Wax, Polish or both

[TBroccoli]

What is the difference between wax and polish? The answer may tell me but what is better protection? What goes on first? What are the best brands?????

[Tidbart]

Polish is just that, polish. It is an mild abrasive suspended in a paste. Pure polish can be used on anything from your boat to your silverware. It has no protective value whatsoever. It is not meant to protect it is meant to polish. Clear enough??
Some companies mix waxes and polymers with a polish to still call it polish. These will offer some type of protection to whatever your are polishing.

Wax is just that, wax. It is a product used to offer some type of protection to surfaces after they have been polished to help slow down the oxidation or deterioration of said surface.

You will find that there are many product that use these 2 words almost interchangebly and that can become confusing.
Also, adding to the confusion is the fact that everyone details their boats in a different manner.

There are different ways to detail, the hard way and the easier way. The harder way is to wash, strip the existing waxes and coatings, then polish to achieve the desired shine, then seal it or wax it. This can be time consuming. The easier way is to buy a one-step polish/wax and do all the cleaning, polishing, waxing, and buffing in one step. This way is shorter but usually not as good a finish product.

Keep in mind there are a lot of other ways to do things in between the easier and harder way. It is kind of personal preference thing. Some people have more time than others and some have different finishes with different degrees of aging.

Clear as mud???

The best brands?, There are many good ones, first decide which route you will take, the easier or the harder. Then ask the question or do a search on this site as these topics have been debated before.

Hope this helps. I know it is a short answer to a big topic. :)

Bob

[Ed Donnelly]

Polish nourishs the paint, wax protects the paint.
If for your car, use Maquires polish first, then use their new NXT generation wax. You won't believe the difference. Did my black Harley(bike) 2 weeks ago, and my wife thought I bought a new bike. Did the Harley(truck 2000) and it looks brand new again....Ed

[westwick99]

Thanks Ed & Bob for the insight on polishing/waxing. (I know this topic has been covered alot - haven't located all the details...so ignore if it's a bore).

I find that polishing and waxing the gel coat seems to be a tougher proposition in general than it is with the paint on a car. Maguires works well for me on a black painted car but with the gel coat, I get a nice shine but can still see (hand waxed) swirl marks after using the Maguire's wax on top of the polish job. In effect, the polish stage looks great, then less so after the wax goes on...

Is it possible it's just a matter of applying a second (or third) coat of wax? The Sweet 16 is on the trailer again and so I have to get my jollies from polishing and cleaning instead of driving...sigh.

Thanks!