Swirls and Scratches Don`t Exist


Technically, you don`t remove swirls and scratches because they don`t exist, they are voids in the paint. You see, swirls and scratches have no physical substance or material, they are the visual appearance of missing paint.

In order to restore a flawless, swirl and defect free finish you need to gently, and in a controlled manner, remove a little paint off the surface which has a leveling-effect. You don`t actually remove swirls and scratches, you remove the paint surrounding swirls and scratches.


Same thing goes for Type II Water Spots. You don`t remove Type II Water Spots, your remove the paint surrounding Type II Water Spots.

Two Types of Bird Dropping Etchings


Because factory paint is thin, the approach you want to take when removing below surface defects is to use the least aggressive product to get the job done. By using this approach you remove the defects while leaving the maximum amount of paint on the car and this will help the exterior paint to last over the service life of the car.

All the UV protection for the basecoat is in the clear coat, so the more clear paint you remove off the surface, the less UV protection you have to protect the paint.

See this article,
"Use the least aggressive product to get the job done"