Alright, I think I'm a little confused here. My understanding is a polish is not a sealant while a wax is, correct? If so, why do I see bottles at the auto store that say sealant and others say waxes?

I got a few questions about the two.

1) Do you apply and remove a polish like you do a wax? Does a polish protect paint like a wax does?

2) Is there an advantage to a polish over a wax, or vise versa?

3) What's the difference between a polish and a cleaner polish?

4) How long does a polish last on a car? If I didn't use a wax, would the polish wash off in the rain?

5) If I was to polish the car, would I claybar, apply Meguiar's #7, followed up by Meguiar's NXT Paste Wax? After applying the NXT, would a sealant like Meguiar's #21 be necessary?


As of right now, I have only claybared and then gone straight to the Meguiar's NXT Paste Wax.

Thanks, any help/info is great.

 

Now that's a lot of questions..haha. I've read a lot of controversy about the difference between the two, but basically the same for our purposes: Protecting the polish and paint. Then again, some brands call all their products polishes (Zaino).

1. Polish goes on the same way as wax. Some brands intend for you to use a little more elbow grease as far as putting it on though.

2. No advantages to one over the other, they work hand in hand. The polish gives you the shine and the wax protects the polish and paint.

3. A polish is just a polish and usually is best when following a cleaner (clay bar, not cleaner polish). The cleaner polish is sort of an all in one deal. Saves steps (cleans and polishes during the same step) with comparable results. The separate cleaner and polish is usually preferred.

4. How long does it last, depends on the brand or particular product. I use Zaino products and they tend to outlast most of their competitors (I zaino the car probably four times a year...overkill to some). If you wax over it, it'll last longer. If you didn't wax over the polish, then you would be basically wasting your time. The amount of work you put into the process won't be worth the effort unless you protect the polish and paint. A polish isn't made to withstand the elements.

5. Basic steps are usually clean, clay bar, clean (optional to some), polish, wax. I don't usually use a separate sealant following the wax, but somebody on here may have more thoughts on that one. It's possible that some product lines would recommend a sealant following the wax.

 

Some things will be repeated...

1) Yes you can apply a polish the same way as a wax. Depending upon your personal taste and style you can do it all with elbow grease, apply with buffer/polisher and remove by hand, or apply/remove with the buffer (I prefer #2). And yes/no as to the protection. It protects but....well, I cant quite find an analogy, but lets just say it doesnt protect all on its own the way you would think/hope.

2) Neither has an advantage over the other. They both help to deepen the effect and make your car reallly "shine"

3) Cleaner polishes tend to remove light to medium contamination, blemishes and oxidation that a swirl free polish will not (going off of Meguiars info). They have a light abrasive cleaner in them mixed with the polish in order to remove light defects without maring finish.

4) Last...depends on brand, how you applied, your weather conditions etc. It shouldnt wash off in the rain, but its not a good idea to just leave it "polished" and not waxed (least thats how I was always taught)

5) Well, the way Ive always done a polish/wax session is like this Wash with dish soap (preferably unscented), towel dry and clay bar. Wash again with regular water (Ive seen some people say water only, Ive seen others say regular car soap), towel dry. Apply polish, then wax. I dont use a seperate sealant, but I have done it previously when I detailed for a dealership. I didnt notice any differences (I actually felt the sealant took away from the deep shine some colors can get).

Meguiars is a great product to use. Their website and their overall "system" is great. I use their car wash, their professional series polish, and gold class car wax. Its easy to apply, and easy to remove. I havent gotten a chance to use my PorterCable yet, but if you do use your head around your side trim, regular trim and any other "corners". Its easy to let it sit on those area's, or seriously mar those. That and some products are geared more towards a buffer/polisher others hand install. (like zaino says you can use a B/P, but that sometimes its overly wasteful and you're wasting as much polish as you're using).

Read the label, use your head and by all means ask questions like you have. You'll be shine'n like a show car before ya know it.

 

Well I have a question now. Zaino calls their product a polish, but it actually isn't. So you dont need to wax after you use Zaino do you??

 

No.

Here's the big concept:
A true abrasive polish (like Menzerna Intensive Polish, 3M Perfect-It III, Sonus SFX-1 and 2) will remove scratches and swirl marks by removing enough clear coat to get past the imperfections. Some of the "finishing" polishes (like Menzerna Final Polish 2 and Sonus SFX-3) don't have much abrasive action at all, but have more filler materials to enhance shine.

Waxes are typically based on carnuba, while sealants tend to be based on acrylics. Both serve the same purpose: to protect your paint. Sealants typically last longer because carnuba wax evaporates quicker. Because they adhere to the outer surface, they are what produce the shine.

Bottom line: polish out the imperfections, then seal and protect your work with a wax or sealant.


-Mike

 

To follow up a little more on the Zaino... If you do the Zaino process and keep the car clean, the usual follow up cleanings, then the polish/wax will last a long time. At least longer than most of the competition.

 

Polish mainly nourishes the paint & wax seals. It depends on what your car's exposed to as to what you need for protection. Mine's not driven or exposed to the elements much, so I only use Meguiar's Deep Crystal Polish (hand applied). It does protect a little, but it wears off easily after a few washings. You can tell by the beading action reducing. By the fourth wash or so, I'm usually reapplying it anyway though. I prefer that to wax buildup. It's black and the original paint is still very deep and wet-looking.

PS what you use for soap is important too. I usually use Deep crystal or Gold class soap. If you were to use Dawn dish detergent or something, it would strip the polish off in a flash.

 

I used Merguiars NXT also. After I apply that, I apply many coats of #7 show glaze and them seal it with the #26 yellow wax.

 

Dang Zaino and their stupid "polishes". lol Kinda ironic that they call it a polish though, seeing as how a true polish will leave no protectant characteristics left on the paint.

 

Thanks for all the great info!

 

How do you like it? Is that setup a lot more durable than just the NXT?

 

I claybared the car, two coats of the Meguiars #7 glaze followed by a single coat of Meguiars #26 Hi-tech Yellow Wax. Looks good from what I can see in the dark, I'll have pics up tomorrow. I might put a coat of NXT paste wax over the #26 tomorrow.

 

#26 is nice, but god damn is it a bitch to get off. Here is a pic of my mom's Explorer with #26

#26 darkens the color of the car a little too compared to other waxes.

I still prefer Zaino though, the process is so much easier for applying and removing

 

The #7 Glaze was a bitch to get off. A lot harder than the #26 wax. I'll be trying Zaino in the near future.