Swirl Marks in high gloss furniture - repost

[Santiago927]

Hello,

I posted on here a few weeks ago about swirl marks in my high gloss dresser and nightstand (sorry, but original post might have been taken over by spam). It was advised to try a car swirl remover. I picked up a swirl and scratch remover by Turtle Wax, but that did not do the trick. Unfortunately, that did not work. So I have two questions:

Was there a specific swirl remover that is advised?

If not, what would be the next step? This gloss is hyper sensitive, it seems even microfiber clothes are a problem.

As always, thanks in advance for any advice.

[Bob Boardman]

Q: "Was there a specific swirl remover that is advised?"
A: No - there's no one brand. Any swirl mark remover could be used.

Q:"If not, what would be the next step? This gloss is hyper sensitive, it seems even microfiber clothes are a problem."
A: This comment is cause for concern. Microfiber clothes cause scratches indicates a finish that is somewhat soft, or at least not hard and durable. But when a swirl mark remover doesn't remove scratches, that indicates a very hard, durable finish.

Assuming it's a durable finish I'd recommend trying an auto polishing compound, followed by the swirl mark remover. Any brand will do, follow directions on can and use clean rags throughout the process. If this doesn't work use an auto rubbing compound followed polishing compound, followed by the swirl mark remover. Same instructions apply. Let us know how you make out

[Santiago927]

Thank you Bob. I will try that next. Yes, I can see fresh marks from me trying the swirl remover. I'm pretty careful with my stuff so I had a feeling it was in the process of cleaning that I got these marks, trying out the swirl remover and seeing the specific pattern of my motion only confirmed it.

I somewhat understand what you mean by the finish being soft enough to getting light scratches from the microfiber cloth but durable enough that the swirl remover didn't help - does that mean it was possibly not done right?

Also, I want to be clear on the microfiber cloth. It is the type you get at Walmart and feels more like a traditional cloth, although a lot softer. It is not he type of microfiber cloth that used to come with a BlackBerry - the small square you get for wiping your screen. I just want to be clear in case I am using something I shouldn't.

Thanks.

[Bob Boardman]

If the swirl mark remover is leaving light scratches you can try using it again, only this time use a damp (not wet) soft cloth. Start rubbing the entire surface with mild pressure. After you've gone over entire surface, go over the surface again, only this time use just a little pressure. Use a clean, soft, dry cloth to finish. When done apply a coat of furniture or auto wax, apply with clean damp cloth using light pressure. If this doesn't work then try the compounds referenced in last post.

As to whether finished correctly, it's possible but hard to tell. A more common mistake is applying a durable finish over a sift finish, but in that situation you don't really see 'scratches', but instead you see 'dents' - sorta like being able to leave a mark if you push a finger nail into the finish

[Santiago927]

Hi,

I still haven't got around to this, but will do so this week.

I'm going to retry the swirl remover and then wax as recommended. Given the different variations of wax, polishes, etc. just want to be sure this will suffice as a wax: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002SQZQS/re ... B005SRV1PI

I picked this one because the furniture looks like glass. It says cleans, polish and protects. And this is why I want to confirm, everything I see a wax it does more than just wax and I don't want to screw up the instructions.

Thanks,


Santiago

[Bob Boardman]

Santiago
This will be just fine. It's a combo of products (cleaner, wax and glaze) that should do the trick. !*#@ a rule I prefer separate products, but this should be fine. Follow directions - If they say "let dry to a haze" be patient and let it dry to a haze. Good Luck

[Santiago927]

Thanks for confirming. Going to give this a try and hope for the best.

[Santiago927]

The second go at the swirl remover + wax helped somewhat. It's definitely shiny again, but there are still some scratches that are visible. I'm hoping the polishing compound does the trick and can fill those in. I'm going to do some shopping for that in the next few days.

Thanks again for the help so far Bob.

[Bob Boardman]

You can polishing compound at any hardware or auto supply store