How to restore faded paintwork by hand

It’s extremely common that if a car exterior is left without protection, may that be a car wax or ceramic coating, that the paintwork fades over time. This can be prevented entirely by adding a layer of wax or ceramic coating the day that you buy the car and keep up with maintenance. But if not, how can we make the paintwork look as good as new if left years without proper care and protection?

 

In this blog article, we will go over the most important steps you need to take to restore a car’s paintwork. 

 

Decontaminating the exterior 

Start off by spraying the car down with a pressure hose. Then apply and lather up a layer of soap onto the car before washing it down again. You can do this by either using a foam cannon or grabbing a bucket of soapy water. To remove the built-up dirt effectively, grab a microfiber wash mitt and in circular movements wash down the exterior working from the top to the bottom. Rinse then dry the exterior. 

 

Paint correction

From here on we will be working on paint correction. For this step you will need the following products:

1. A color and clarity restorer 

This removes paint defects, scratches, water spots without causing any scratches and is safe for use on a clear coat and single-stage paints.

 

1. Hybrid ceramic spray 

After cleansing the exterior, it’s necessary to add a layer of protection, in this case, a layer of ceramic coating. This product enhances the exterior creating a glossy, reflective layer that also protects against chemicals, contaminants, and watermarks. 

The color and clarity restorer will remove the oxidized clear coat. This product restores the paintwork as it decontaminates the exterior allowing us to later go in with a Ceramic Coating or wax. 

Apply this product onto a microfiber applicator to spread the compound on the surface in a circular motion and apply medium pressure to remove the oxidized layer. Buff off the compound with a microfiber towel and you’re ready for the next step.

From here grab the hybrid ceramic spray and apply it to the exterior. Shake the bottle before spraying the product directly onto the exterior and wipe with a microfiber towel. 

 

To maintain your newly ceramic coated car we recommend that you wash the exterior every week with a waterless spray. We suggest that you keep both a microfiber towel and spray in your car in case of bird droppings. For all must know maintenance tips to keep the ceramic coating in top condition head over to this blog article. 

 

For our top tips on how to remove them effectively with our waterless spray and hybrid ceramic coating → https://fr.onyxcoating.com/how-to-remove-bird-droppings-from-car-body-paintwork/