Is Car Polishing and Car Waxing the Same?

Dubai is a city that has one of the highest per capita ownership of cars. You can see all kinds of cars on the roads in Dubai ranging from the Bugattis of the Dubai Police to the small Smart cars of those who want to be smart. Everyone wants their car to look good, but when it comes to actual terms involved in car care, most people are a bit hazy. Ask anyone what the difference between car polishing and waxing is and you will get many different answers. Technically, there is the only the right answer. Car polishing and car wax procedures are totally different and yet both are equally important in helping your vehicle to retain its new car look.

A car polish is a car care product comprising mild abrasives which can be used on a vehicle’s surface to remove a microscopic layer of paint and any imperfections like swirl marks, acid etchings caused by bird droppings, scratches, paint chips and water spots. It lends a very smooth and even appearance to the external appearance of the paint and the use of car polish is a preliminary step when it comes to the actual car waxing process. We cannot expect car polish to be a magic solution that will take care of all paint defects. It will only eliminate mild surface defects which have not penetrated the clear coat and the layers below the clear coat.

car polishing and waxing

Polishing is not an easy process is best done by experienced technicians like those at Orange Auto in Al Quoz. They use professional polishing machines like rotary buffers which can remove even complicated paint defects. Novices are advised not to use such machines and to either polish by hand or to use a simple dual action polisher.

Car wax, on the other hand, is a product that can further enhance the shine of the exterior paint and give it added protection against surface pollutants, damage from UV rays, and minimizes oxidation. There are essentially two types of car wax, natural carnauba wax, and synthetic paint sealant. While Carnauba wax is better for achieving a deeper, showroom-type finish, it does not last long. Paint sealants last longer as the formula is designed using advanced technology but the shine achieved when using paint sealants is not as deep as the one you get when you use Carnauba wax. Depending on the look you want to achieve for your car, you can use either paint sealants or Carnauba wax. In order to get the best effect, you can choose to use both products and apply carnauba wax followed by a layer of paint sealant.

Thus, car polish needs to be used before car wax is applied. Car wax is the final touch to make your car retain its new look. Unless you use car polish first, car wax will not have the effect you desire. While car polish contains abrasives, car wax doesn’t. If you ever make the mistake of using car polish and then fail to use wax to protect the paint, the paint is susceptible to damage by external contaminants.

The frequency at which you should polish and wax your car depends on the current state of its paint. If the paint is dull after a wash, it is high time you took your car to a reputed garage like Orange Auto. Our experienced technicians will advise you if a mere waxing will do or if you need a car polishing job to get rid of scratches and swirl marks.

Polishing should not be done too frequently as overuse of abrasives can spoil the surface. Wax wears off every time you wash your car, so depending on the type of wax you use and how often you wash your car, you might need to wax more or less frequently.

Now that you know the difference between wax and polish, take advice from our technical experts and make sure that your vehicle gets the loving care it deserves.