| I have to assume by your description which products you used.  I'm assuming you are using Meguiar's Deep Crystal 3-step system, and the paint cleaner was the step 1 and the polish was the step 2.  Am I right? The answer is: the "swirl-free" appearance you saw won't last very long, and the reason why is neither of those products actually remove swirls.   The step one paint cleaner is a chemical cleaner, it doesn't really have swirl-removing capability because it contains no abrasives.  Its good for removing surface oxidation and stuff like that.    The step two polish you used is actually a glaze.  It has a very high oil content which gives your paint the nice glow/gloss/depth.  But glazes just FILL swirls, they don't remove them.  That step 2 polish has a very slight abrasive level, if at all.   So the step 2 isn't that useful for actual swirl removal either. Applying the wax as a last step will help lock in the protection for a while.  But once the oils from the step 2 polish start to evaporate and wash off, your swirls will reappear. The only way to truly remove the swirls is to step up to a more agressive polish. 
Z-Jay  Vice President - Edmonton Z Car Club 93 300ZX TT - Stage VI   
 
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