The problem with being a pro painter/builder is that the products we choose to use are typically bought in a size or volume that don’t make sense for a hobby one-off project. Here are 2 products I use to clean paint before applying more paint. This is usually done between paint layers to get rid of fingerprints or sanding dust. They have to be very mild and compatible with the paints being used. The 1st product is petroleum based but barely. It is designed to not disturb paint. Most thinners and reducers will soften or partly dissolve already applied paint. The House of Kolor cleaning product is water based and designed to be compatible with their paint line. This is what I use when cleaning decals because even mild petroleum based products might bother decals.
Most car paint polishes are designed for modern paints designed to harden by chemical action. Well at least the top clear coats are polyurethane enamel. A hardener is put into the clear just before spraying and there is a time window before it will then harden into a solid mass. Not cleaning out the spray gun right after painting can be a real problem. If I get some kind of blemish in my final clears I use these 3 polishes in succession after sanding the surface with very fine sand paper. BTW, I sand with progressively finer sandpapers as well before going to the polishers. They work best in combination. They vary in the coarseness of their abrasives so you start with a coarser polish and work your way through them until using one designed to give a high polish. It has taken me a long time to figure out which ones to use in combination to provide a very high and clear result. In other words without a milky look. By sanding and then using a series of polishers, one can take a paint job with surface issues (like when using a rattle can) and make it look professional.
The strongest petroleum based paint product I use is lacquer thinner.I use this by the gallon for gun cleanup and any time I’m removing grease from metal.It is what I have in abundance so that is why I use it.Sometimes when grease or tar or similar is really attached to a frame, I will wipe it down with lacquer thinner but I have to be really careful because it will dissolve or damage the paint I’m trying to clean.
Mild paint cleaners
polishers to remove blemishes in modern clear coats.