Swirl marks are fine, circular scratches in the clear coat. On their own they are shallow, but each one catches light at a slightly different angle, so around a bright reflection — the sun, a street light — they glow as a web of rings.
Dark colours show them first because the paint itself reflects little; the scratches are all you see. Most come from washing: dragging grit across the paint with a dirty mitt, drying with a rough towel, or automatic brush washes.
Polishing levels the clear coat until the scratches are gone. How far that is safe depends on how much clear coat there is, which is why we measure paint depth first.
Sources and further reading
Products and methods change. Ask us before trying something new on your paint. How we write our guidance
