Guide for everybody who would like to learn more about car waxing and car polishing.
Do you know that some manufacturers mix up the terms car polishing and car waxing? Waxing a car over a bad paint finish will just seal in the imperfections and will not enhance the appearance of the paint so car waxing is a final finishing job.
Car polishing process
is different than waxing. Polishing process is more harmful than waxing. UV Rays, scratches, dings, wear scars, as well as insect or bug marks, road chemicals, dirt or oxidation can degrade the finish on your car. Bright colored cars such as blue, red or yellow seem to be much more susceptible to sunlight degradation than other colors and the paint turns into dull colors.
Polish is usually abrasive but wax is a non abrasive substance which protects the paint finish and fills in the small nicks or scratches from keys, scrapes in car parks or other insignificant defects and help to keep your car shiny. There are many manufacturers who offer over hundreds of different professional car polishers.
BuyCarWax.net experts recommend you to draw your attention on:
- Meguiars G110 Dual Action Polisher
- Flex XC 3401 VRG Dual Action Orbital Polisher
- DeWalt 849 Variable Speed Polisher
- FLEX L3403 VRG Lightweight Circular Polisher
- Makita 9227C Circular Polisher
But which is the best car waxes on the market you may ask? Well, it depends on many different factors. There are a lot of reputable car waxes are available, but let us recommend you the following:
- Meguiar’s Gold Class Liquid Car Wax
- Turtle Wax Platinum Extra Gloss
- Mothers 07240 California Gold Clay Bar Paint Saving System
The main trick is to determine what your auto needs – car waxing or car polishing. But if you eager to prepare the finish of your vehicle like a professional just read our guide.
To begin, we need to figure how just how dirty the car is. If all it is dust that has accumulated due to driving, then the vast majority of it can be removed by blowing it with air. The job can be done by a small compressor that plugs into a 110 volt outlet. As a precaution, buy and air blower that’s got a rubber tip so you won’t scratch the surface if you bump it on accident.
Never do car waxing or car polishing on the direct sun. Your garage would be the best place for it. Your best bet is to detail inside if space allows since the wind outside if very likely to blow the dust back on it. The second step is buying tack rags. The top brand of cloth will not leave any residue on the cleaning surfaces like others do.
It works best if the tack cloth is unfolded so it is puffy and covers your entire hand span and extends it by about 1/2 inch. As you gently wipe the vehicle this ensures all of the dust is lifted off it. These cloths are the best for pre-paint cleaning. Let the cloth do the work instead of your back and arms. Allow it to glide without using pressure. Stroke 2-4 times long and straight, just before turning over cloth to the clean side. Continue doing this until the entire car is wiped. Polishing cloths made by Dupont, Sunshine are very soft and effective cloths, with special non-scratch micro-abrasives.
Make sure you squeeze the extra water from the cloths so that the cloth is soaked but does not drip. Once you wring the water out, the cloth should not drip, or it will leave spots on the finish as well as water streaks. Turn the rag often to a clean side, which is the same way as the tack rag, use long strokes as well. If you wash your car by hand or take it to a car wash, your finish will sustain some scratches. While invisible in the bright sunlight, dim light reveals the fine scratches caused by washing with a soapy bucket of water. Due to the amount of moisture on the towel, good cloths will pick up the dirt easily.
Until your project is finished, turn the cloths on a clean area at regular intervals. It might be necessary to use more than 2 different towels or wipes. Folding them half an inch thick similar to the tack cloth is ideal and keeping wiping and turning to a fresh side till the cloth doesn’t pick up more dirt. Do not use water to rinse out, and use the same cloth so as to avoid scratching the surface. Masking off all emblems, moldings, and body gaps after the car is completely clean will keep polish and/or wax from seeping into crevices which can be difficult to remove. Just spread it on using your left hand and push it in to place, guiding it with your right hand. If you are left handed you should reverse this step.
Remember that this does not last as long as wax does and the excess is wiped of much easier than extra wax is. The minimum amount is put on to the cloths. Apply the stain with as little pressure as possible, in a circular motion. You’ll soon observe how easy it is for material can get embedded into the cracks of the molding or emblem compared to protected areas that were taped off.
