I looked in all the stickies and current threads and found nothing on this topic. It's an easy one, but I want to hear what you guys have to say: I have tiny scratches on my car. You can't feel them and you can only see them in the right light up close. I'm sure they are from washing/drying ("swirl marks", though some are linear). They are hardly visible after a waxing, but what's the best way to remove them and restore the full shine.

 

A clay bar from any of the major manufacturers would work well.

Also, purchase a random orbital buffer if you don't have one. The application stage for any of the products out there, i.e. wax, cleaner, sealant, will be much easier.

 

Claying typically doesn't remove swirl marks. You can get swirl removers (though they don't work all that well or last that long) or a polish with fillers to hide the scratches. A more abrasive polish would be better, most likely.

As bladerunr said, a random orbital could work wonders because it will more evenly apply the products and heat the surface up a little more (not to the point of harm, though). So, in short, try a swirl remover first, then a light polish, then a more abrasive polish, etc, working your way up until you find what works. When you're done, you'll definitely want to seal the paint with wax or polymer sealant.

 

Suppose those tiny, fine scratches, which can only be detected when the light hits them just right, are in the rear passenger window? What would you recommend doing to remove them from glass (or "hide" them")?

 

I'm gonna try the Menzerna Final Polish as recommended here. I have spider webbing too wich is only visible in the garage under the flourescent lighting.