Oxidation: Oxygen is highly reactive. It is just about the only substance that can be made to react with a noble gas. Almost everything oxidizes. And many elements, including light, free ions in water, heat, and salt, act as catalysts for oxidation, worsening the problem. On an automobile, the main oxidation concern is the paint. Most oxidation reactions, such as rusting, produce a material that is rough, hazy, brittle, and generally unappealing to the senses. So it’s gotta go.

If you have a light colored car, especially white, you may see little red spots on it after a while. This is a specific type of oxidation called fallout. Actually it is rust which, as the name implies, falls out of the sky and settles on the vehicle, bonding to the paint due to its acidic nature. Besides being more noticeable, it is similar to oxidized paint.

Oxides tend to be chemically inert, but brittle, so they are most easily removed mechanically as opposed to chemically. There are de-oxidation chemicals on the market, but White Glove recommends against using them as they are strong acids (usually sulfuric or hydrochloric acid) and thus potentially harmful to people and materials such as vinyl, rubber, and chrome. Oxidation can be removed by buffing, but White Glove recommends against it except in extreme cases. The most effective method for removing oxidation is the clay bar.

The best way to prevent oxidation is to keep your automobile waxed at least once a year. Wax creates a protective layer of material that oxidizes preferentially to paint.

Swirls: Swirls are shallow scratches in the paint. They are most noticeable on dark paint, but can easily be seen on lighter ones. They look a lot like spiderwebbing when seen around the sun’s reflection; it takes a trained eye to tell the difference. But unlike spiderwebbing, they can be seen in the shade, cause a significant loss of reflection, and do not line up concentrically. There is a laundry list of causes, including poor buffing, poor use of a clay bar, using dirty towels, driving through dust or snow, and windy days. They can be removed by hand polishing, a service which White Glove gladly provides.

Spiderwebbing: Spiderwebbing is most noticeable on dark paint, especially black. If you look at the paint in the shade, or without looking directly at the sun's reflection, you cannot see it. However, if you look directly at the sun’s reflection, you can see broken concentric circles connected by faint radial lines. This is an optical property of any reflective surface with depth, caused by refraction and wave interference. It is not caused by swirls. In fact, the same phenomenon can be seen with a mirror, or even a shallow pool of water on a smooth, reflective surface (not asphalt). So how do you get rid of it? You must prevent light from penetrating the surface of the paint; only a colored sealant will do this, and White Glove advises against using them (see “Sealants” under Waxes).