Polish Car by Hand // Beginners Guide to Polishing Without a Machine!

[@joyciejd9673]

Thank you for this. I am not a “car nut” but I want to keep my car in the best shape I can without all of the machinery. Great video and thank you for it

[@YumCars]

you are welcome and happy it helped

[@kristian87uk52]

Wasn't sure what to expect from that 50/50 but that blew me away! I think this will give people who are unsure of machine polishing some confidence too. Doesn't take much effort to really improve the finish. Can't wait to get mine done!

[@YumCars]

Thank you Kristian! Simple and effective processes can gain great results

[@Amor1990]

It can be done on soft paint

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Great video Nick, this will really help people starting out with polishing by hand ✋

[@YumCars]

It hopefully will!

[@schleicher5959]

In last month, I've watched over 250+ videos about hand/machine polishing and these results here are best among them, top three I mean. Better from 90% of machine polishing results I've watched😮 great work.

[@luisk5582]

"not bad"? That's a perfect result. And in my case, with a black car, can't wait to purchase those 2 products and take my time by hand. Thank you for the honesty with this. 👌👍

[@YumCars]

Good luck with your process 😀

[@TheTidyboyalpha]

I spent 14 hours doing mine by hand last summer, by the end i couldn't lift my arms. I'm currently trying to find the motivation to do it again as this winter has really caused a lot of swirls with all the grit and terrible weather we've had. Will be trying the products you've recommended for sure.

[@YumCars]

Good luck for when you do it Rich

[@SnkrKev]

how were the products?

[@NYGiants4Life]

14hrs? Holy ish. I was thinking of doing it myself, but if it will take me this long I’m not sure I will. I have kids and wouldn’t be able to. Do you have to keep the car inside while under this process?

[@zzo28]

​@@NYGiants4Lifeyou can do it outside. But not on sun or do it at morning. 4-5 hours you must be done without waxing. 1+ hour for waxing. But too much work is prepare- washing & decon.

[@johngroeneveld8038]

I find it helpful to wash the car. After it's dried pick a panel and concentrate on that. Next time pick a new section. It's a lot easier than polishing the whole car. That way the car is always looking good.

[@gregcy89]

Amazing man. You made it look very easy and user friendly to do. No clay and no machining

[@YumCars]

The clay step was already done prior to this process.

[@johnbrown3951]

After going for a machine polishing lesson it ruined my desire to use this method despite investing in machine pads & polish but if I can get results like that by hand and I have plenty of time in my retirement so I have saved my shopping list of products for spring time and will crack on. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@spumagu5225]

This is inspiring. I found out you need 3 different polishing machines to paint correct ALL the paintwork, because of different parts of the car, and a pad washer. I was about to resolve to do the first step of paint correction, after the wash, and that is tar remover, then step 2, iron remover spray on and rinse, step 3, clay towel or bar, myself, then take the car to a detailer, to machine polish it, then drive it home, wipe it down with a panel prep spray and then apply the coating/sealant myself (I might still do it that way if a detailer would be willing to do just that one machine polish step only). Now this great great demonstration shows that you can do all the steps by hand if you've the time and are methodical. By the way, as he says, the Sonax Perfect Finish Polish is the best and can be the only compound if doing it by machine, according to Esoteric Car Care. They mention 3-4 pads per vehicle by machine, so it probably applies to hand polishing, as well. Did a ton of research on cleaning tires and wheels and Yum made the list for wheel cleaner, tire cleaner and tire dressing.

[@YumCars]

It can be done by hand but realistically will take so long to do it right. This was merely a demonstration. Our car was fully paint corrected by machines apart from this example. Hope you enjoy the products from us ❤️

[@w-j7210]

Hi, many thanks for this video. Now I know it can be done by hand. The car I am to polish has been ceramic coated in 2020 when it was new. There is only few minor swirls that are seen when the car is clean, but they bother me. I do not want to spend on a good polisher and pads. Plus I never polished by machine before. Can I only use the perfect shine to get good results to save time or must I first polish with the max cut.

[@BranhanNaidoo]

I appreciate your time and effort in making this video happen it definitely inspired me to work on my car

[@YumCars]

Thank you!

[@ChrisLitton]

Thank you so much for this. Exactly what I was looking for.

[@natmills7595]

This is a great video. Thank you! I now know what products I need and how to use them. It has given me the confidence to polish my car for the first time. Simple, straight forward and informative video. Love it :)

[@YumCars]

Happy to help Nat!

