Difference Between Wax and Polish

Wax vs Polish
 

The difference between wax and polish arises from the purpose for which they are used. In other words, wax and polish are two important chemical substances that are used for various purposes. While both are used for shining of shoes daily in millions of homes all over the world, wax and polish are also used for maintenance of car paint, which will be the main focus of this article. There are similarities in these two substances; both wax and polish are used for cleaning purpose, and to bring extra shine to the surface where they are applied. However, there are differences between wax and polish that need to be highlighted to make one use either a polish or a wax depending upon his requirements.

What is Polish?

Polish is in the form of a liquid and contains abrasive content. Polish is mildly abrasive and, if you take a car polish, polishing is good to remove dirt from the surface of your car. It also restores shine of the paint on your car. So when you see slight discoloration or when you think there is a lot of dirt that has got stuck on the surface that will not be removed after a wash with car shampoo, it is better to go for the car polish. Small scratches get reduced after a polish as polish removes foreign particles if they get stuck into the paint of the car. Before you decide to polish, you must remove the wax that you frequently apply on the surface of the car. You can wash the car with a car wash or even a dishwashing detergent. But remember, this detergent is hard, and you must wax the car again after polishing. Polishing is a delicate job, and must be done by experienced persons only. If undue pressure applied while polishing, there is every chance of abrasive content taking off the paint of your car. Polish cleans the paint with mild abrasives. Some polishes are known to have fillers to hide imperfections and to give a richer look to the surface paint of the car.You can apply polish by hand or using machines such as a power polisher.

What is Wax?

Wax is just a protective coat to save the paint of your car and to enhance its life. Wax comes in liquid form as well as in paste form. Paste wax is the traditional wax form. It helps you to add a shine to your car’s paint job. Also, it helps you to protect the car’s paint job from external elements. Wax is also helpful in keeping your car’s color without fading for a long time because it has the ability to filter ultraviolet light of the sun.

Liquid wax also behaves the same way as the paste wax. However, liquid wax produces a thinner layer of wax than paste wax. When applying the wax, you have to rub it onto the surface of the car. When it has changed to a dull shine, you have to take it off by rubbing with a clean cloth.

What is the difference between Wax and Polish?

• Waxing is done to have a protective layer on the paint surface.

• Waxes are both natural and synthetic. When done properly the shine of wax can remain over the surface for more than 2-3 months.

• Polish makes sure that the dirt and scratches on your car are gone. Polish contains abrasive materials that are required for proper cleaning of the surface of the car.

• Most polish types also contain a wax to give a glossy finish to the car.

• So polishing creates the shine and waxing seals this wet look and prolongs the effects created by polishing.

• When you are polishing, as you are removing dirt and scratches, you are also taking a layer of paint off. However, when you are waxing you are adding a layer on top of the paint to protect it. That is why usually waxing follows polishing.

• When it comes to a new car, if you wax it often according to the instructions of the manufacturer, you can have a good car appearance for a long time. Remember that you should polish your new car only if it has a number of very visible scratches on its surface. For old cars, of course, you have to use both polish and wax to protect the paint job.

• In skin care, polish can be considered as an exfoliating agent that people use to clean the pores of their skin. Wax can be considered as a lotion to moisturize that helps you to remove hair from your skin.

Images Courtesy: Jaguar XF via Wikicommons (Public Domain)

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