Last news in Fakti

Why is it dangerous to polish your car yourself

Doing this yourself requires a lot of knowledge and equipment

Dec 21, 2024 10:51 72

Why is it dangerous to polish your car yourself  - 1

Polishing the interior is a useful procedure that gives the car its original shine, removing traces of use. For example, this procedure removes small scratches, scuffs, stains on the paintwork, limescale - potassium and magnesium salts that remain on the car body after the water dries - as well as bird droppings and insect marks. At the same time, however, this type of care will not help remove deeper scratches, as well as damaged paintwork. It is also not good to do this procedure yourself, because you can damage the paintwork.

A fairly wide range of tools is used for professional and high-quality polishing: 2 types of machines (rotary and eccentric), polishing paste with different grain sizes, as well as polishing tips made of leather or special foam. Professional tools and consumables are not so easy to find on the market - they are practically inaccessible to the average consumer, as they are sold in specialized stores, and most importantly - you need to know what you are looking for.

In addition, you need professional knowledge and practice: you cannot do high-quality polishing yourself using manuals from the Internet. Each car requires an individual approach due to differences in the thickness of the layer of varnish coating (LPC) and the materials used in its manufacture. The color of the car is not so important, but the "origin" of the car is key. For example, low-abrasive pastes are used for Japanese cars, while for the German automotive industry, on the contrary, highly abrasive pastes are used. Ignorance of these characteristics is a shortcut to damage to the car's paintwork.

Most often, when polishing a car with your own hands, clearly visible “circles“ appear. And this is at best, and at worst, too much of the varnish layer is removed and the paint is exposed, that is, the varnish is actually removed completely. As a result, instead of a shiny sparkling element, the car takes on a damaged appearance and often requires a visit to the paint shop.