How to Remove Car Scratches with Rubbing Compound

Rubbing compounds do its work by removing fine or minor scratches, water marks, bird dropping marks, tar, light oxidation, swirls and other surface pollutants that stuck to a car's finish. It does do wonders and comes in a variety of brands and prices. The use of rubbing compound is simply one of the processes in auto detailing. It is often followed by sealing it with a glaze, then complete the process with waxing and polishing your car's surface. it is however highly recommended that when using a rubbing compound, one must preferably do it by hand and not rely on buffers. The use of buffers is a skill in itself and its improper use together with a rubbing compound will do more harm to your car's paint finish.

Applying a rubbing compound does take some work but if you want to exercise and tone some arm muscles, then be prepared to allot time if. Your efforts will not go unrewarded as your finished work will definitely give your car a smoother surface and more improved appearance. A rubbing compound will do noticeable car paint difference to darker colored car paints. If used on a white-colored car paint which has already dulled or turned off-white, or on one not been well-taken cared of for quite sometime, a rubbing compound does not seem to improve or restore paint into pure white as when the car was still new.

Rubbing compound use however is not for the novice and great care must be taken to avoid damaging a car's finish. This is important to remember because a rubbing compound is still an abrasive in itself. Abrasives come in different degrees and a rubbing compound is deemed to be on the finer side, but still it is an abrasive. Be sure to choose a professional grade rubbing compound. Caution should be exercise when using in darker colored cars, cause you might be scrubbing more than necessary and damage not only your car's clear coat but also the paint. More importantly, it is best to consult a more knowledgeable person to guide a novice in using a rubbing compound.

IMPORTANT: Don't push down too hard when scrubbing. Scrubbing pressure should be very light, otherwise you will damage your clear coat. If you can see your car's paint color in your micro fibre cloth wipes or rug, it means you are cutting into your paint a little. It also means you are overdoing it and you would not want this! So stop right there.

Your car's paint finish may become lifeless and dull after quite sometime. Even if you car is new, the adhrence of surface pollutants cannot be avoided hence contributing to the 'coarse' feel when you run your hand thru certain parts of it's paint finish. The use of a rubbing compound can greatly help in removing these surface pollutants.

Before you use any rubbing compound, it is very important that you have thoroughly cleaned and dry car surface. Applying a rubbing compound on a dirty car will only make things worse since debris can get caught up in the compound which will definitely scratch you car's finish as you do the process. Make sure that the car is cool and in a shaded part, and not under direct sunlight when you apply the rubbing compound.

Use a clean buffer or microfibre cloth and apply about a thumb-sized compound on it, then do the same to the a small area in the car surface. it is easier to work on sections rather than on large areas.

Rub the buffer or cloth in side to side motion until the area becomes clear and you can no longer see any rubbing compound. Don't be tempted to put on more than you can manage as the compound dries off pretty quickly and may be quite hard to rub when this happens. Wash off with water as soon as you finish an area.

Step back to check if you missed any spot. After using the rubbing compound on all your car's problem surfaces, make sure to rinse or wash the areas, that's when you need to use a glaze, or top it off with your favorite car wax to provide protection to your car's finish.

Rubbing compounds are most often used to treat exterior car surfaces. It is also effective in removing the yellowing film caused by prolonged contact between water and rubber in the door slidings. It is also highly effective in removing tar that attaches in the lower surface areas of the car.