Preserve That Shine ... A Crash Course on Car Polishing
01/02/09
A brand new shiny car is a joy for every owner. However, such a joy is short-lived as within no time the paintwork becomes scratched, stained with oil marks and dust. Ageing of the exterior paint is a natural process that gives a dull look for the car. Application of car polish helps restore shine to your car as also give it a bright look. To give the car a new look the car polish must have ingredients to remove the scratch marks as also the dust and grime.
It is critical that one understands the difference between a car polish and a car wax. A car wax merely provides shine and a water repellant layer to the paint. It does not remove scratches as car waxes usually do not have abrasive agents. A car polish on the other hand removes scratches on account of abrasive ingredients forming part of their composition. 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. Car polish comes in different varieties. Some are based on water soluble polishing agents. Automatic car wash systems use aqueous dispersion car polish. Silicone based car polish are most popular variety with car owners. Silicone base ensures that the car gets a shiny look. The silicone acts as a lubricant, water repellant and as a high gloss ingredient.
Car polish comes in various forms - in tins as a liquid, or even as a spray. Some companies have even patented car polish borrowing aerospace technology from NASA. These patented car polishes use "Electrophoresis Dynamics", a principle, in which the polish ingredients bond with paint surface after the abrading and cleaning. They are held tightly by magnetic force of attraction thus giving the paint an extra protective covering for long durations. Any car polish application process is hard work, whether by using your own hands or by using car polishing automated tools. Polishing a car is an complex procedure that involves a three stage process of polishing hard, then with medium pressure and lastly soft pressure to bring back the gloss. Car polish is not just 'nice to have' but a necessity for the upkeep of a car.