Polishing is a process that removes clear coat stains from the surface of your car.
After using an abrasive compound to cut through the damaged section of the clear coat, you’ll notice that the paint has a dull color.
Polishing compound restores vibrancy to the polished area, making the color look brighter.
Quick Answer
Car polish should be removed immediately by using soft and clean microfiber towels. Wiping off any leftover car polish will prevent the car polish from hardening, which makes the removal more difficult. Hardened car polish can be removed by soaking it in an isopropyl-water solution before wiping it off.
In this piece, I will provide further detail on removing car polish.
I know that mistakes can happen, so I’ll also inform you on ways to remove dried car polish.
As a bonus, I’ll explain why you shouldn’t let car polish dry.
How To Remove Car Polish
It’s hard to imagine that something as benign as car polish can damage your car.
Well, the excess polish left on the car serves no purpose and can destroy the hard work you’ve done while flattening cracks on the car’s clear coat.
Quick Answer
Remove car polish by gently wiping the polished surface with microfiber towels. Do not move to another section or panel of your car before removing excess polish. Polish can harden quickly, so it’s crucial that you remove car polish immediately after polishing.
Microfiber towels are perhaps the most essential tools to have when polishing a car, whether it’s a DIY job or a professional job.
After polishing, use the microfiber towel to remove excess polish from the car’s surface.
Fold the towel and regularly switch to the clean part of the towel.
Polish can build up on one side of the towel, and if you keep using that side, you may destroy the finish or fail to remove all of the polish.
Therefore, if you plan to polish a large section of the car or the entire vehicle, be sure to have many microfiber towels on hand.
I insist on microfiber towels because they have distinct advantages over other towels.
Microfiber towels have a larger surface area than other towels; as a result, they wipe more effectively.
This study found that microfiber towels possess superior decontamination capacity compared to cotton, sponge, and disposable paper towels.
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Furthermore, microfiber cloths are thin and delicate and, thus, gentle to the surface of your car.
You needn’t worry about getting more scratches on your vehicle when using a microfiber cloth to wipe off the excess polish.
Also, microfiber towels are super absorbent. They’ll dry off the polished surface of your vehicle, taking with them every last bit of excess polish.
Worry not if you feel like you don’t have enough microfiber towels for the job.
Another advantage of microfiber towels is that they dry quickly.
Therefore, you can take breaks as you polish to wash the microfiber towels.
Polishing is an energy-intensive activity, so your muscles will also benefit from periodic breaks.
I urge you to ignore advice stating that you can wash off the excess polish.
You can wash off extra polish, but it’s not a practical solution—you’ll likely end up washing off more polish than you intended.
Overall, the best way to remove car polish is by using microfiber towels immediately after completing polishing.
How To Remove Dried Car Polish
As I’ve mentioned, mistakes happen.
You might observe all the precautions necessary, but after completing the job, you could find a section of your car or a panel you forgot to wipe.
By then, the polish will have hardened, and there will be a nasty-looking blemish on your car’s surface.
You can use these methods to remove dried car polish:
I will explain the above techniques for removing dried polish, detailing the pros and cons of each method.
Use A Grease Cutting Car Cleaner
Honestly, this is the only real option you should consider.
Using a grease cutting car cleaner is the easiest, fastest, and safest option to remove dried car polish from a car.
These products will remove everything from your car’s paint like car wax, bird droppings, industrial fallout, and dried car polish.
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The only downside is that these products are quite aggressive. They will not destroy your paint, but overusing these products should be avoided nevertheless.
Soak in a Mixture of Alcohol and Water
This method involves soaking the dried car polish in a mixture of one part isopropyl alcohol and one part water.
Use a cloth to cover the area with the dried car polish and let the mixture soak.
The alcohol should break down the hardened polish.
After the polish softens, use a microfiber cloth to wipe it away.
Keep in mind that isopropyl alcohol can damage your car paint at such high concentrations.
Furthermore, this method won’t reach the polish stuck in the cracks and crevices of your car.
