The Difference Between Car Wax and Car Polish
If you’re hoping to revive the look of your car’s exterior, you might reach for car wax or car polish. Both are vital to the preservation and look of your car, but they provide slightly different results.
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Protect with car wax
If you want to improve how your car’s exterior paint looks as well as offer a layer of protection, grab some car wax. According to Family Handyman writer Robert Maxwell, protection from car wax can last from a few weeks to a few months. Of course, you’ll have to choose a high-quality product and apply it correctly. Whether you choose a liquid, synthetic, natural, or paste car wax, he says you’ll apply it the same way.
“Rub it onto the vehicle in a thin layer, allow it to dry, then buff off the excess. Buffing can be done either by hand or with a power buffer,” he explains.
Shine with car polish
If you are more concerned with reviving the dull look of your car’s exterior paint, you’ll appreciate the effects of car polish. According to Maxwell, the mildly abrasive liquid compound can restore the marks and scratches that develop over time on your car.
“Best applied by a power polisher (also called an orbital buffer), car polish comes in a bottle designed to dispense onto the polishers’ foam application pad,” he explains. “Then it’s gently massaged over the car’s paint, smoothing the imperfections and restoring the factory sheen.”
Although each product delivers beneficial results on its own, they help your car reach its full beauty potential when properly used together as part of your auto detailing routine, notes Maxwell.
“A polishing job won’t look great for long if it’s not protected by wax, and wax won’t bring out nearly the same sheen if applied on unpolished car paint,” he warns.
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Protecting your car’s exterior paint and making it shine like new will not only make it look good but will also help increase your car’s resale value.
DeAnn Owens is a Dayton transplant by way of the Windy City, yet considers herself to be a California girl at heart even though she’s only visited there once. To get through the dreaded allergy season unique to the Miami Valley, she reads, writes, complains about the weather, and enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and their newest addition, a Boston terrier puppy that is now in charge of all their lives. In the future, she hopes to write a novel and travel through time. See more articles by DeAnn.