Try to wipe this with the dry cloth till residue disappears. The paint is going to show you a gorgeous reflection. Buffing by hand takes longer but if you are not using a power buffer, it is your only option. The same way for applying the other methods is repeated here. This also buffs out a nice finish, which then requires glazing to complete it. Tires, like paint, require pre-cleaning. When you are cleaning, rub in a downward motion to the place close to the treads using the same cloths you used on the paint surface.
To have a real show car you will need to take off the tires and clean the inside and the outside of each of the treads before you do anything else. No detail is too small for attention, and just one example is that for a show, after detailing the tires, wrap them in plastic and once the car is unveiled at the show, cut the plastic away so every groove of the tire treads would be perfect. Tire gel should be put on in an even surface with a foam block applicator given the porous nature of tires. To remove the residue wipe with a dry rag. If it is required you can touch it up.
Following these car waxing or car polishing suggestions will bring you the best results. If you work conscientiously it will take you no more than a couple of hours to accomplish car waxing or car polishing with an average vehicle. To sum up, wax a car every 3-6 months and polish the car only when the paint becomes dull by following our recommendations listed above.
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Excellent tips on how to do it right. Plus I now feel like I know exactly the difference between car waxing and car polishing. We’ve been fans of Meguiar’s for years, so it’s been our go to product for both.
Thanks for posting this thorough and extremely easy to follow guide. After years of driving clunkers to save money, I finally got my first new car and have been looking to learn more about taking good care of it. This is very helpful.
.-= Kevin@Tires on Sale´s last blog ..Tires on Sale =-.
This is a very informative post on polishing and waxing cars. I actually never really thought about the difference between the two until now. I’ll heed the advice and apply it. Thanks for the info & keep it coming!
.-= ed@Blizzaktires.net´s last blog ..Professional Review =-.
I was using carnauba wax earlier and it takes atleast 3 hours to finish the waxing. But later i started using the synthetic wax which is available in liquid state. This actually helped me to do it much faster than the traditional waxing
.-= James@Double Din Navigation´s last blog ..Car PC Software =-.
I made a mistake waxing my car outdoor. Thank you for the advice.
Really a lot of advise here. Definitely I will bring these things into practice since i think i need to take care of my Car.
regards Royal
Good info. It’s so important to keep my vehicles looking nice, especially in my business! Thanks!
Very pleased I came across your blog. I usually spend hours on my car to make it look very well polished and I can never get it right. Will definately use your tips you have here. Thanks
Wow..very good and informative post. I really didn’t knew the difference between waxing and polishing, but now I know. I think polishing is enough for me.
Hmm I don’t think I will be able to “do it like a pro”
I don’t think i will find these products in my country 
usefull topic ! Thank you very much, we can name it also “the art of polishing your car”
I have a Red Mitsubishi Magna 1999 it is a old car but in good condition. I do polish the car but was not able to do it like pro. The info provided in this post will help to get my car waxed like a pro
Thanks for the tips here. If I can get my car to gleam half as good as that Alfa Romeo I will be more than happy! Thanks for this.
You’re right that many manufacturers do mix up the terms waxing and polishing and it’s on purpose since the marketing department will have researched which term will sell more products. The manufacturers know what they are selling and are depending upon the consumer to buy something that will make their car “shiny and new” again regardless of what is in their product.
Just a note about waxing. Be sure your car’s paint surface is completely debris-free before applying a wax. You don’t want to trap and contaminants to the surface. Sometimes, this will mean you will need to clay the car. This can be a laborious process, but well worth the effort if you want a professional finish. On a cautionary note, always be very careful when using a rotary tool to apply wax or polish to a paint surface. If you allow too much heat to build up, you can easily burn through the clear coat. Pay attention and make sure you are using the right products!
.-= James@fingernail polish holder´s last blog ..Where to Buy Nail Polish Display Rack =-.
Do I have to polish my car before waxing it?
Should you reuse cloth after waxing your car?
However we do car waxing, it won’t get that much perfection that a professional do.
I use the Meguiars Gold Class and love it. Over the years I’ve tried many different waxes, but this one really brings out the depth and beauty of the paint.
Thanks for this great article. I’ve always wondered how I can make my car look shiny and new.