How to remove streaks from rubbing compound?

Originally Posted by ChrisSlicks

Yes, they are all abrasive to a greater or lesser extent based on their purpose. Think of it like sanding, you start with the coarse grit to get the hard work done (removing material) and then you work your way down to the finer grits to remove the marks caused by the course sanding.

You could try some swirl/haze remover by hand but it will take a lot of elbow grease, the results from a machine polisher will always be the best.

Originally Posted by SouthArk370Z

Use a clay bar before doing any polishing with rubbing compound (or any thing else). You may have drug some embedded dirt around when using the rubbing compound. Other than using the clay to remove all dirt, go with what others have said about polishing.

And, yes, machine buffing/polishing is sooooooo much easier and usually ends up doing a better job since you aren't as worn out near the end of the job. But there is a certain "Zen" to hand polishing.

Edit: As stated by others, all polishes and rubbing compounds are abrasive. The comparison to sandpaper is very accurate. Rubbing compound is relatively coarse and polishes are very fine. Something called "swirl and haze remover" is probably somewhere in between.