Black Swirls
Preventing And Eliminating Swirl Marks On Your Finish
A common question that we hear is “My finish looks great, but when you look at it up close you can see all these fine scratches. How do I get rid of them?” These are especially noticeable on black or dark finishes. If you have ever had a black or a dark colored finish, you know what I mean!
You will hear these referred to as “Swirl Marks or “Swirls”. Swirls can be caused by virtually anything that comes in contact with your finish. Washing, drying and wiping, commonly causes swirls. Fortunately, there are some steps that you can take to reduce the likelihood of introducing new swirl marks on your finish. There are also a couple of ways to get rid of them and or reduce their appearance.
Avoiding Swirl Marks when Washing
Many people use sponges when washing their vehicle. The problem is that sponges have many pores that trap dirt and grime which inevitably scratch your finish. Instead of a sponge, use a Lamb’s Wool Wash Mitt with a long nap. Refresh your mitt with new soapy water often during the wash process to release any grit introduced into the mitt. Another tip is to start at the top and work your way down to reduce the amount of dirt building up in the mitt, since that is usually the least dirty and grimy part of the vehicle. One cool product from Grit Guard is an insert that fits inside the bottom of your wash bucket that allows the grit to sit in the bottom and not be introduced into the rest of your soapy water. The Grit Guard also acts as an agitator when dunking your mitt into the bucket, which actually releases the grit, grime and contaminants to provide scratch free washing.
Avoiding Swirl Marks when Drying and Wiping
Another source of swirl marks is wiping or drying your finish. For example, many people use a chamois or terry cloth towels to dry their finish. A chamois works great, but not many people wash their chamois after wiping a vehicle dry. Consequently, the dirt builds up in the chamois and ends up scratching the finish. Terry cloth towels, although absorbent, can also scratch your finish. One solution is to use Micro fiber Towels. Micro fiber towels are less likely to scratch the finish and are more absorbent than terry cloth. Micro fiber Towels hold up to seven times their weight in water, which makes them ideal for drying and wiping. They can also be laundered and reused hundreds of times. My personal preference is to use 2 smaller micro fiber towels when drying. I ring one out as I go and immediately follow with another for a final dry.
Your Two Options for Eliminating Existing Swirls – Polish or Fill
Since Swirl Marks are really fine scratches, there are only two ways to reduce the appearance of them – either polish them out or fill them in. Polishing is really like “micro-sanding” or leveling the surface to blend the high spots in with the low spots using a high-speed rotary buffer. This requires skill and practice, and unless you have experience and skill buffing on a regular basis, I usually recommend hiring a professional since it is easy to ruin your finish without the proper experience, tools and knowledge. For example, the clear coat on today’s finishes is only about as thick as a sheet of paper.
Another option to reduce their appearance is to “fill” them in. This is something that virtually anyone can do, with products especially made just for that purpose. What these specialty waxes actually do is to fill the low spots of the swirl marks to reduce their appearance. Used just like a regular wax, the products will reduce the appearance of swirls, darken and improve the overall appearance of your finish and protect it at the same time! It is often said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure – that is the case here. By using these products you are reducing existing swirl marks and protecting against new ones.
Additional Tips for a Swirl Free Finish
When applying wax on don’t use circular motions – instead just wipe it on lightly and go back and forth, slightly overlapping each stroke. Think or applying wax like painting a wall, a couple of thin coats are better than one thick coating. Use a professional product that is easy on and easy off and doesn’t require undo pressure on the surface. Let the product do the work! Remove the wax the same way – and go easy wiping it off! Always use micro fiber towels and turn them over frequently. Always use clean wax applicators and micro fiber towels in good, clean condition.
Summary
To prevent swirls take care in washing, always use micro fiber towels to dry and wipe, and keep a good coat of wax on your finish. Other than making your finish look great and being easier to clean, wax is great protection against swirls. Wax is the barrier between your finish and the environment. A couple coats of a professional grade carnauba wax will conceal most swirl marks that are already there and help prevent new ones from occurring. And most of all – keep it fun!
About the Author
Scott Ellis is from Jax Wax Distribution Systems and is responsible for distributing Jax Wax Car Care Products retail worldwide. Jax Wax Car Care Products are widely used in commercial businesses such as detail shops, body shops, and auto dealers. Jax Wax is now packaging its products in smaller quantities for the consumer market. You can get fast, commercial quality results by doing the detail work yourself. For more information, go to www.jaxwax.com or call 877-7JAXWAX.
