One-Step Polishes

One-step polishes cut and finish with the same product, so paint with light to moderate swirls can be improved and brought to a gloss in one machine stage instead of a compound followed by a polish. The range is CarPro Fixer, Sonax Cut+Finish, Koch-Chemie One Cut & Finish P6.02, Rupes Uno Protect and Dunking Biscuit Gleam.

How to choose

• Protection or bare paint: Koch-Chemie P6.02 and Rupes Uno Protect add a sealant, so the paint is protected when you finish.
• The pad sets the balance: a cutting pad gives more correction, a finishing pad more gloss, and One-Step Pads sit between the two.
• Paint condition: deep scratches and heavy swirls still need Heavy Cut Compounds and a finishing stage, as a one-step improves them rather than removing them. For paint with only light marks, All-in-One Polishes have less cut and are quicker to work.

Good to know

If a ceramic coating goes on next, use a polish without added sealant and wipe each panel with Panel Wipe & IPA before coating.

What is the difference between a 1-step and a 2-step polish?

A two-step correction uses a compound to cut out the defects, then a finishing polish to take out the haze it leaves. A one-step polish cuts and finishes with the same product in one machine stage, which suits light to moderate swirls. Deep scratches and heavy swirls still need both steps.

Related: Compounds & Polishes, All-in-One Polishes, Medium Cut Compounds, Finishing Polishes. Popular brands here: CarPro, Koch-Chemie, Rupes, Sonax.