what's more crucial

[gav'spurplez]

ok, something must be wrong with my washing and drying process because i wind up with marring and swirls. i had my paint really nice over the summer and now that it is getting rainy and snowy, the car has gone to the pits, especially since it sits outside and is a daily driver.



i use a lambs wool mitt that i keep rinsed and cleanand dry. i use a WW MF drying towel and even bought a leaf blower for drying sometimes.



so getting back to my point or question, what is more crucial to the paint, or what causes more clear coat "damage" the cutting of the pad or the product itself ??



FP is not too abrasive right ?? so i can use that every other month for touch up polishing ? i am just very frustrated that my paint has gone down the tubes.



IP should only be used 2x's a year right ??



how about IP with a white pad ??



info please :nixweiss

 

[stilez]

Paint down the tubes... Deal with it



It's freakin life and it sucks. Especially if you have a softer clearcoat...Honda/Acura.



You could polish with FP once a month for the next 10 years and your paint would still be fine. It is a VERY fine polish but does work great with no oils. I always use it with a polishing pad. Remember, least abrasive product possible .

 

[Accumulator]

I'd say it's not product *or* pad, that makes the difference, it's the combination. Though a cutting pad will often remove/micro mar/etc. paint no matter what you use on it.



IP/white is something I wouldn't want to use all that often. Remember that your clearcoat is a nonrenewable rescource, gotta try to preserve it.



I'd rework the wash regimen. Maybe something like what I do with the foam gun. Or for a quick improvement, try this:



When using the sheepskin mitt, (assuming well-rinsed-off car,

etc.) fill the mitt with your soap solution by holding it, cuff pointed up, underwater in the wash bucket. Then hold the cuff shut and *very gently* swipe the sheepskin over the paint, *not* rubbing, more like "whisking" the dirt off, just touching it enough to loosen the dirt. The soap will seep out of the mitt, lubricating the surface and flushing the loosen dirt off the panel. Rinse mitt often. Several *very gentle* swipes are a lot safer than one "regular" swipe.



Most people just rub the dirt into the paint, which will mar it every time. Think about the real objective- to get the abrasive dirt off the paint without letting the abrasive dirt *scratch* the paint. It's a sorta tricky proposition since the dirt has to travel across (over) the paint to get off the car (no, it won't all get caught up safely in the mitt). Imagine the dirt is something *really* abrasive, like diamond dust..how could you get it off without causing marring? Food for thought...