Polishing

[Anonincog]

Ok, I once heard something along the lines of, "You can wax too often, but you can never polish too often." in an old instructional video from meguiars.com a while ago.

So let's say I washed polished and waxed a couple of weeks ago. Today I decide to just wash and polish, no waxing. Does this hold any sort of benefit or make things worse in any way?

[gb387]

Re: Polishing

Ok, I once heard something along the lines of, "You can wax too often, but you can never polish too often." in an old instructional video from meguiars.com a while ago.

So let's say I washed polished and waxed a couple of weeks ago. Today I decide to just wash and polish, no waxing. Does this hold any sort of benefit or make things worse in any way?

I can't speak for the video but...

If you are talking cleaner/polish, you will remove the wax you have already applied and then need to reapply a wax for protection. Now if you use a pure polish, you can apply it over a wax to some pop but it will only last a short time(say for a show car prior to a show). There are better options out there to give you the freshly waxed look if that is what you are after(say on a daily driver).

Here are some options:
NXT Generation Spray Wax -or- Quik Wax

[Murr1525]

Re: Polishing

That video does sound a little odd....sounds like the waxing and polishing are reversed... Either a bad video or bad memory.

As GB says, you wouldnt want to just polish and remove your previous wax. After washing, it would be best to use the spray waxes mentioned, or just a quick detailer spray.

Anytime you use a cleaner and or polish, you will want to wax after it.

[Anonincog]

Re: Polishing

Thanks, now I know not to waste my time like that.

[jonmike]

Re: Polishing

Gurus,

Can we polish as many times as we wax our rides?

Thanks in advance.

[gb387]

Re: Polishing

Gurus,

Can we polish as many times as we wax our rides?

Thanks in advance.

There might be a few variables there... method of application(hand, PC, rotary) the type of polish(pure polish, cleaner/polish), the aggressiveness of the product and how often someone waxes their vehicle.

Is there a specific product you are asking about?

[jonmike]

Re: Polishing

Not really sir, I'm just curious about polishing. As you have mentioned regarding the aggressiveness of the pad and the abrasiveness of the product. Hopefully I'll be getting my PC in a few months time.

I'll be posting more q's by that time.

Thanks for clearing things up.

[Murr1525]

Re: Polishing

You might find this link helpfull...

Measuring Clear Coat Thickness

[redhotchevy2000]

Re: Polishing

im confused as to "you can wax your car to much"

how much is to much?

usually i do the meguiars 5step process once a month....
and i wax (or atleast put a thin smooth cover wax) almost everytime i wash...

the car i drive sits outside 24/7 and its on a college campus with lots of trees, pollen, and sap...

im also confused with "polish"

polish
wax
(definitions and products?)

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Polishing

Gurus,

Can we polish as many times as we wax our rides?

Thanks in advance.

If your washing technique is good you won't need to polish the vehicle very often. No sense in wasting time and product just for the sake of using it, right?

When the car is dirty, wash it. It's very common for this to be a weekly procedure.

When the wax is getting thin, reapply it. Usually every 1 to 6 months depending on environmental conditions, exposure, which wax/sealant was used, etc. If you like using a pure polish then this is a good time to apply that as well. Remember, a pure polish is non abrasive and has no cleaning or protecting ability so you can use it as often as you like. Remember too that it doesn't last long at all if used as the last step.

Polish when the inevitable marring becomes an eyesore to you and you alone. This may be every three months or once a year or longer, depending again on environment, exposure, wash technique, scratch sensitivity of the paint, little accidental scratches that occur, etc. Only you can say when it's time to polish again.

[Murr1525]

Re: Polishing

You can wax as much as you like.

Different companies tend to use the same words to mean different things, so it is important to understand the idea behind the name. For Meguiars:

1. Washing - Removes the big loose dirt

2. Claying - Removes bonded on above surface contaminants.

3. Cleaning - Removes dirt from the pores/imperfections of the paint, and with the right products, can remove swirls. (Some compaines call this polishing)

4. Polishing/Glazing - Adding polishing oils to the paint to improve the beauty, clarity, gloss, etc of the paint by filling in those imperfections.

5. Waxing/Sealing - Adding a sacrificial barrier of wax to the surface of the paint to seal in your polish, and to try and keep other contaminants from bonding to the paint, or otherwise damaging it.


Now with other companies, these words can mean different things.

[HagFan]

Re: Polishing

I like the results I get with #21 sealant. So to keep a daily driver new finish looking new -- in between cleaner/polish-- I was considering using a cleaner wax and topping it with #21. If I apply the #21 often enough, am I apt to be able to use just that and not Cleaner Wax or clay.

I would plan to clay and polish a couple times a year.

[Murr1525]

Re: Polishing

You would have to inspect the finish after washing, and decide if it is clean and smooth, or if it is starting to get some of the daily grime build up. If you find you arent getting much buildup, then waxing would probably be ok. If there is buildup, then you would probably want some sort of cleaner or cleaner/wax to remove it.

[redhotchevy2000]

Re: Polishing

usually when i wax, i use either a cleaner wax or meguiars goldclass liquid
sometimes when i feel up to it, i do the cleaner, and then two coats of a thin liquid from a pro detailer, which makes the car smoother than glass. even more so because it feels like im running my hands through the air.