It can take quite a bit of buffing to get paint looking just right. With all the buffing, compound or polish can build up on the paint. This can cause two things to happen.
- Scratches become harder to buff out when there's compound built up on the paint. You're not technically buffing on just the paint, so it can take more work to achieve a great polish and remove all scratches.
- The paint can look misleading. Compound and polish can fill some scratches and swirls, possibly making the paint look nicer than it actually is.
What's the remedy? Using rubbing alcohol. Compound and polish are both removed by water based cleaners, and that's what rubbing alcohol is. After a couple passes and applications of compound, spray the area down with the alcohol and wipe it off good to remove all compound or polish. This will show you exactly what the paint really looks like, and will help make the buffing a little easier. 70% isopropyl alcohol works great
**Be careful!! While spraying the alcohol on and wiping it off right away doesn't hurt anything, it can melt into the paint if you let it sit on the paint, or let a rag with alcohol in it laying on the paint.