The best polish
Written by: Vinnie van Rooij
It is often asked on detailing fora and social media: “what is the best polish”. 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.
Contents
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.
Polish
- SMAT or DAT
- Compound or polish
- To remove swirls
- To remove scratches
- To remove revere paint defects
- Can be used in the sun
- Can be used by hand or by machine
- Size
- Price
- Very slick
A steamer is a device that uses the steam from heated water (under pressure) to pump through a hose. When it leaves the hose, it can be used to clean certain surfaces with. The advantage of using steam is the relative high temperature that can help to loosen up dirt and certain chemicals....
Bullsone is a Korean manufacturer of car related product. They offer engine treatment product as well as surface treatment products. Their detailing products are only lately gathering more attention from the European customers. ...
Although polishing chrome is often considered to be the same as polishing metal, there is a slight difference. Because chrome has more of a mirror shine, imperfections are much easier to see with the naked eye. Making it more difficult to achieve a perfect result....
There are several types of towels when detailing and there are several tasks at which you can use a MF towel while detailing. There is a correlation between the task at hand and the towel most fitting for the job....
There are several different types of metal polish in the huge world of automotive detailing. Apart from the polish for paintwork there is also polish specifically for metal. These are mostly used for chrome bumpers, chrome trims, metal hubcaps, untreated metal wheels, exhausts and even engine parts....
Mechanical decontamination is the opposite of chemical decontamination. Whereas chemical decontamination removes contamination from a surface without any physical interaction, mechanical decontamination doesn't require any chemicals and relies solely on physical interaction. ...
Links to this article
There are no external links to this article. Yet.