Car detailing, quick wax/polish options

I really rate Demon Shine, but I suspect I have significantly lower standards then you when it comes to washing cars. I'm definitely more careful wash than valet and no where close to detailing.

spray waxes are really good now but your right they dont remove scratches.

Wax and polish are different. Polish is fine abrasive to make it shiny, you don't do this often.  It's part of paintwork correction.  Wax on the other hand is a shiny layer that goes on top.

For wax I use spray on ceramic coating that goes on with the foam lance from my jetwasher.  You just soak the car in it and rinse off, takes a few minutes and lasts months.  I don't think it's quite as shiny as carnuba wax but it's not far off and vastly easier and quicker to do.  I think it probably helps to have a second foam lance so one stays soapy and one stays waxy.

Something like this, but there are many:

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/car-cleaning/car-wax/autoglym-polar-seal-834058.html

I love just spraying on after a wash and dry https://www.carboncollective.com/hybrid-coating/ or go over with https://www.carboncollective.com/speciale-sio2-ceramic-detailer/ if you've got a bit more time.

Auto glym rapid aqua wax is another one that gives a bit of shine and is applied during the dry with a micro fibre cloth step to get rid of any remaining water (and smells of bananas which may be positive too 😀  )  but if you're already using the snow lance then polar seal is an quicker easier way to get the same result.
It's more of a quick shine-up between wax applications rather than a substitute. 

I tried the auto Glyn snow blast and their hand pump kit. Takes ages. Rubbish. May as well just do it by hand.

Don't get the snow foam enthusiasm.

I know nothing about washing cars but I was recently watching YouTube videos about it. Almost everyone agrees that Bilt Hamber no-touch was the best foam.

They also said don't rinse the car first. The water makes the foam slide off. Spray it onto a dry car and it grips better.

I have yet to try any of this on my car.

Snow foam and the like doesn't magically clean your car like the videos show. It helps remove the crud but you still need a good old sponge and car wash. It does help though especially if a car is dirty.

I initially polish with autoglym super resin. Then ultra deep shine sealant followed by their ceramic spray on. It certainly makes the car shine and makes washing a doddle as dirt just wipes off with a sponge and car shampoo. If your paint is free from contamination, the quick treatments do give a good shine and water beading, but its a bit wasted if the paintwork is rough to the touch. 

Autoglym rapid wax. 

Piece of pee. But I suspect that I too have considerably lower patience with washing cars than you. 

Edit: I see superlightstu already mentioned rapid aqua wax. 

Snow foam and the like doesn't magically clean your car like the videos show. It helps remove the crud but you still need a good old sponge and car wash. It does help though especially if a car is dirty.

It's the hand pumped iteration that is shite.

I just don't know what it buys you if you're gonna  do a proper wash anyway.

Snow foam and the like doesn't magically clean your car like the videos show. It helps remove the crud but you still need a good old sponge and car wash. It does help though especially if a car is dirty.

It's the hand pumped iteration that is shite.

I just don't know what it buys you if you're gonna  do a proper wash anyway.

Turtle Wax's version of the spray on/wipe off wax is also very good.

In my driveway we have a classic Saab (black like your escort) which gets the full bilt hamber treatment of foam, touch-on, clay bar, DA polish then speed wax 

I’ve also got a modern vw transporter that naturally doesn’t get quite the same attention because - well - it’s just a car 

what I would say is whilst I don’t do it routinely, I have actually detailed the van a couple of times and despite being a huge surface area, it’s so flat and square that it’s actually pretty easy to do, especially the polish with a DA polisher. 

with a decent application of bilt hamber speed wax on it, the subsequent few washes could be foam and rinse only 

Those clay bars are fantastic. 

Take a bit of time but last years and do a great job.

You really don’t want to be polishing it very often.  You do the full detail at most every few years and even then, the latter ones will be more about local correction than total polishing.  If it’s waxed even semi- regularly, it’s just not required and will just damage the paint.  

polar seal is an quicker easier way to get the same result.

It's more of a quick shine-up between wax applications rather than a substitute.

Polar seal on top of wax? Or vice versa? Is have assumed that sealant would not adhere to wax?

Re foam, it helps with actual mud and grunge that you dont want to be wiping around with a mitt. There's a video somewhere comparing brands and theres a huge difference between them, you can clearly see how much dirt is removed by the good stuff. 

Interested in this too - also have a T5 and doing a "proper" clean on it just takes ages so if I can polish/wax it yearly and spray something on to top up the protective layer - brilliant! Heard good stuff about the Turtle Wax and Carbon Collective stuff. AG seems so hit and miss like Auto Finnesse... some of it is decent but some is rubbish.

I'm currently using Soft99 Fusso Coat wax every 3-4 months and between it either using their Fusso Coat Speed & Barrier spray or just Gyeon Wet Coat but neither is particularly long-lasting, planning to try a ceramic spray next but not decided which one yet.

Ultimately it's all just a compromise and I need to do a proper ceramic coating but that's either £700+ for someone to do it for me or many hours (at needs a lot of paint prep first) + the ability to garage the car (which I can't currently do) if I do it myself (and I don't own a decent polisher so that would add to the cost). I'd probably take the hit on paying someone to do it if it was permanent and needed no maintenance but as neither is true it's just not worth it for me.

 Bilt Hamber stuff is worth a look. Great UK company their wheel cleaner is ace. 

Topical as I cleaned my car yesterday after it hadn't been done for ages. 

 rinse, snow foam, rinse, hand wash with two bucket method, dry with microfibre towel 

I use Auto Finesse's Lavish Ceramic Snow foam, my wash goes: 

Cleaning Snow Foam (Auto Finesse Avalanche), Rinse, hand was with two buckets, whilst car still wet cover with Lavish Ceramic Snow Foam which you pressure wash in and then towel dry. 

Lavish gives the car a nice shiny finish which lasts6-8 weeks usually, water beads of it really nicely too. Over brands probably do similar, I use Auto Finesse stuff as the local Halfords had it in and it looked cool...

+1 for Autoglym Polar Seal. Quick, satisfying, and better than nothing when time’s tight.