The quality and lustre of the exterior paint finish on a Lexus is the product of a devotion to perfection that borders on the obsessive. Obviously, we’d like each Lexus to remain looking as good as the day it left the factory, so we’ve put produced a step-by-step guide on how you can use simple polishing techniques at home to achieve that aim.
Polishing the bodywork of your Lexus is easier than you think, and if you work carefully and methodically, you don’t need to spend lots of money on expensive equipment to get professional results. Polish can remove the tiny imperfections that, over time, can cause paint to appear dull, and polish will also provide a degree of protection.
To discover how you can get the best results with a small investment of time and effort, watch the video below or read on for our step-by-step guide.
How to polish a car
- Before polishing your Lexus, it’s important to get the car as clean as possible. Give it a thorough wash to remove any dirt and grit, rinsing with plenty of clean water. Any residual dirt has the potential to harm the paint during the polishing process.
- Begin hand-polishing by applying a small amount of polish to an applicator pad, and working the polish firmly and uniformly into a manageable section of paint. You should feel the polish spreading and thinning out – continue to work it in without pressing too hard or working too fast.
- Use a clean microfibre cloth to remove the polish, buffing the paintwork to a high sheen. Never let you cloth touch the floor as it could pick up grit that would damage the paint.
- Work methodically around the car in sections rather than trying to polish the whole car in one go. Give yourself plenty of time – rushing won’t deliver the best results, and could end up damaging the paint surface.
The steps above should result in your Lexus looking fantastic and leave its bodywork with some paint protection, but if there are deeper or more noticeable scratches that hand polishing hasn’t removed, the next step is to machine polish the car.
If you don’t have access to a machine polisher or would prefer to leave it to a professional, speak to your local Lexus Centre for their recommendations for a professional automotive detailer. If you are confident to do it yourself, then follow these steps:
- Begin by masking off unsafe areas of the vehicle from the machine polishing process – for example, this may include panel edges, lights and exterior trim.
- Apply a small amount of polish to the machine’s polishing pad and gently work it a manageable section of paintwork using the machine. It’s important to keep the polishing pad level and to work slowly and carefully – too much pressure on the machine could seriously damage the car’s paintwork.
- Finally, remove the polish with a clean microfibre cloth, buffing the paint to a high shine.
To read more Lexus ‘how to’ posts, see the links below:
How to clean leather seats in your Lexus
How to update maps on your Lexus Navigation system
How to update maps on your Lexus Premium Navigation System
