Paint scratches and swirl marks: where do they come from and how are they removed?
The circles that show up on the car in the sun are called swirl marks, and the cause is usually bad washing. The fix is not a respray: it is polishing and paint correction, then protection and proper washing so they do not come back.
A car shines in the shade, and the moment it stands in the sun it looks covered in circular lines like a spider's web. These are paint swirl marks, and almost every car that is washed the usual way has some.
What are paint swirl marks?
They are very fine scratches in the transparent clear coat that sits above the colour. Not in the colour itself. They show as circles because light reflects off these thousands of tiny scratches from every direction.
And because they are only in the clear coat, they come out without a respray.
Where do paint swirl marks come from?
From anything that moves dust across the paint:
- One towel or sponge for the whole car: the dust collects in it and rubs against the paint like sandpaper.
- Automatic brush car washes.
- Drying with a rough towel, or wiping dust off dry.
- Cheap polishes that contain abrasives.
How are wash scratches removed?
By polishing and paint correction: a machine and a compound remove a very thin layer of the clear coat until the scratches disappear and the depth of the colour returns.
This is work that needs an experienced hand. The clear coat has a limited thickness, and what is taken off does not come back. So only the minimum that solves the problem should be removed, and no more.
Our polishing and paint correction is EGP 2,000. We work with Koch-Chemie and Rupes products, and we check the paint under Scangrip lighting. The details are on the polishing and paint correction page.
Does polishing remove every scratch?
No. The rule of thumb: if your fingernail catches in the scratch, it is most likely deeper than the clear coat, and polishing will reduce it but will not remove it.
Swirl marks and light wash scratches are the ones that come out.
How do I stop swirl marks coming back?
Correction brings the paint back to how it was, but the same bad washing will bring back the same swirl marks. You need two things:
- Protection after correction: a nano ceramic or graphene coating stops dust from clinging, so washing takes less effort and less friction.
- Proper washing: a rinse with plenty of water first, a mild shampoo and a clean microfibre towel.
Bear in mind that nano ceramic does not prevent scratches, it reduces their causes. What actually stops scratches is paint protection film (PPF).
The washing method in detail is in care after protection, and what nano ceramic does and does not do is in nano ceramic, honestly.
