Getting Rid of Carwash Swirls
 

How do I get rid of swirl marks left by my car wash? The car is leased so I don’t want to go crazy and spend a few hundred bucks at a detailer. I just want something simple that I can apply by myself quickly to the hood and door panels to get rid of swirl marks in the clear coat of my 2018 nebula gray RX 450h. Also, anything I can do (again by hand with no specialty tools) to prevent the swirls in the future? Ceramic wax/coating? Thank you.

Here’s a couple of products that I’ve used with good success. Try to avoid any car wash if you can, however I understand that some of us don’t have the time to hand wash at home. Good luck.

https://www.autogeek.net/wolfgang-to...l-remover.html

A product that works well at removing polishing swirls and light surface scratches is 3M Hand Glaze. It is a product that is used by many detailers and body shops. A 1 quart bottle will run between $20 and $30, but it will last for many years.

Once you have removed the swirls, you can follow that up with a good wax.

I've used Meguairs SWIRLX.

The off the shelf products will only mask the imperfections in the paint. If you want a full paint correction, you'll need to shell out some $$$ or invest in the tools/products and do it yourself. I did a full paint correction on my old ride and it came out like glass. Granted it took me 2 days to complete the job alone (my first attempt at detailing).

Thank you all for you replies.

When you say big money for a paint correction, how much are we talking about?

Usually anywhere between $500-2500+ depending on how many stages of paint correction your car needs. Thinner paint requires a lot more attention to detail whereas thick paint has slightly more room for error.

When I had my full PPF done, they had to remove many swirl marks, and a few light scratches by paint correction. Its a very time consumed process that takes a alot of practice or you can potentially screw things up worse. I am able to remove some of the swirls using a foolproof tool that is designed NOT to harm any exterior finishes. The Porter Cable 7424XP which you can obtain with lots of great products too. However, if you have serious swirls or damaged paint, it truly does take a Professional to make things right - most definitely before applying either PPF or Ceramic Coatings!

If you continue to go through car washes, you will continue to get swirls, not even the best coating will prevent that. If you're not looking for professional paint correction, I would recommend a starter DA polisher like the Porter Cable, Griot's Garage 6" or even the Harbor Freight. The HF is not as solid a product as the PC or GG, but has gotten good reviews from beginners and non-pros. Add a good All In One polish/wax like Blackfire One Step, HD Speed or Meguiar's 3 in 1 Wax and you will be able to remove 75% or more of the swirls.

Using a DA polisher with an AIO is a simple process and there's nothing like the satisfaction you feel seeing those swirls disappear. Most detailers would decontaminate the paint, both physically and chemically with clay bar/ nanoskin mitts and fallout removers like Iron X, personally I skip those steps. Just a good soap and water wash before polishing. I did this a few weeks ago on a black 2 year old Taurus work car that's not seen any love in its life, and the results wowed me. Top it with a simple spray wax like Meguiar's Ultimate Spray Wax as you dry after each wash and you will maintain a kickass shine!

If you're like me and prefer to keep it simple, the HF polisher and Meguiar's line of products are easily available and inexpensive. Of course you can do this all by hand instead of spending about $100 on a polisher, but that's hard work and the results will not be as good. I use my GG6 2-3 times a year and it's been worth every penny.

Let us know what you decide... and pics are always welcome!

I would buy a DA polisher and some good pads and product from Meguiars, Sonax, or Menzerna and you will be good to go. Won't cost a ton either. The up front cost will be more but after you buy the DA polisher all you will ever have to buy after that is pads and microfiber towels. If you are only polishing your own car, the polish itself will last a while.

But if you continue to take the car through the car wash, you will have those swirls again.