POLISHING Polish is like having sex using a decorative novelty condom: it looks good but doesn't do so well in terms of protection. And polishes are just that, to polish the paint surface and brighten the shine. They can do that one of two ways: 1) apply a thin coat of polish liquid to deepen the shine of the paint surface (non-abrasive) or 2) remove a thin layer of paint to reveal the fresh, shiney coat underneath (abrasive). The polish will help to restore that brilliant shine you once had, and also tries to hide any imperfections like minor scratches and swirl marks. Just take heed and read the label carefully to make sure the polish is clear coat safe. Clear coat is the thin, transparent top layer protecting your paint (and is also what gives the car its shine). All recent modern cars have clear coat, so you don't want to accidentally strip it off. Usually polishing is done immediately after washing the car, but if this is not the case for you, make sure the car is clean and free of dirt before you start. The polish can be applied by hand or an orbital buffer. The orbital buffer will save you time and energy, but won't be able to cover those hard to reach areas. Polishing your vehicle is recommended once every 6-12 months. Prior to polishing, you'll want to prep the surface first. To check the surface, run your hands over the surface. Do you feel a lot of grit? Does it feels like sandpaper? (aka- Russian toilet paper) If the answer is yes, use a pre-wax cleaner to remove oxidation, leftover wax layers, and swirl marks left by previous polishing. After polishing, you'll want to apply wax in order to protect the newly polished surface. Carnauba will help protect against the harsh elements because unfortunately will will not! (unless you get some cheap polish & wax combo) Using a dry or damp applicator pad (depending on your polish's instructions), start from the upper surfaces and move your way down. Apply in an even, circular motion. Polish companies recommend doing small areas at a time, but I do entire panels at a time (except the hood which I divide into two areas). Again, depending on your polish, you'll either buff it clean immediately or wait 10-15 minutes for it to dry into a haze. Use a dry, clean terry towel to buff it clean using a circular motion and back and forth strokes. Note: Turn the towel frequently during buffing for best results. If you're using a cheap polish that leaves behind white, residue powder, remove or dust it off before moving onto the wax. Then check yourself into Cheap Bastards Anonymous for using such ill quality products. I like to use the orbital buffer because it can apply a more even coat than if by hand. Uneven application causes some areas to be darker than others (more noticeable on dark colors). I've never had much success using the orbital buffer to remove the polish after I apply it, so I usually do the buffing step by hand. A good polish removal towel is the polishing cloth (the stretchable white one with the woven fibers). Polishing should take approximately 45-70 minutes. This step is more important than the washing, cleaning, or waxing so take your time on this and do it right! You'll get a great shine that will last. But it's either the harsh California weather or perhaps I'm not applying enough layers but it seems I have to re-apply polish every other month. Oh well. But there are tons of polishes out there that you can pick from. Here are some: Eagle One's Wet Look Car Polish Meguair's Professional Showcar Glaze Mother's Sealer & Glaze Zymol Auto Polish Zymol was nice and everything, but dang, it was also the most expensive ($20 a bottle) because of its claim of all natural ingredients (almond extract, bee honey, etc...you could practically eat this stuff!). Even though Zymol does shines nicely and tastes good (just kidding!), I actually prefer Meguiar's Professional Show Glaze. This is a non-abrasive polish which works very well at half the cost ($10 bottle) of Zymol. It gives Vivian a deep, wet-look shine that beats out the others.