[@brodymale7490]

$5 for your branded applicator pad is a steal brother! Appreciate it!

[@masterpolir6145]

Whhaao this is sonax? I really love sonax products!❤❤❤ Amazing result!❤❤❤ Thank you man!

[@PhelpsTalks]

Just coming around to this now. I understand professional detailers need the power tools to get multiple cars done in a day at the highest of high quality, and even the guys with show cars want that perfect finish. But for the average dude who wants to get a nice looking clear coat on their car, to get 85% of the results by hand with no power tools, seems like a no-brainer. Excellent demonstration

[@YumCars]

Thank you!

[@rsdelectrical]

Exactly what I needed to know. Going to get this stuff ordered and applied to my Lapiz Blue Golf R and my work van. Thanks mate

[@flapjackson6077]

Nicely done! I’m repairing a rather large scratch but not so large to justify buying an electric buffer. One thing I’m familiar with in furniture polishing is the French polish. Aside from the actual method, it requires polishing in a figure 8 motion, while moving in a general direction. This eliminates swirls and streaks, leaving a glassy finish. I suppose it isn’t heard of in the car polishing world because DAs do at least as good a job, and a helluva lot faster. But it’s worth noting that figure 8 polishing is the best way to hand polish.

[@kellysworld2850]

The difference is crazy! Reminds me of when I first became obsessed with car care 🙈 could only really get hold of a rotary and there were lots of horror stories of them so stuck to hand. But it’s amazing to see how far the market has come!

[@YumCars]

The leap in technology for compounds is truly massive! Diminish abrasives have become so advanced and easier than ever before

[@tommyfennell8670]

I use the rotary for really bad paint to get the marks out then a dual action polisher after 🤣. Takes all day easilly 😴😆

[@nigellewis8461]

absolutely brilliant i love your videos and your fantastic website .. ordered some of your amazing products , your hand pad is fantastic also your finishing cloth for hand polishing all best wishes to you

[@YumCars]

So awesome to read! Thanks Nigel!

[@69Ashoo]

This is very informative.. I've always hand polished but lacked the technique.. Pretty sure I will get better results now...

[@iamonline3221]

Thanks ! 4:45 I got a mazda 3 with very soft and thin paint, which currently almost perfect and I want to work on perfecting. so that's really scary

[@teamothy]

thanks from Thailand bro I will choose this method, so classic way

[@YumCars]

Thank you!

[@firesuch]

Excellent tip for those who don’t have or don’t want to use a machine polish. Tq!

[@YumCars]

Glad it was helpful!

[@leibomsvairis]

So to get best result, first coupound then polish and then wax?

[@shelbyv2658]

Hand polish is so under rated

[@nigellewis8461]

just bought sonax from amazon great with the autobrite ph9 polisher better tham maguires .. thanks nick for your support going to order some fantastic yum cloths

[@desiraeceniceros1468]

Wow great video! Was scared of using machinery especially if I'm new. This is a great start!

[@Mech.E]

Thanks! This will be helpful when I'm going to polish my bike.

[@randomrangoon5476]

Very helpful. I've got a black xc90 that needs a polish but no machine. Thanks 🥂

[@YumCars]

Happy to help!

[@js.detailing4682]

Brilliant video. Rewatching this one for the 3nd time now. Definitely going to be picking these compounds up

[@YumCars]

Happy its helped Jamie!

[@lucavanluca5467]

Was not expecting that good of a result!!

[@YumCars]

Amazing right?!

[@paulriley7523]

Just come across this, very good, thank you. Great result

[@gijoemolinaro]

Great video man and thankyou so much, great explanation on the why and hows 👏👏👏👏👌👌👌👌⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@MartinMagee-q2r]

Þhanks for the video. Very informative

[@nicholasrutterford797]

That was a great video to watch and shows what you can achieve with a little elbow grease. I have some lake country hand polishing pads one orange for cutting and one white for finishing and also get great results but I think I will be trying the sonax products you recommended a little more expensive but with those results well worth it. Thanks

[@YumCars]

Good luck Nicholas!

[@Brianj162]

Fantastic result 👍

[@silvercat7328]

Great results. Cheers for the heads up. Defo going to give this a go.

[@YumCars]

Good luck!

[@faizzaziz]

Awesome video!

[@YumCars]

Thank you

[@faizzaziz]

Pleasure.

