So when would be the right time in the process to use a swirl remover?
I have an 05 that stays really clean, but I have never clay bared or anything else to it. I just wash the car once a week, im sure it could be better but it stays really nice. I have swirls though and thats the onlything i really see that bothers me. If I do the same stuff as this video then when can add swirl remover?
Great video by the way.
Ok, a swirl remover is just a polish that is more aggressive than a finishing polish like M205 but less aggressive than something like Ultimate Compound. If you use a swirl remover you would use it after the clay bar and wash. Then you can use a finishing polish like M205 or the #7 Glaze if you want to, then the sealant and/or wax.
Any polishing is done after the strip down wash, clay bar, and re-wash and before any sealants or wax are used.
And any time you use multiple polishes you start with the most aggressive first and work down to finer polishes, just like you would do with sandpaper on wood. Start coarse and finish fine.
Using something like M105 which is extremely aggressive you HAVE to use M205 or some other fine finishing polish to make the finish smooth and mirror like again. With something like swirl remover, you really don't need to use another polish after it since it's a diminishing polish that actually smooth itself out as it breaks down. But some still prefer to use a finishing polish after a swirl remover. (not all swirl removers are diminishing, but Meguire's is one that is)
Just a note, if you do use a coarse polish first like the M105, the application of the #7 by hand like in the video will not do much if anything to bring the paint back to a mirror finish. You need to use a polish that is applied by a buffer and has some abrasive properties to it like M205, etc.
You have to physically smooth out the roughness of the paint mechanically with heat, friction, and polish.
Don't forget, polishing removes wax and leaves no protection (usually), so you have to wax or seal or both after polishing your car.