In desperate need of advise!

[impulzive]

I recently washed my car by hand, and when the car was dry, I discovered that the sponge I had used had left noticable sctratches all over my paint..... :/ what to do?

[Red Bread]

Time to get drunk on akevitt and drive it into a fjord!

Seriously, you'll just need to do a full polish, either by hand or machine. Menzerna makes great polishes that you should be able to find locally. You should also start using a second wash bucket, to rinse the sponge before putting it back in your soapy water, this will help avoid putting the swirls back in again.

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by impulzive

I recently washed my car by hand, and when the car was dry, I discovered that the sponge I had used had left noticable sctratches all over my paint..... :/ what to do?

Polish and buff!

You will need some sort of scratch remover to get rid of the scratches. Then you will need to wax or seal the surface.

[gavolant]

Those yellow "dogbone" sponges aren't your best bet, they tend to trap alot of dirt and contaminants which then get drug across your paint. Pick up a lambs wool or microfiber mit.

[Greg@DetailedImage]

Using proper technique with quality products is critical. I'd suggest reading over the Washing and Drying section of our detailing guide. It gives you step by step instructions and tips on how to wash as safely and effectively as reasonably possible. Below are two kits that can help you wash and dry safely.

DI Packages Washing and Drying Basic Kit

DI Packages Washing and Drying Starter Package

As for removing those marks the exact answer depends on far those scratches have gone in to the surface. I'm assuming they are pretty faint so a combination of a light and medium polish should be able to buff them out. I'd highly recommend the polishes from either Menzerna or the Meguiar's ones. Both work great however the Meguiar's ones are far less expensive. Using a buffer to work them is going to be critical to your success. Polishes require more heat, pressure and passes to be worked in properly. I'd highly recommend checking out some of these polishing kits.

DI Packages Porter Cable 7424XP, Meguiar's Polishes and Hydro Pads Starter Kit

DI Packages Porter Cable 7424 XP, Meguiar's Polish and Hydro Pads

DI Packages Porter Cable 7424XP, Menzerna Polishes and Hydro Pads Starter Kit

DI Packages PC 7424XP with M105, M205 and 5.5" pads

All of these kits are very similar in that they give you a medium and light polish to help remove surface imperfections (swirls, oxidation, ultra fine scratches, etc.). After that apply your favorite sealant or wax to protect the paint. If you have any questions please let me know.

[AntonV]

I ditched the mitts last year (mf & lamb) I now strictly use the lc grout sponge from Greg. The uber sponge from phil is great too.

Took some getting used to, but I like the results much better now.