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Automotive > The Difference Between a Car Polish and a Car Wax - A Primer for the Car Enthusiast
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Article rating : 0.00, 0 votes. Author : Dean Fueroghne
There's a lot of confusion about the difference between a car polish and a car wax.
Car Polish and Car Wax seem to have become interchangeable terms lately. Adding to the confusion, some manufacturers even call their product a polish when in reality it is a wax. No wonder many people think of car polish the same way they think of furniture polish, or nail polish - something that's applied and leaves a shiny surface.
However, there is a huge difference between the two when it comes to automotive paint and paint protection.
Using a car polish is like buffing a fingernail. The abrasives in a nail buffing cream remove dead cells and ridges from your nail and leave it clean, smooth, and …yes…shiny. A true car polish works the same way, by abrasion. Because of its abrasive properties, a polish is very good at removing scratches and swirl marks. It also conditions the paint, eliminates light oxidation, and creates a high gloss not possible with car wax alone. It’s also important to note that a true, pure polish leaves nothing behind on the surface.
Also keep in mind that since polish is an abrasive, it's important not to overuse it. I know a few car enthusiasts who only use polish on their vehicles. I wouldn’t recommend this. An occasional once-over, plus some spot treatments for minor scratches or swirl marks may be all you really need.
A car wax is completely different. Back to our fingernail analogy, a nail polish, though it’s called a polish, in reality works more
like a wax. It imparts its properties onto your nail, thus enhancing the shine, and protecting it. In the same way, a car wax leaves behind a layer of material which then brings out the depth of shine in your paint as it protects your paint's finish from oxidation and harmful road debris.
Therefore, a good polish needs to be followed by a good coat of wax for added shine and protection.
We here at Stuf Products like Carnauba wax. Carnauba tends to produce a deeper, darker, richer shine than any other wax, and won't build up like synthetic polymer waxes which may, over time, leave your ride looking dull, even milky, and that's just not good!
So a polish helps to "perfect" or buff out minor imperfections in your paint. Wax helps enhance the condition of the paint you've got. It's good to know the difference. Because you can not remove swirl marks using a polish that is really just a wax and too much of a good polish can harm your car’s finish.
Dean Fueroghne is the President of Stuf Products, LLC, a manufacturer of premium car car products, made for fanatics, by fanatics. Dean has been into cars his whole life and began racing karts at age nine. He spent 14 years professionally driving NHRA fuel altereds and funny cars before moving on to open wheel racing. Dean is a Ford factory-trained mechanic and also owned his own custom body and paint shop, specializing in street rods and race cars. He's owned ten corvettes and currently owns and drives the Stuf Vette.
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