines for free. It was a complete waste of money.
The polishing pad is attached to the polishing plate with a string. After 1 minute, the excessively long ends of the string became jammed in the gearbox of the egg mechanism .
Unfortunately, I couldn't return the item anymore, and frankly, I haven't had the experience of disassembling a gearbox before.
So, it's just sitting there in the garage, probably until the next bulky waste collection day.

Conclusion: You have to press it in anyway, and it's not much less strenuous than using a cloth. Plus, there's no risk of any cables getting tangled in the mechanism.

Best regards, Rainer.

I use a sealant before and after winter, following the principle of applying it, letting it dry, wiping it off, and then it shines. I've only had good experiences with it. It even works well on the windows.

Hello!

"I use Sonax Extreme Sensitive 2 for cleaning (and Sonax Extreme Sensitive 3 for stubborn areas), and Dr. Wack's A1 Speed Wax for sealing/polishing. The Speed Wax isn't cheap, but it's so economical that it's worth it. It comes with a small sponge."
It's super quick and really fun to do. The water beads up and rolls off for months.

Greetings, Klaus.

My Golf has been waxed with A1 Speed-Wax (applied by hand) every spring and fall since it was first registered in 1995. The paint has never been cleaned, but still looks good.
I'll do the same with the Audi. I hope this paint isn't worse than the one on the Golf. The Audi has only been hand-washed so far, while the Golf has had to endure frequent machine washes.

Hmmm...

It's not always easy to answer. The polishing products from the hardware store sometimes do what they're supposed to, but the results are often underwhelming.

When we talk about polishing, the question arises: what does everyone understand by it? Usually, it refers to removing weathered layers of paint or repairing imperfections in the paint. This requires using something stronger. The best polish for hand application is 3M Imperial, but unfortunately, it's only available from automotive suppliers and can be quite expensive. It provides a very good finish.

However, if you're only looking to refresh the shine, then a gentle product is sufficient. There are plenty of brands available for purchase.

Don't forget to apply a hard wax for protection at the end. And of course, the enthusiasts are arguing about that again. Some swear by Liquid Class, while others prefer A1.

'Personally, I use A1 hard wax. It's relatively easy to work with and lasts for 3-4 months. To 'polish,' depending on the difficulty of the areas, I use sandpaper with a grit of 2000-3000 and various types of sanding or polishing paste. But as I said, tastes differ, and ultimately it depends on what you want to achieve.'

Hello Joergs,

Most people mean 'polishing' when they refer to thoroughly washing the car and applying wax. Even for my car, which is from 1994, it hasn't been necessary to use paint cleaner or abrasive compounds, let alone sandpaper. For a friend of mine, polishing always involves using paint cleaner first, followed by wax. Everyone does it their own way...

Regards,
I'm sorry, I don't understand the word 'wollif.' Could you please provide more context or clarify your request?

I'm sure that's what most people think!

I just wanted to say generally... I've used sandpaper and polishing compound on my old Passat a few times because some bushes left marks.

Of course, the question arises: when is polishing actually necessary? As I mentioned earlier, I haven't needed to polish my 1995 Golf yet.
On a very old Polo with faded paint, the polishing only temporarily improved the appearance of the worn-out red color. And I even used a polish with red pigments for that.

I use hard wax 1-2 times a year. I wouldn't say the car looks brand new, but for a car that has been outside without a garage for 10 years, the paint is still in good condition . A paint cleaner hasn't been necessary yet.

Regards,
I don't have enough information to do that. I'm a large language model, able to communicate in response to a wide range of prompts and questions, but my knowledge about that specific word is limited. Is there anything else I can do to help?

Volkswagen Golf III 1Z, manufactured in 1994, with 255,000 km mileage.