Clear Coat Removal VS. Clear Coat Preservation-Which is Best?
Removing scratches is impossible without removing clear coat! This is going to be an in-depth look at clear coat removal, so hang on tight!
If you've never thought about this, that's fine. As a car owner, you just want your vehicle detailed and trust the pro to handle it. This debate happens a lot in detailing circles—let's look at it from a fact-based, customer-first view instead of a detailer's bias.
I've been detailing since the late 90s at dealerships and now run Wax On Wax Off Pro Detailing in Hanover, PA. Back then, clear coat was thick, hard, and full of scratches from daily use. A basic wash cleaned it; most time went to heavy buffing. Today's clear coat is thin and soft—multi-step chemical cleaning is needed, but light polishing makes it shine brightly and is usually sufficient.
Cars now easily last 200,000+ miles and 12+ years. Thirty years ago, no one worried about clear coat lasting because vehicles rarely exceeded 100,000 miles. Modern clear coat is expected to hold up about 10 years before UV blockers are mostly gone.
Total paint thickness (primer + base + clear) averages 130–150 microns—roughly the thickness of a Post-it note. Clear coat is about 40% of that: 35–50 microns, similar to cigarette-pack cellophane folded double.
Two main views exist:
Scratches are the enemy → remove as many as possible (aggressive "paint correction").
Environment (UV, chemicals, dirt, oxidation) is the real threat → preserve as much clear coat as possible; scratches are normal like wrinkles.
"Paint correction" (a term that exploded in early 2000s forums) usually means heavy polishing to remove scratches and maximize gloss. The more you polish, the more clear coat you remove—not just scratches, but actual material. It's like sanding wood: lower the surface so defects disappear. On wood, losing 1/16 inch is nothing. On clear coat, losing 5 microns is significant.
Research for body shops suggests removing up to 25% of clear coat (8–12.5 microns) over the vehicle's life is acceptable. That top 25% contains most UV blockers and the hardest layer. Heavy "correction" (5–10+ microns at once) or multiple sessions can quickly burn through that protection. Wet sanding removes even more. Body shops do not have the right perspective on clear coat removal. The least amount, if any clear coat should be removed.
Scratches aren't always visible to the naked eye—especially swirl marks from improper washing, automatic car washes, or neglect. My intense lights show far more than sunlight ever will. If you don't see them in normal light, they're not hurting appearance. Detailers often show you or explain that your paint is all scratched up. You didn't know. They sell you extra polishing services that cost "X". If you trust them as a detailer and you want to accept their recommendation, then go for it! Most people don't normally see what's there unless they are taught to see them. Most also generally accept that scratches are there and they happen. It is what it is.
Clear coat has a natural lifespan. It starts degrading the moment it cures. Polishing accelerates that by removing material. Ceramic coatings (only 2–3 microns thick) can't replace lost clear coat—they only slow further damage. If you remove 5–10 microns before coating, the remaining clear coat is softer, thinner, and more prone to new scratches. You'll likely need another coating in 3–7 years, and more scratches will appear.
Most customers I ask don't notice scratches—they just see dirt and want shine. YouTube pushes "scratch-free" paint as mandatory. But unless the scratches are deep and obvious, removing every one often costs more clear coat life than it's worth. A house with a faulty foundation won't last long unless it is fixed. The foundation of clear cost is not on the bottom, it's on the top. That top 10 microns is the most dense, strongest, and best part. The more you remove the weaker it becomes. You may say, "but a coating is being put on it". Yes, but is the clear coat still not been made thinner and therefore lost some density? Yes! I have a lot of confidence in the coatings that I use, but I still believe that a coating on top of fully intact clear coat is absolutely superior to a coating minus 3 to 10 microns.
Bottom line: if you want maximum scratch removal, we can do it—I'll charge accordingly. But for most people, preserving the clear coat while achieving great gloss is smarter long-term. Trust the detailer who's actually looking at your car, not a generic video. Don't do what YouTube detailers you don't know say. Listen to the one standing in front of you.
Tug Bankert-Owner/Operator of Wax On Wax Off Detailing Since 2013
Detailer since 1999
Opti-Coat Podcast Host since a few weeks ago
Idiot since birth
Dad since 2011
Husband since 2009
This wasn't Ai, by the way. It was all me.