There is a very general misconception among many people regarding the uses of car polish and car wax. Polish is generally known as being used to protect the cars paintwork, whereas wax is normally used to make your vehicle appear shinier. Unfortunately, this misconception is so well known people actually use these products for the wrong reasons. People also assume that you cannot use just one of these products, you need the two to get the most out of your vehicle appearance, but as they are often being used in the wrong way they do not compliment each other in the way they are intended to.
We are going to run through the difference between car wax and polish and set the record straight on the best ways you can use them and why you should be using them on your beloved vehicle.
What is car wax and polish?
What is car wax?
There are so many different types of wax available to you, and it can sometimes be a little tricky to know which one to buy. The different types and kinds of waxes will often vary from animal wax or even vegetable wax.
Natural wax has particular traits which will make the wax more appropriate for your car. Carnauba wax is becoming increasingly popular over the most recent years, the best form of this wax is to purchase it in its raw form, or it can also be purchased in more of a liquid form. The reason it has become so popular is many people can use this wax in the comfort of their own home and still have a professional looking finish to their vehicle. The reason they are also extremely popular is the products are mainly all natural, deriving from palm trees; the wax is collected from the tree leaves. They are then harvested and dried, so the wax from these leaves then starts to flake away.
Carnauba wax has a number of benefits including:
- It does not rinse away after a downpour of rain, nor a good drive through a wet road. The chemical bonding within the wax means it is insoluble.
- The melting point of the wax is also extremely high, which means during the summer months you will not have to worry about it potentially melting off.
- The finish of the product is extremely glossy as well as being durable, if it has been combined with other products, the application process can often be fairly easy and can be achieved by anyone.
Many of the different ingredients that could potentially be mixed in with the carnauba wax include colourants, solvents, silicone fluids and even other waxes to make it easier to apply.
How does it work?
While we often say that wax will give your car a very glossy and shiny finish, what really happens when you apply the wax is that it fills in any imperfections in the car’s bodywork. By doing, so it often makes the surface appear smoother but also shinier.
If your car has a rather large amount of paintwork damage or is even looking faded and tired you will not be able to see such great results from wax. The good thing to take from this is it is probably a good indication that your car requires paint restore and restoration in Milton Keynes. When a car’s bodywork becomes faded and tired it can often become more prone to paint damage, such as flaking and cracking which can increase the chances of your car having rust damage.
What is car polish?
As we previously mentioned the sole job of a car wax is to act as more of a filler for your car’s bodywork. A polish is more abrasive which means that when you apply it to bare paintwork it tends to remove a fine layer of the surface, it does this to make the surface flatter which then appears more polished. Polish while making your car appear cleaner and well polished also helps your vehicle reflect light, which only makes it look even shinier.
How does a car polish work?
A good quality car polish will often be fairly abrasive which can eat away at the paint on your car, as it starts to break down small particles. Most polishes also consist of oils which can assist with making the car look glossy. However, it can cause the paint to fade if waxed not applied beforehand.
Car polish and wax
Instead of using the term car polish vs car wax, we like to say car polish and car wax as you should be using them together. They tend to complement each other fairly well, getting it right will mean your car will have the perfect finish.
Car polish and wax does not need to be applied on a monthly basis; it can often last over prolonged periods of times. To get the most out of your car body paint, we recommend purchasing a good quality polish and wax. Purchasing cheap items means you will potentially not know what is in your car polish or wax, in some cases the products can be a little harmful to your car.
There will also be other factors that affect your car body paint such as how often you tend to use your car if you are using it daily for long journeys or even regular little journeys. This can have a real impact on how shiny and glossy your vehicle stays over time. The environment your car is exposed to can also have a considerable effect on the car’s bodywork, for example, if your car is regularly exposed to adverse weather conditions, the salt, grit and dirt can have a significant impact on the car. All of these factors will generally help determine how regularly you should be polishing and waxing your vehicle. Before you do go to apply any of these products you must ensure your car has had a thorough clean. We recommend taking a read of the Seven tips to get your car properly clean, so you know the most effective way of ensuring your vehicle is completely clean.