Use a microfiber cloth or a microfiber or a foam hand pad to reduce scratches. If it’s hot out, work in small sections and rinse off each section as you go, so the soap suds don’t dry on your car and leave streaky residue. Always wash your car before you perform any detailing work. Otherwise, you can end up rubbing bits of dirt and debris into the paint and making it look even worse!

Automotive clay lube is a special lube for use with automotive clay bars, which are special resin bars used to remove micro contaminants from the surface of your car’s paint. The lube is important because it helps the clay slide smoothly across the paint while it picks up dirt, so you don’t scratch the paint. Purchase clay lube and an automotive clay bar online or wherever they sell auto detailing supplies near you.

Automotive clay bars are also sometimes known as detailing clay.

Working with a damp buffing pad provides some lubrication to help you move it smoothly over the paint. Never set the buffing pad face-down or it can pick up dirt and debris and end up scratching your car’s paint. All the supplies you need to complete this part of the job are available at home improvement centers, auto detailing supply shops, and online.

Buffing compound is also known as cutting polish. Buffing compound works like a very fine sandpaper to remove imperfections in the paint and expose the undamaged layers beneath the top.

If you’re fixing a large area of sun faded car paint, such as the whole hood of your car, work in small sections of about 2 ft (0. 61 m) by 2 ft (0. 61 m).

It helps to get down at eye level with the surface to really make sure that the whole area of paint is all nice and shiny again.

If you see some faint swirls on the surface, don’t worry. You’ll be able to polish them out in the next step.

Finishing polish is always the last step in polishing your car’s paint. It has a high level of shine and works to get rid of light swirls and other minor imperfections left over after buffing the paint with compound.

As an alternative to car wax, use paint sealant and apply it in the same way as you apply wax. Paint sealant is more durable, but wax is shinier.

Feel free to stop here if you’re happy with how the finish looks!

To keep the paint protected, reapply wax to your car every 3 months or so. If you chose to use paint sealant instead, reapply it every 3-6 months.