Difference between wax and polish?

Hi all,

Just a small question (might be a silly one but was just wondering)

Are polish and wax the same thing or are they both different products?
and
If they are different products what are the benefits of each and should I use both or stick to only one?


Thanks!

Just found the following in the garage:

Turtle Wax - Zip Wax wash & wax
Turtle Wax - Metallic car wax
Autoglym - Super Resin Polish
Autoglym - Extra Gloss Protection


The Zip Wax I suppose is just a shampoo (which I have used and makes the car nice a sparkly)

I have used Autoglym super Resin Polish before but I'm not sure what the others are.
Is the Metallic car wax from Turtle wax the same as the Autoglym Super resin Polish? Or are they different, apply one and then apply thee other over it? What about the Extra Gloss Protection? Does that replace one of them or does it have to be used along with everything else?

Should be washing my car 2morrow and I've no idea what to use

A polish is a compound that cuts into the paint to take back the surface so that it reveals the nice fresh paint underneith. Most polishes are very mild but still should not be used every time you wash the car.

A wax is a coating you apply to the surface of the paint. Kind of acts as a barrier but also gives the paintwork a lovely shine. can be used everytime you wash the car and is ideal to use after polishing.

I would polish maybe 2-3 times a year depending on the car and situation. Washing/waxing is perfectly capable at keeping a car looking new without polishing every week. Weekly polishing will eventually damage your paint as each time you polish, it takes a tiny fraction of the paint surface away and eventually you will end up polishing through the clear coat, which isnt good

Turtle Wax - Zip Wax wash & wax

Correct, this is a shampoo but also has a waxy type aditive in it. Will give good results but not as good as applying a proper coat of wax after using this.

Turtle Wax - Metallic car wax

I dont know the product but would assume is a wax rather than a shampoo combination. Probably a wipe on wipe off style product. best to read the label for directions.

Autoglym - Super Resin Polish

A very good polish. Can be used to restore faded paintwork areas and can even remove oxidisation. apply with a slighly damp polishing cloth and work into the area. Leave to dry for a few minutes and then remove with a dry microfibre/polishing cloth.

Autoglym - Extra Gloss Protection

Again, not sure on the exact product but is probably a type of wax to be applied after washing/polishing.

Thanks that clears things up

Before I found these products in the garage I was under the impression that polish and wax were the same thing . At least now I know that they are completely different!

yep worth knowing.

before you polish your car wash and dry it to remove any grit.

out of that list the 2 i would use would be the Autoglym Super resin polish first.

as Bushboy says its a very mild abrasive work in small areas at a time and rub and rub and rub once an area is treated let it dry to a haze and rub it off (you dont need much if you get a lot of white dust you've used too much.)

The AG Extra gloss protection is a synthetic sealant this seals the clean paintwork (after polishing) which is worth putting on 2 coats (it best left to cure for an hour after you wipe it on (minimum quantity again as per teh dust above and make it easyer to remove)

Guess my dad used too much then cos he got plenty of white dust ... almost looks like someone's been hiding illegal substances in weird places

Will make sure to use the minimum possible on my baby. Thanks again for your help

Make sure you keep both products off Black textured plastics as its next to impossible to remove Ive taken to using masking (scotch 3434) tape now.... It takes less time to mask the black trim than it does to clean it off only to see it re-appear once the trim blacking chemical washes off..

if your getting that much dust daddys using WAY too much you shouldn't get any dust (You will get a little bit off the SRP) especially off the Extra gloss protection as the dust is just wasted product that hasnt bonded to the paint...

worth checking out http://detailersworld.com/ for some indepth advice on this. basic wash method should be this:

- Pre-rinse
- wash with two bucket method
- dry
* clay bar
* polish
- sealant
* wax

steps I marked * can be missed. this would be my FULL detail when the car was a complete mess. I would only clay if the car hadnt been washed for a long time or was particularly bad condition. I polsih roughly once a month, and wax I do when I can still be bothered/can still feel my arms

Ahaaa...best to get started then before the summer kicks in. I can't imagine myself going through that whole process (without the clay bit, since car's paint is still quite good so far) in a temperature of 35 degrees celsius .

God bless the cold winter months....


Thanks for all the help and info guys (and gals if any of you are female). I'm sure my car will appreciate your help too

Just returned from the garage (after 4 hours of slavery) and I must say I am one happy gal!

I rinsed thoroughly with a garden hose (noticed that water was beading on the surface, but not as well as it did a while ago).
Then I shampooed with Turtle Wax Zip Wax Car Wash and rinsied again with the hose.
Dried the car with a real leather chamois and drove it into the garage where no sun could interfere with the rest of the process.
Polished with Autoglym Super Resin Polish (got no dust ) and then followed with a thin coating of Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection. Whilst that set and worked its magic I cleaned the wheels, and applied Autoglym Bumper Care to both bumpers, arches and any other plastic bits.
Buffed off the Extra Gloss Protection with a microfibre cloth and applied a coating of Turtle Wax Metallic Car Wax (the liquid type). Whilst that dried I cleaned the interior and then started to buff off the wax - and boy did that take forever!

stumac1985 you were right ... I could barely feel my arms after all that and will definitely be missing out some of the above steps for a few months to come and just stick to a basic shampoo, drying with a chamois and buffing with a microfibre cloth after.

I'm super happy with the result though, I can really see a difference in the paint. It's much more vibrant and shiny than before and even though it felt smooth before ... it feels ultra silky to the touch now .

Thanks again for all you help and advice!

Will upload photos later today of the shiniest car in the street

This is her:

Looks great

i wouldn't mess about with a shammy just dry it with a microfiber cloth instead.

Then again been in Malta your just lucky its close to 5^C here and too cold to be waxing the car

To keep the shine topped up have a hunt for AutoGlym Aqua Wax its a new product so might not have got to Malta yet

http://www.elitecarcare.co.uk/produc...ab1441567ef00a

its safe on all plastics and glass (keep off the windscreen though) its expensive in the retail pack £12uk for 500ml but you can get 5 ltrs for £35uk

http://www.elitecarcare.co.uk/produc...roducts_id=333

I usually go over the car with a microfiber cloth after drying with a shammy ... sort of got used to using it (after 2 years of washing my ex's car twice a week).

Temperature here is currently 17 degrees in the sun and 13 degrees in shade. The worst the car could experience in winter here is hail ... a few weeks ago I stood behind my office window looking at largish balls of hail hit the streets and my car parked on the opposite end of the road getting beaten up .

I did hunt around for Aqua wax but it seems as though it hasn't reached out stores yet (or at least the stores I visited) . Will keep checking the car care sections every now and then though