There are many different names for it. Polishing, paint enhancement, paint correction, buffing, 1 step…it is all generally the same thing. These are all different terms used to define polishing your car. Polishing your vehicle will make the clear coat have that wet glow it once used to have! Even a car from the dealership can be enhanced.

Some cars end up with light swirl marks over time. This can be from a variety of factors, with some of the main ones being improper washing, using automated car washes, or generally driving the vehicle around without proper and/or routine washing. These marks can typically be removed while simultaneously bringing back that shine. This is where the term “1 step” comes from.

Depending on the severity of the scratches, a compound is more appropriate for scratch mitigation. Compounds are great for reducing the image of scratches, but can also leave a hazy or undesirable look to the clear coat, which needs to be gone over again with a polish, creating the two step correction.

The newer cars are, the thinner and thinner the clear coat is becoming. Most clear coat is about as thick as a post it note. This is not much to work with. There is a common misconception that removing a scratch is like taking an eraser and just wiping it away. What is actually occurring, is the clear coat around the scratch is being removed and leveled out to the depth of the scratch to make it less noticeable or disappear. This ultimately means your paint can only be polished, or specifically compounded a limited number of times.

Although Detailed can perform varying levels of correction and scratch removal, I have a strong philosophy for preservation versus perfection. This helps prolong the life of your paint, and still gives you a great shine! Unless you have a showroom or weekend car, most people will greatly appreciate the one step polish and to the average person, this will be more than satisfactory.