[Closed] Car polish

A polish wont do much for overall protection, you'll need a good sealant or something for that. By all means, prep the paint beforehand and include polishing if you want. But for long term protection, something like AF Glisten for example. See here: https://www.autofinesse.com/en/shop/protect

There are so many options these days, when I was into detailing 10 years ago it was much easier to pick the right product.

As above polish wont protect. One of the new breed of sealants or something like G-Techniq C2V3

Now on four year lease

I wouldn't bother - with or without the effort of applying sealants, it'll easily come up looking as new after a good wash. Life is too short.

If you really want to protect the paintwork and make it easier to wash (or not in my case) then perhaps get a ceramic coating by a reputable detailer, I got a new Tiguan in may 2019 and gave it to a mate for a new car detail and CQuartz ceramic coating, it's not been washed since as the dirt/grime washes off by itself in the rain

What he said, a car polish is something that takes a bit of paint/clearcoat off. Wax/sealant is what you put on top to protect it and make it easier to wash.

I like this stuff. After a couple of coats it lasts 4-6 months of weekly washes with normal car shampoo. It's so slick that after applying it I put the pot on the bonnet and it slid off, and the bonnet is fairly flat!

Only fly in the ointment is probably bad luck, but the paint on the MG has started to 'bobble' for want of a better word after a year of using this. The paint is 30 years old though. Looks like WCAs boot did. Unless a fairly well known product has caused some very rare reaction it's probably just the result of parking it in the sun last year rather than garage it.

This:

https://www.slimsdetailing.co.uk/collections/meguiars/products/meguiars-ultimate-quick-wax-450ml

Apply straight after you've washed and rinsed the car. Just spray on and wipe off with a decent size microfibre cloth. Takes minutes.

Then this for the glass (inside and out):

https://dodojuice.net/products/clearly-menthol-professional-quality-glass-window-cleaner

I use Fusso on my cars (if you want to polish it first, I'm currently using Auto Finesse Tripple). Easy to apply and buff off and lasts a decent amount of time. Think AF do a spray on sealant/wax now which might be worth a try if you can't be bothered spending a full day cleaning the car (took me about 6 hours last weekend to do the Mini!).

EDIT - its what stcolin said, Glisten: https://www.autofinesse.com/en/shop/finishing/spray-wax-detailers

Might give some a go next time I shove an order in with them or you can get AF stuff from Halfords now too.

There are different products.....some kind of polish & some kind of wax/sealant.

Polish is for polishing your paintwork to remove minor imperfections & improve the appearance.
Wax/sealant is used for protection.

You shouldn't need to polish a new car & I would expect it to have some kind of protection when you collect it, although having never bought a new car cannot say this categorically.

My take on wax or sealant is that it needs to be something you can be bothered to use. There's no point having a really fancy wax product if it takes so long to apply you never bother with it.
I used to use a traditional wax that you rubbed on with a sponge, waited for it to dry & then buffed it off. The problem with that was that the car had to be completely dry (so water caught in the fuel cover, mirror edges, window gaps etc. was a pain). It also couldn't be too warm or it was a pain to buff off.

I recently bought a Turtle Wax Hydrophobic sealant. It's a spray on product that can be used on wet or dry bodywork. It last for a few months & takes very little time to apply. I use a microfibre cloth to apply it & then another one to buff it & remove the excess. I spent ages looking at reviews online & this was very well rated compared to 'posher' brands.
They also do a hybrid ceramic wax; from the reviews I looked at, this gave a shinier finish, but wasn't quite as durable.
I got the hydrophobic wax sealant & am very pleased with it.

This stuff:

Turtle Wax Stuff

I also bought some wax wheel sealant to try & keep the wheels looking good for longer:

wheel sealant

and some tyre dressing:

Tyre Dressing

It seems like quite expensive stuff, but the amount you need to use is tiny. I expect the wheel sealant will probably last me a decade or so!

If you get those wheel & tyre products, consider getting some small sponge applicators to put them on with. You can get them for a few quid from Amazon or ebay.

Also, Halfords do a decent pack of microfibre cloths for a few quid.

