Everyday whilst using our cars we subject the paintwork to constant bombardment of contaminants and foreign objects that slowly degrade the look of your car. For those of us who like to care for our cars and keep them looking good at all times, it is important that we become familiar with the technique we know as polishing.

Polish is an abrasive lotion or cream which is a specially formulated mixture of components designed to remove minor imperfections.

Basically, a fine polish gently removes surface contamination and improves surface reflectivity, which revives the cars look and makes it look like new again.

Here are some of the problems that can be fixed or improved through polishing:

• Scratches - Surface abrasions of the top coat material can be fully repaired by polishing. Deeper scratches can be improved as long as they do not fully penetrate the colour coat into the primer.
• Scuffs and rub marks - Scuffs are broad, shallow surface abrasions that are easily repaired by polishing. Rub marks are commonly caused by shoe heels (getting in and out of the car) or the bumpers of other cars. The rub mark is generally a transfer of rubber or other vinyl material to the paint surface. Rub marks are easily removed by compounding and polishing.
• Swirl marks & Spider webbing - Very small scratches in the paint's surface created by machine compounding, in everyday use and maintenance of the vehicle. They are easily removed by compounding and polishing.
• Etching - Paint etching is a common problem caused by hard water (tap water) or acidic water (acid rain). Bird droppings are another common cause of paint etching. Depending on the severity of the etching, polishing will repair or lessen the appearance of etched spots.

Evaluating your car is a combination of seeing and feeling. What you're looking for is a surface that's flat like glass. What you want to feel is a silky, smooth surface with very little resistance.

Feel for surface imperfections and roughness with your fingertips. Use a light touch to gently glide your fingers over the paint surface. You'll be amazed at how much you will feel once you have trained your fingertips.

It is advisable to clean your car thoroughly before polishing as some of the imperfections will be removed.