[@TheGastrohep]

Those are nice results. Would doing this to remove some swirls polish away the ceramic coating I have on my car?

[@YumCars]

Yes

[@Zakaria_5858]

Great sharing tips bro. FULL STAR from malaysia

[@YumCars]

Thank you!

[@mikewaite3746]

I might give this product a try. I have a 40,000 original mile 350Z one owner well now I'm the second owner. I really like the idea of doing the polishing by hand yeah might be a little bit more work. However less chance for you to destroy the finish

[@1881Gordon]

Brilliant video. The transformation is astounding! Right.. I'm gonna book a week off work and give this a try 👍🏻

[@YumCars]

Good luck!

[@edieputu]

Amazing amazing amazing ❤❤❤❤❤

[@fraforgt-350r2]

How? That’s amazing. I’m gonna have to try that. I didn’t even know it was possible to remove that many swirls and scratches by hand, gonna have to try it. Autoglym super resin polish sure doesn’t compare 😂

[@YumCars]

Amazing right?! Good luck with your attempts and yes it does not compare to this product

[@fraforgt-350r2]

@@YumCars thanks! Don’t get me wrong it’s still an excellent product, but only on well maintained cars. On my old bmw it doesn’t really add much more than a paste wax so it isn’t much of a “polish”

[@petardz]

Wow, didn't expect such good results! :D

[@YumCars]

With a little bit of knowledge and time amazing things can be achieved 😀

[@Sk8trfreak09]

So im assuming you can use this stuff on any color car but after those 2 products do you need to put anything else? Protective top coat? Or is that it, you should be good and it has hydrophobic properties?

[@YourCarSuperShiny]

Excellent video 👍💎

[@benx3644]

Got the same products, took some swirls but not much not sure what I’m doing wrong

[@scottbowditxh7721]

Those results are awesome, no more aio polish 👏

[@randomrangoon5476]

Agreed.

[@relaxman-tu1tp]

Great video brother... I'm gonna save couple hundred dollars. thank you very much... from USA

[@YumCars]

You are welcome ❤️

[@sawrajsinghbasi3446]

Wow that’s cool - very good video for us newbies

[@YumCars]

You are welcome and hope this helps you!

[@fr2481]

This is exactly what I was looking for. Very good video, amazing results. I just wanted to ask... Do I really need to clay the paint before polishing it ? Which clay was used ? Thank you.

[@YumCars]

Ideally yes if you want true results and not having to work against yourself, contaminated paint can really slow down your process. Our clay block was used: yumcars.co.uk/product/clay-block/

[@EireFirst25]

I use menzerna by hand to maintain my merc, now it did have a paint correction... But ye to agree with you, you can do it by hand 👍👍 oh & remember new people - arnie polishes his hummer by hand 💪😜 😂😂😂

[@thisisfiras]

Excellent video! What wax would you recommend for protecting this?

[@YumCars]

YumCars Wax 🙂

[@tootsiejoon]

Hi, thanks for the video! Where can I get the products you are using???

[@Tim955w]

Fantastic information thank you, i assume you should clean the pads if attempting to do a larger area, if so how often in comparison to the area you polished and any suggestion as to how. Best wishes.

[@YumCars]

Personally, on a machine we clean the pads after every successive pass

[@fbi6540]

About how many minutes did you take per application round?

[@YumCars]

Around 3/5 minutes

[@domenico2178]

Wooow, very nice result o.O! I can use same materials and techinique on PPF?

[@YumCars]

You can lightly polish PPF

[@domenico2178]

​@@YumCarsi can use any compound?

[@SOUTHEASTTUNERZ]

👍🏽 amazing as soon as the weather gets better I will give this a try as I have what I can only describe as a burn on my rear bumper caused by a pigeon, hope it works.

[@YumCars]

Hopefully the video has helped and it will certain boost your paintwork appearance!

[@mustafm11]

Can we use Sander machine as polishing machine? any difference between them ?

[@Bristol_boxing]

Amazing.. Can I ask how often you should do this? I woukd worry about going through the top?

[@YumCars]

Done right this should only ever be done once and perfect wash and maintenance techniques will take care of the rest.

[@jackemerson1171]

Great job !!!

[@YumCars]

Thanks Jack!

[@jackemerson1171]

@@YumCars going to try some hand polishing on select spots on my soft clear Jag. Will pass on the compound and see what the Perfect Finish does

[@YumCars]

Sonax perfect finish is a special product, good luck with your jag!

