The best coating

Written by:

It is often asked on detailing fora and social media: “what is the best coating”. Off course there is a difference between certain products and brands, but it is important to know what you are asking. In this guide I will try to explain what the problem is with this question unless it is asked more in-depth.

The general problem

When somebody asks what the best shampoo is, they are not letting other people know what they mean with “best”. A shampoo is developed with several characteristics in mind. It has to be slick, good soluble in water, good cleaning properties, wax/sealant-safe and several more. These properties can be very different between products and/or brands. In the question “What is the best shampoo”, it is nowhere specified if that person is looking for a shampoo that is very slick, if it just smells nice or if it is the least protection-affecting.
So it is almost impossible to give an answer.

What to keep in mind when you ask the question

Many detailers are searching for a certain product that offers good quality. This could mean that they are looking for a cheap product, one that smells good, etc. Before you ask the question which product is the best it is important to know what you are looking for. Are you looking for a wax that offers mainly gloss? Or is easy to buff off? Or one that offers as much gloss?

It is important to know what you are looking for, and to know that there will be cases in which 2 properties can not be combined. A shampoo that is really awesome at washing away stubborn grease can not be wax safe. Simply because you need a certain harshness to remove the grease, harshness that is more then the wax can handle. Even sealants are likely to be affected by this.

A list of things to consider

Here is a list of properties you might consider including in your question. These can be your own preferences, or just things you find important. This list is simply made to help you find out what you exactly want to ask, so you will get better answers that suit your search.

Coating

  • Price
  • Is it based on SiO2 or polymers
  • Durability
  • Needs preperation
  • Need to be layered
  • Is there a matching QD
  • Easy to apply
  • Easy to buff off
  • High gloss or long protection

Different related articles

  • How to remove salt
    Guides
    Salt is an unwelcome type of contamination on your vehicle. Salt can cause rapid corrosion and extreme dage to unprotected metals. It can also severely stain polished metals and create a matte look over the surface....
  • How to remove insects
    Detailing Miscellaneous
    Everybody who has washed a car, has seen the remains of insects on the front of the car. These spots are difficult to remove and create a risk of making surface imperfections. Removing them safely is key to prevent long term damage to the surface....
  • What machine polisher for what job
    Correction
    There are a few different kinds of machine polishers on the market, these are designed with different strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what machine suits which job the best can help to make the job easier or achieve better results....
  • What are polymers
    Detailing Miscellaneous
    A polymers is a molecule (or large molecules) that can be used by manufacturers in order to fine-tune a product, or even to add certain properties to it. Polymers can be natural or synthetic. The synthetic group are also called: silicones....
  • Waxaddict
    Manufacturers
    Waxaddict is an English brand of detailing products that started out in 1997. The brand started out creating wax for their sister company: Waxybox....
  • Muc-Off
    Manufacturers
    Muc-Off is a manufacturer of various detailing products and is located in Poole, United Kingdom. The company has a very wide range of products that are not only aimed at automotive detailing. ...

Links to this article

There are no external links to this article. Yet.
Sidebar