A very helpful tip to getting better results while buffing, is to keep the panel clean with water borne cleaner. Compounds and polishes build up on the panel, and can mislead you into thinking the paint is polished more than it actually is. This happens even if you clean it off with a microfiber towel.
The solution is to actually clean the compound or polish off the paint, so you’re only seeing the paint, with no polish on it. Polishes are water based products; which means a water based cleaner needs to be used to clean it off. Use water borne cleaner to keep the panel clean; especially between buffing steps.
First wipe the panel that you’re polishing off with a clean and dry microfiber towel. Then spray the panel with water borne cleaner, and wipe that dry. This will also help polish the paint faster, since you’ll always be buffing on clean paint. (Not built up compound)
