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Hand wax and polish ?
- Thread starter Dolby
- Start date
SaiyanZ
Executive Member
They are not the same.
- Wax is for protecting the paint against the elements. Some waxes help hide swirls by filling so they also give the paint more gloss.
- Polish is for removing swirls. They don't provide protection. Their only job is to smooth out the paint to make it look good. Some have oils to condition the paint as well. This is not protection though.
You get products that do both jobs at once, but using a polish only and wax only product will always be the best.
- Wax is for protecting the paint against the elements. Some waxes help hide swirls by filling so they also give the paint more gloss.
- Polish is for removing swirls. They don't provide protection. Their only job is to smooth out the paint to make it look good. Some have oils to condition the paint as well. This is not protection though.
You get products that do both jobs at once, but using a polish only and wax only product will always be the best.
Polishing refers to using a fine compound to abrade the paint. It will remove a thin layer of oxidized paint.
I dont think you are in danger of swirl marks if you do it by hand - I polished by hand and didnt get any swirl marks.
My tips - read up on polishing and waxing before you buy or do anything. You can buy machine polishers, but these increase the danger of damage to your paint. Correctly used, they can save you lots of time and effort though.
If you do want to polish and wax by hand, buy good quality stuff. I tried Rally's car wax - it just doesnt work. Used Meguiar's polish, my only complaint was that it dried too quickly.
Your general method would be to wash the car first, use a clay bar if necessary (to remove stubborn stains), then apply polish, remove polish, then wash again, then wax. Generally you polish one section of the car at a time (same with waxing actually), and its a good idea to put masking tape over anything that is not car body paint. That also applies to both polishing and waxing.
I dont think you are in danger of swirl marks if you do it by hand - I polished by hand and didnt get any swirl marks.
My tips - read up on polishing and waxing before you buy or do anything. You can buy machine polishers, but these increase the danger of damage to your paint. Correctly used, they can save you lots of time and effort though.
If you do want to polish and wax by hand, buy good quality stuff. I tried Rally's car wax - it just doesnt work. Used Meguiar's polish, my only complaint was that it dried too quickly.
Your general method would be to wash the car first, use a clay bar if necessary (to remove stubborn stains), then apply polish, remove polish, then wash again, then wax. Generally you polish one section of the car at a time (same with waxing actually), and its a good idea to put masking tape over anything that is not car body paint. That also applies to both polishing and waxing.
Very good advise. I also used the Meguairs Polish and wax and it works like a charm. I also did it by hand. It takes a while to do it all but the results are well worth it. What car do you drive Dolby? What colour is it? Some colours show better results than others. White cars normally do not have the same feel good factor afterwards as say black would give you...
would this not remove the polish you just put on??
my routine is
wash - 2 bucket method
dry - waffle weave cloth
wax - applicator and mf towel
then every couple of months
wash
clay (if necessary)
rinse
dry
polish
wax
obviously get quality products
megs is good enough to do a decent job, but by no means the best
the initial outlay can add up to quite a bit, but if you offset that with cost of a carwash you can save in the long run
head over to crazydetailer and order some of the kits they have
also they have tons of info on the website
the kits are cool, since it takes out the guesswork of what products to get and will help getting a good base kit to which you can add in the future
a karcher hp washer is also a good investment if you intend never going to a car wash again
You're supposed to remove the polish. Its the wax that needs to stay on.
Polish is just a fine rubbing compound that is mildly abrasive. Its not there to coat your car and protect it, its there to remove gunk and old oxidized paint, before you remove it yourself. Think of it like extra strength soap, although the analogy is not quite accurate.
Wax, however, must stay on your car, since it protects your paint.
SaiyanZ
Executive Member
Polishes are made to remove paint. That's the definition of polish. It's purpose is to remove scratches, swirls and oxidized paint by slowly cutting through the top layer of paint to leave a smooth finish.
ISP cash cow
Executive Member
damn not the thread I thought it was... 
My car got polished about 3 months ago and when it came back it looked like a new car. I had gotten so used to the dullish off-white colour I got a shock when it came back bright white and shiny.
Every time a car gets a polish my reaction is the same, it's like wow
My car got polished about 3 months ago and when it came back it looked like a new car. I had gotten so used to the dullish off-white colour I got a shock when it came back bright white and shiny.
Every time a car gets a polish my reaction is the same, it's like wow
How often should a car be polished? Especially if a machine is used?
Not that often as it takes off paint, prevention is better than cure. Every couple of years should not be to bad though.
Dolby
Honorary Master
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I've got a blue Volvo C30.
But in the light, I can see swirl marks on teh bonnet ... I'd like to get that mirror effect. I know detailing would do it - but R1,500.00, not having my car for the weekend AND they're usually far from puts me off a little.
I wasn't sure if a polish or wax would be better ... but it appears they work together.
But in the light, I can see swirl marks on teh bonnet ... I'd like to get that mirror effect. I know detailing would do it - but R1,500.00, not having my car for the weekend AND they're usually far from puts me off a little.
I wasn't sure if a polish or wax would be better ... but it appears they work together.
9.5 out of ten times you'd cause swirls because everyone here forgot to mention the most important tool, which is a 100% pure , i repeat, pure microfibre cloth each for washing,paint clean ,polish and wax. Hell even for the windows you will need a microfibre cloth. Its not an easy thing at all, will take you at least 5 hours to get your cars paint clean and protected, so invest in a quality machine. One good point from rodga was the 2 bucket method, im so careful i use three.
No, it's polish, then seal and then wax. Ideally the polish leaves little or no remnants on the paint work, but rather a really clean surface. That is either glazed (filling small imperfections) and then sealed or, on a newer paint/clearcoat job, you can skip the glaze step and just polish followed by sealing. Wax is simply a protective layer and can be "topped up" regularly. If you waxed before sealing, then the sealant wouldn't have anything to bond to and would just wipe off.
TheMightyQuin
Not amused...
What does Mr Miyagi say?