[@mkd191]

Great video.How long these wax stay on the car?

[@YumCars]

It is not a wax but an abrasive compound and polish

[@ahmedtaha8142]

Great video Nick, kindly can you tell what compound cut max degree you use…thanks

[@YumCars]

There is only 1 cut max variant.

[@eddymudindi9166]

The names of the two polish please. I really like this video❤

[@dextercarrie8131]

Nice job! I was worried that using a machine in some instances and careful smaller areas are better by hand.

[@YumCars]

By machine is always best of course but given the right respect and time, good results can be achieved by hand also

[@B3llyFl0p]

Oh and looks good

[@YumCars]

Thank you

[@bowieknife]

Thanks for this amazing hand polishing video. Don't see much on videos on this topic esp for hard clear coated cars like Mercedes. So did you use the strong cutting compound because you know you're using your hands (less effective than machine)? If you were to use a motorised machine, would you still use cutmax or something with a lower cutting power? (To try to use the least abrasive compound to get the effect needed without cutting thru unnecessary clear coat.)

[@Gamblor24]

Would you recommend using just Sonax Perfect Finsh on a white vehicle? Or is Cutmax still necessary. Its a 2009 vehicle that hasn't been polished or waxed in over 8 years.

[@katiecannon8186]

Can you do this & then add a wax on top?

[@YumCars]

of course you can 😀

[@ghejungky6581]

do you use a microfiber pad? what heavy cut compound do you use?

[@YumCars]

It is all in the video 🙂

[@goshu690]

Did u clay before or u straight up got to the polishing

[@YumCars]

Always

[@joevanseeters2873]

Pretty impressive results with just a hand applicator and some "elbow grease"! For the budget minded person, this seems to be an excellent option that would yield satisfactory results. ANYTHING is better than nothing at all which is highlighted here. Although many enthusiast's just getting into more extensive detailing get superior results with a Porter Cable polisher, some budget pads, and some decent chemicals such as these SONAX products which can give some very impressive results, even for a novice person at the helm of the polisher. Beautiful automobile also. One of Mercedes Benz's finest achievements of the modern age of automobiles.

[@YumCars]

Thank you! Technique is everything in this video. Yes this car is beautiful and we are lucky to own it

[@grigoricristea9631]

Very nice Nick it's ok to apply for windows ??))

[@YumCars]

100% Can be used on all glass on the car or the house!

[@mickydee19]

Are these still the go to products or are their newer and better ones 2 years on? Just checking before i spend more money😂

[@w-j7210]

Check Koch-Chemie.

[@DadoRijeka]

Is the paint on VW golf 8 also hard like on Mercedes?

[@YumCars]

You have to view it as a case by case basis. Some usually hard paint type cars can sometimes come out the factory with very soft paint and vice versa

[@stevebillington4987]

Great video. Thanks.

[@thesetruths1404]

Nice. What wax, polish or sealant is good for new paint with a 1-part clear coat? I don't care about the looks, I simply want to wax it yearly for protection from salts and sun. For the past 10 years I only wash my cars twice a year. Spring and Summer. Seems to be good for the paint overall. The dirt creates a protective film! 😆 And doesn't wash away the wax/polish.

[@YumCars]

If this is your maintenance schedule, it may be best to go for a very easy to use 1/2 year coating package

[@junuary5]

What product did you use?

[@KeepN]

Hi, my car already had 2 polishing by machine one when i bought it and 2nd one 2 years ago, i want just remove some Washing swirls etc, this procces gonna work?? I dont wanna go for machine again because i dont have machine to measure the paint, and i dont wanna waste a lot of paint, by hand, how much we lose of paint more or less????

[@garethspray4476]

Another great watch Nick , very informative for us novices ... keep up the good work ..

[@YumCars]

Thank you Gareth!

[@gmaail...]

Which is better foam pad or microfiber pad

[@biiso8205]

Sir, I plan to polish my car using TW Polishing compound, Old can one. Can I use the normal foam applicator that comes with it? My car has mainly swirls, especially on bonnet area.

[@em9589]

Thanks for the video. You use two products but in the link in the discription there is just 1 product. Would you please write which products you use.Regards from Holland

[@YumCars]

The Cut Max link has been updated

[@em9589]

@@YumCars thnks!

[@Snerkler1]

This was great, I’ve been wanting to watch a video like this done by hand as I’m not confident using a polisher on my motorbike, plus obviously there aren’t any large panels. Will this help remove polish holograms, and how do I prevent getting holograms in the future please?