!!!!!!! ITS FRIDAY !!!!! YAY !!!! WHITE & BLACK SWIRLS & DOTS ON RED BACKGROUND
|
|
VISCONTI OPERA CLUB GREEN SWIRL & BLACK BALLPOINT PEN $220.00 |
|
|
Regulus Major Pen in Copper Swirl with Rhodium & Black Titanium / #310 $119.95 |
|
|
Custom, One-of-a-Kind Ebonite Fountain Pen in Dark Green with Black Swirl $79.95 |
|
|
Black Pearl and Orange Swirl Halo Pen with Chrome & Gun Metal Trim #327 $64.95 |
|
|
Swarovski Crystal Black & White Swirl Design Ball Point Pen – NIB $58.95 |
|
|
Libelle New York Epic Black/Ivory Swirl MediumPoint Fountain Pen Mint Condition $50.00 |
|
|
LIBELLE FOUNTAIN PEN NEW IN BOX BLUE/YELLOW/BLACK SWIRL $49.99 |
|
|
Sierra Pen Black Chrome with Purple Swirls Handcrafted $44.95 |
|
|
TONINO LAMBORGHINI PISTON Click-Acton Ballpoint Pen, Black Chrome Swirl $39.95 |
|
|
Fuliwen Black Swirl & Chrome Fountain Pen – 10kt Nib – New $34.99 |
|
|
Hand Made Pen, Blk-Wht Swirl Acrylic, 24K Gold Hardware $27.50 |
|
|
Green & black swirl pen in copper comfort style handturned $25.00 |
|
|
Handcrafted Gun Metal Black Swirl Acrylic Euro Designer Ballpoint Pen $24.50 |
|
|
Brown-Black Swirl Ebonite Presidential Gold Ballpoint Pen $23.95 |
|
|
Handcrafted Gun Metal Black Swirl Acrylic Anelli Ballpoint Pen $22.00 |
|
|
Deskribe Black Swirl Op Art Leather BP Pen NIB $19.99 |
|
|
LAQUER, BLUE WITH BLACK SWIRLS, FOUNTAIN PEN SILVER TRIM FINE NIB 5-3/8 (E2015) $19.00 |
|
|
MONTEFIORE BLUE with BLACK SWIRLS & GOLD ACCENTS, ROLLER BALL PEN (D2083) $12.50 |
|
|
ABSTRACT SWIRL FLAME BLACK & ORANGE-RED ROLLER BALL PEN w/ GOLD METAL FINISH NEW $8.99 |
|
|
BLACK LACQUER w/GREEK SWIRL CAP & CHROME PLATED TRIM EXTRA FINE NIB FOUNTAIN PEN $8.99 |
|
|
CIRCLE SWIRL DESIGN BLACK with GOLD PLATED CAP 22KGP MEDIUM NIB FOUNTAIN PEN NEW $8.99 |
|
|
INTENSITY SWIRL DESIGN BLACK LACQUER w/ GOLD PLATED TRIM 22KGP NIB FOUNTAIN PEN $8.99 |
|
|
Handmade Beautiful Slimline Pen- Acrylic- Red & Black Swirl $8.49 |
|
|
BLACK LACQUER w/GREEK SWIRL CAP & CHROME PLATED TRIM EXTRA FINE NIB FOUNTAIN PEN $7.99 |
|
|
CIRCLE SWIRL DESIGN BLACK with GOLD PLATED CAP 22KGP MEDIUM NIB FOUNTAIN PEN NEW $7.99 |
|
|
WING’S FOUNTAIN PEN BLACK&GREY SWIRLS, GOLD COLOR TRIM, CONVERTER ENCLOSED(D2120 $7.50 |
|
|
BAOER 501 FOUNTAIN PEN ORANGE W/GOLD SWIRL ALONG W/BLACK/RED CROWN IN M-NIB GP $6.99 |
|
|
BLACK & WHITE SWIRL Crystal on Silver Plated Small Pen with BLING!! $4.99 |
|
|
BLACK swirl BLING pen – new – free shipping $3.99 |
|
|
Black Swirl Pen Metal with Rubber covering $2.00 |