Does Polishing Remove Scratches and Stains/Marks?

Does Polishing Remove Scratches and Stains/Marks?

Yes, it definitely can — but it depends on a few factors like how deep the scratches or stains are and how much clear coat is left on the vehicle.

In this video, we’re working on a 1/20 Acura NSX with rare and delicate paint (long beach blue pearl). You’ll notice visible scratches around the door handles and along the doors themselves. These were successfully removed through a multi-step polishing process. We started with a heavy cut using a more aggressive compound to level the defects, followed by a second polishing round using a softer pad and finishing polish to restore the gloss and clarity.

On the hood, there was some staining — likely from bird droppings, sap, or some kind of acidic contamination. That required a bit more aggressive cutting to correct, but again, the final finish came out flawless after refining it.

The results you get from polishing depend on the type of paint and its color too. For example, scratches show up way more on black paint than they do on white. So with white cars, we can often do a lighter correction without needing to cut as hard. Darker colors typically require more effort to achieve that flawless look.

Another important factor is the thickness of your car’s clear coat. Every time we polish, we’re technically removing a tiny amount of material from the surface. It’s microscopic — we’re talking nano-level thin — but it still matters. That’s why we use a paint gauge beforehand to make sure there’s enough clear coat left to safely correct the surface without compromising the integrity of the paint.

So yes — polishing can absolutely remove swirls, scratches, and stains. It just comes down to how severe the damage is, how much clear coat your car has, and using the right process to get the job done safely.