do you need to wax after polishing?

[TType84]

hey guys.. im a little confused.. do you need to apply wax after you polish? i did a 4 step process..

1. wash and dry
2. mothers clay bar the entire car
3. 3M imperial hand glaze
4. meg's gold class liquid wax

and after that ive really just put more wax on it.. but today i was experimenting with the polish..

now i was told by a friend the gold class wax will take the hand glaze's shine off... ???

i thought you needed to put a protective layer of wax over a freshly polished car.. since the polish has no protectants... but.. im probably mistaken! sooo....

here are all the products i have in my garage.. let me know what works best and what order i should use it in. (just so no one mentions it, no im not buying any zanio my paint isnt show car quality and i cant afford $100 worth of polishes and waxes)

3M imperial hand glaze

meguiars gold class wax (liquid)
meguiars cleaner wax (liquid) - i dont ever use this
meguiars quick wax

eagle 1 wipe and shine (i love this stuff)

mothers clay bar kit with wax (it sucks) and showtime quick detailer (same as eagle 1 wipe and shine and meguiars quick detailer as far as i can tell)

so out of all that.. do i have it right? wash and wax.. the occasional coat of imperial hand glaze and wax over it to protect the paint? if not let me know.. thanks guys!

 

[Two Lane]

Carnauba over the polish/glaze, QD maintenance in between washes, re-Carnauba after every 5th car wash...using a really pH correct car wash formula...like Zymol.

That's the "most" basic of the basic answers.

No matter what polish/wax/wash, use microfiber cloths for each step in the car's care. For pro detailers, cotton is obsolete/extinct, thankfully! The microfiber cloths/towels make each step easier, with noticeably improved results at each stage. Easiest place to pick up a dozen is in the boating section at WalMart.

HTH

 

[TType84]

ok cool

i have heard that the cleaner wax stuff is pretty much old school and not really recommended for a clearcoat paintjob..

right now i do have the cotton towels and i have this weird problem where wax builds up into little balls i guess you could say, on the paint.. grr. its a pita.. anyway..

i have some meg's gold class wash stuff that i use that seems 'easier' on the paint...

 

[okboo]

Consider it in alphabetical order: Clean, Polish, Wax

 

[dhauser]

A good wax is a good idea if your car ever sits outside. But the polish is what makes the "wet" look. Now, if you use Zaino, no wax needed....

 

[TType84]

but if i use zanio i wont have money to drive the car

 

[Data]

I think when people are referring to cleaning here they really mean compounding. Cleaning and polishing are usually considered to be the same thing, just a different term.

Compound and polish are related in that they are usually both abrasive on your car's finish. The compound is more abrasive than the polish, which is why you follow the compound with the polish. When detailing your car you should always start with a polish and if that doesn't remove the problem on the finish then you can try a compound. Compounds are usually best applied by machine and most polishes are usually more effective applied that way as well. Some polishes or cleaners aren't abrasive and instead contain fillers that cover up a defect or solvents that remove defects caused by other types of chemicals.

The key here is that any of the items that are abrasive remove some of the car's clear coat. This allows them to get rid of things like swirl marks and minor scratches in the finish.

A wax is not abrasive. Zaino would be considered a wax, even though it is a synthetic polymer. Wax is a non-abrasive protector for your car's finish. You should always apply a wax after using a polish because your paint finish is completely exposed to the elements. Usually you have to use a polish after a compound because compounds will leave the finish dull.

Compounding and polishing are still necessary at times when using Zaino because Zaino products are non-abrasive and as such will not remove swirl marks or scratches. Z5 would be considered a filler wax because it claims to remove scratches and swirl marks.

A cleaner wax usually has a very mild abrasive quality to it and will usually indicate that it is safe for clear coats. Some cleaner waxes just fill in minor imperfections and don't have any abrasive qualities.

With regard to the wax building up into balls. Make sure to use a small amount of wax for each coat and do multiple coats. This allows you to put the wax on easier and buff it off easier and also ends up creating a more even coating of wax on the car. Thin coats of the wax works the best.

As far as the wax removing the glaze's shine, that isn't really the case. The glaze is just a finishing step after polishing. Most glazes contain oils or other fillers and may or may not contain some form of paint protectant. It's usually accepted that you should follow glazing with some form of wax to keep the finish protected.