Soak in Vegetable Oil or a Similar Product
Vegetable oil, like isopropyl alcohol, breaks down the hardened polishing compound, allowing you to wipe it off with a microfiber towel.
Vegetable oil is kinder to the surface of your car and is, therefore, a safer option than isopropyl alcohol.
However, you can’t use it to remove dried car polish in hard-to-reach places.
Furthermore, it is less potent than isopropyl alcohol, taking longer to break down the hardened car polish.
When using vegetable oil, use some stiff brushes to agitate the hardened polish.
It will hasten the process considerably.
You can use products with vegetable oil – for example, peanut butter – as an alternative to pure vegetable oil.
Steam-Wash the Affected Area
Steam-washing allows you to remove dried polish in hard-to-reach areas of your car.
Use a small-width tip to direct steam at areas with hardened polishing compound and wipe using a microfiber towel.
You can also use this method to remove dried polish on car panels.
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However, it’s difficult to direct the steam on one section of the car without damaging well-wiped polish on other areas of the vehicle.
I advise that you only use this method when removing dried polish in the crevices and cracks of your vehicle.
Gently Scrub With a Toothbrush and Warm Water
This method entails using warm water and a toothbrush to break down the dried polish.
Unlike steam-washing, this method allows you to target dried polish without affecting other layers of polish.
Warm water is less effective than alcohol and vegetable oil; therefore, you need a toothbrush to agitate the polish and make it easier to break down.
After the polish softens, wipe it away with a microfiber towel.
Toothbrush bristles are stiff enough to agitate the polish without scratching the surrounding paint.
This method is time intensive and unsuitable for large patches of dried polish.
Use a Plastic Razor To Scrape Off the Polish
You can use a plastic razor to scrape off partially dried polish.
By using a plastic razor, you minimize the chances of scratching your car’s paint.
This method only works if the polish hasn’t thoroughly dried.
Once the polish fully dries, even the toughest plastic razor wielded by the strongest man couldn’t scrape it off without causing paint damage.
Apply Lacquer Thinner to the Affected Area
A light spray of lacquer thinner will soften the polish enough for you to wipe it off with a microfiber towel.
This is an effective method of removing stubborn dried polish.
However, it has one significant side effect: it may hurt the clear coat and cause paint softening, especially if the car’s been freshly painted.
I do not recommend this method due to the high likelihood of paint damage.
Should You Let Car Polish Dry?
The likelihood of getting excess car polish on your car is extremely high.
It isn’t easy to judge precisely how much polish you need for a particular panel, leading to the application of surplus polish.
Quick Answer
You should not let car polish dry. The only car detailing compounds you should allow to cure on the paint are ceramic coating and wax. Polishing compounds become difficult to remove once they have dried.
Polish your car in small sections to prevent polish from drying before you wipe it off.
Polish and wipe off before you move to the next area.
Furthermore, avoid using too much polish on the applicator. The car’s surface only requires a light amount of polish to make the paint pop.
The excess polish will start hardening before you can wipe it off, making your work more complicated and frustrating.
There are two main types of car polish: paste and liquid.
Both types produce similar results, but you should take extra care when using liquid polish.
It’s easy for the liquid polish to splatter to other areas of your car, especially when using a buffer.
The splattered polish will then harden without your knowledge.
Liquid polish can also drip into the cracks and crevices of your car, where it hardens.
To prevent this, use masking tape to seal the vulnerable cracks of your vehicle.
Furthermore, use a light amount of polish to prevent splatter and drip.
Key Takeaways
Sources
Detailed Image: How To Remove Excess Polish From Crevices
Detailing Wiki: How to remove dried up polish
DC Car Care: Lacquer Thinner On Car Paint
LS1GTO: Can you wash off car polish instead of removing it by hand?
https://shinycarproject.com/should-you-polish-a-white-car/
https://shinycarproject.com/should-i-wax-or-polish-my-car/
https://shinycarproject.com/can-polish-ruin-your-car/
https://shinycarproject.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-polish-a-car/
