How often should a car be polished?
4 Answers
Generally, polishing once a year is sufficient, or it can be determined based on the actual condition of the car's paint, as polishing can significantly damage the paint. The methods for maintaining car paint are as follows: 1. Car washing: This is a maintenance method adopted by many car owners and is the most basic method. Whether parked or driven, the car body will inevitably accumulate some dirt. The composition of this dirt is complex and may contain acidic corrosive substances, which can cause some damage to the paint over time. Therefore, regular car washing can help protect the paint. 2. Waxing: This involves applying a layer of wax to the car's paint surface and then polishing it. Waxing helps prevent oxidation, isolate static electricity, and enhance the brightness of the paint surface. It effectively separates the paint from dust and harmful gases, thereby protecting the paint. 3. Coating: This involves applying a high-molecular film with good hardness and smoothness to the car's surface. This film solidifies directly on the vehicle's surface, meaning the paint is directly protected by this film. Even minor damage will not affect the paint surface.
I think checking the paint condition is more reliable than checking the car's age! Cars frequently parked outdoors exposed to wind and sun often show obvious dullness in their paint within about three years, and the surface feels rough to the touch. White cars are particularly prone to yellowing, while black cars develop very noticeable swirl marks. Take my neighbor's SUV, for example—parked in the sun every day. By the third summer, after he washed it, the paint was covered in circular swirl marks, making it look terrible without polishing. Regular waxing can actually delay the need for polishing, but if the surface feels like sandpaper or looks hazy from a distance, it's time to consider polishing. Don't push it beyond five years.
The usage environment is more crucial. The paint aging speed between a garage-kept car and one parked outdoors can differ by up to twice! A colleague's commercial vehicle at work runs on highways daily, and the front bumper is full of small pits from gravel impacts, with the paint losing its luster in just two years. It's advisable to inspect the paint condition every six months: check for spider-web cracks under light and feel the roughness of the hood with your fingers. For average family cars, polishing every 3-5 years is recommended, though nowadays, paint protection films (PPF) are popular—cars with PPF don’t need polishing at all. After touch-up painting, localized polishing is best to avoid noticeable color differences. Also, a reminder: excessive polishing can thin the clear coat layer.
By the third year of car ownership, it's time to pay attention to the paint condition. Especially for vehicles frequently parked under trees, tree sap and insect remains can penetrate the clear coat, leaving permanent stains. Last time, the car wash owner showed me a five-year-old car that had never been polished—the hood had oxidized to the point where the base color was visible. Areas with numerous scratches, like the spiral marks around door handles, show the most noticeable improvement after polishing. Polishing before the rainy season enhances water repellency, with bead-like water droplets visibly forming on the surface. However, cars with ceramic coating generally don’t require polishing for up to five years.
