Hi guys, so i will be bringing out my car in a few days out of storage and cleaning it up a bit. I only had this car since mid 09 so i never used any cleaning materials before other than soap. I want to give the car a nice shine and stop water spotting but im not sure if i should polish it or wax it. What do you guys recommend, what do most people do anyways and whats the difference between the two?

Thanks a lot

 

Waxing: more intensive process, finish lasts longer
Polishing: easy to do, doesn't last long

or at least thats what I've gathered from other sites

edit: ****, nevermind, I'm thinking of sealant.

 

You should do both. Polish is abrasive and takes out swirls, scratches and dead paint. Wax is non-abrasive and puts a protective coating on the paint.

 

You should do both. Might even want to add claying. The claying and polishing will properly prep the paint before adding your choice of lsp weither it be a wax or a sealant.

 

what does the claying do exactly?

 

The prep work is the key to the best possible finish. Claying,polishing, and swirl removal are the most important part.

Claying is going to remove embedded contaminants in the paint and leave your paint feeling silky smooth. The way to tell if your car needs clayed is wash it as normal and then put your hand in a baggy and rub it over the paint, if the car needs clayed you will feel all of the rough places.

There are a couple different kinds of polishes. The are chemical polishes that are made to clean the paint and bring out more shine and reflection and they have no abrasives in them. Then there are polishes that do everything I mentioned plus have abrasives to remove swirls marks and scratches. I always polish my personal vehicles every 4-5 months to keep the finish looking as good as possible.

After you are done polishing you can add a glaze for some added depth and wetness and then top with a wax or sealant to protect what you did in the prep stages.

 

i always clay, polish, then do two coats of wax...just gotta wait for good weather to do it lol