[@YumCars]

Holograms are usually caused by incorrect rotary polishing methods, if done correctly yes you can remove by hand but it is a very long and tedious process

[@Snerkler1]

@@YumCars Thanks, I've never used a rotary polisher, it's always been done by hand. Since my post I've used some compound followed by wax and quick detailer and it's much much better.

[@w-j7210]

​@@Snerkler1what products did you use?

[@nicholasrutterford797]

Hi Nick, I appreciate you taking the time to get back to. In your expert opinion would I be best to use the orange cutting pad or the white finishing pad from lake country. Am new to your channel but you have some really good posts and some really quality products on your website. Keep up the good work, look forward to your next post

[@YumCars]

If you are only using SPF then the white pad should be your first avenue of attack, however asses the results and if you need to step it up use a more aggressive combination. Also thank you and welcome to the channel!

[@schleicher5959]

In Türkiye, I only be able to find Perfect Finish product you've used which has 4/6 CUT and 6/6 GLOSS values. However, the Cut Max product you've used has 6/6 CUT and 3/6 GLOSS. What if I buy only the Perfect Finish, nicely wash my car, apply clay bar, then apply Perfect Finish? Do you think 4/6 CUT only by itself also be able to do that job? I got exactly marks as your Mercedes got there. I really want to hear your opinions about that. Thank you.

[@oliverpatrick88]

Great Information! , however I’m curious if it’s safe to do this on a nano ceramic coated car? Thanks.

[@YumCars]

These products have abrasives so therefore they will start to remove and degrade coatings

[@MikeMusic8.]

Hello, whats the result after a pass of an inspection product, or ipa? Is it the grease of polish that mask swirls or it's really scratch removed?. Ty buty work

[@YumCars]

If done correctly of course the compound will begin to fully remove heavy damage

[@jackpakela-trumpet891]

What were the steps before this? I see you mentioned you clay bar'd in the comments, but what else did you do? I really want to try this but I have no idea what I'm doing or how to even approach this.

[@YumCars]

before polishing you always follow the same steps wash decontamination both chemical and mechanical paint correction paint protection

[@jackpakela-trumpet891]

@@YumCars and to confirm, is the decontamination the claybar? And the paint correct + protection is what you show in the video?

[@YumCars]

chemical decon and mechanical via our clay block.

[@dariusmihalache5159]

have you tried the meguiar’s ultimate compound and ultimate polish? would you say sonax does a better job?

[@YumCars]

it would be best to try both yourself to learn and make your own mind up

[@rhyswebb503]

hi mate - just to check this be done after using a clay bar, before using the wax or ceramic spray?

[@YumCars]

That is correct

[@chrisdik5311]

How long will it take to do whole car by hand?

[@YumCars]

I certainly would not recommend doing the whole car by hand

[@amsdetailing]

how long were you polishing it for with the cutmax?

[@YumCars]

A couple of minutes

[@Flies_the_limit]

Look at 4:30 then look at 4:35. Tell me you didnt pre polish it before polishing. The haze is completely gone before applying the polisher at 4:35 but at 4:30 both sides are identical.

[@YumCars]

It’s the angle of the camera, clearly the before and after pictures show the full story

[@timrozman8941]

are there any other liquids/products, you recommend for old cars? Or do i just use the same things?

[@YumCars]

for polishing or maintenance?

[@timrozman8941]

@@YumCars for polishing light swirls (volvo 340)

[@torredcat]

Will this work on a ceramic coated car?

[@YumCars]

Polishing is an abrasive method which will remove your coating

[@nikosbn7079]

Hey guy this hand grip is good for the car or it will make scratches? And if i dnt use the first product and only the perfect finish is there any problem?

[@chrisryan8894]

How long are you spending working each section ?

[@YumCars]

Depends but could be as much as 5 minutes by hand

[@chrisryan8894]

@@YumCars thanks. I’m doing mine tomorrow, not in any rush, set aside the day :)

[@bingbong1790]

@@chrisryan8894 hey man, any updates on how it turned out?

[@chrisryan8894]

@@bingbong1790 was tiring. But it looked amazing when done. And the paint wasn’t in bad shape to begin with , I have ordered a polisher, but would do it again by hand if necessary

[@bingbong1790]

@@chrisryan8894 that's good to hear! may start polishing my car soon enough when I have more time.

[@phillipusmalan8841]

That's quality