I quite like this on my old MX5 -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Autoglym-Rapid-Aqua-Wax-Complete/dp/B0060KJLKY/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?adgrpid=105064779353&dchild=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw47eFBhA9EiwAy8kzNGyLJUZK7VHzszK0IOMAxvDekMpB8BAhaMXe7Nv0R1s_KvetnlCCGxoCPUAQAvD_BwE&hvadid=446049149653&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9046822&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=7923255004600533711&hvtargid=kwd-314672065125&hydadcr=7262_1812241&keywords=autoglym%2Brapid%2Bwax&qid=1622034382&sr=8-1-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyWDZWME0wU05ZTUtOJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzMwNzQ3VVRDTFRYWEFXUkI0JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA4MzYxMDYyRjJEM1VWU01WWFFDJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1

You can apply it while the car's wet so saves the leathering off stage. Not too expensive. Takes no more time than a normal wash and leather - if you can be arsed that is on a lease car.

Autoglym ultraHD wax is very good, being much easier to apply than traditional waxes. they also do a kit in a bag with the ultra hd shampoo for a little bit more. It is expensive but a pot will probably last you decades

it does speed up the washing process too

I wouldn't bother on a lease car.

What I have started using is snow foam cleaners for getting most of the film/dirt off. Very rare now I actually wash a car.

I've been using Auto Glym Polar Blast

One of the new breed of sealants or something like G-Techniq C2V3

Use this too, its really quick and easy - car does need to be dry though. One coat takes 10 minutes and seals protects pretty well, two coats adds a good bit of shine.

I got pretty good results with aquawax prior to discovering the G-Techniq stuff

Rapid Aqua Wax is brilliant stuff, got a load from my brother (works at a JLR dealer) and haven't looked back. It's so much quicker than Turtle Wax or equivalent because you don't need to wait for the car to dry before applying and it gives a great finish.

Used to use it once a fortnight at least on my MK2 Golf and it kept it looking pretty pristine. Wouldn't bother now I have a van though - too much surface area for the wax on/wax off action for my weedy arms!

If you’re going to the effort of polishing and sealing it, I’d clay it first. With a clay bar if you have plenty of time otherwise a clay mitt.

Autoglym Super Resin Polish, then Extra Gloss Protection. There are loads of options out there but they're available from most motor factors, possibly even the odd supermarket, and they do a good job, really easy to apply and last for months.

As above, if you want to make a really good job of it, do the prep first, wash, clay, wash, etc. Paintwork should be glassy smooth, then polish. Followed by wax/sealant.

Whatever you do, don't go out and buy the cheapest wax unless you want to do it every other week.

Thanks for all the replies, as you can tell I know nothing about this and all the different treatments that can be applied. I have learnt that I don't want polish and need some kind of sealant/coating product.

@somafunk,

it’s not been washed since as the dirt/grime washes off by itself in the rain

this is what I am trying to achieve 🙂

I think a detailer may be what I need.

Polish? Sounds like me from a year ago. Seems polish is used to refine the surface of the paint. Who knew? Works differently from wood polish.

what you might want is a wax. Possibly a ‘ceramic’ sealant. Or something crazy like a wrap.

another vote for that turtle wax spray on wax. Works nicely. I did get a carnuba wax: ‘bilt hamber’. Very relaxing to apply but no better than turtle wax and nowhere near as fast.

If you want easy application with a good result/beading of water then get the AutoGlym polar range as the sealant really does make it bleed and as it’s applied via a snow canon it’s really easy to use.

The turtle wax and auto glym seem to be the sort of thing I was thinking of. Spray on, rub in with a cloth and then it forms a coating for a few weeks/months. Although it's a company/lease car I still like it to be clean when I visit customers or the office but I want keeping it clean to be as easy as I can make it. Like most things, if it turn out to be more hassle than it's worth then it won't last. 🙂

Even on a new car, or perhaps especially on a new car, either clay bar or something like Mother's Gold prewax cleaner and glaze is a requirement for a really good finish. Removes 'fallout' and oxidation from the surface. But itself makes the paint remarkably smooth. Follow that with a coat of sealer then a couple of coats of carnauba wax. Water will run right off. Dirt is pretty much gone with a spray of the hose and a quick wipe. Redo the wax every 6 months or so, you'll be fine for 4 years. If it starts getting less slippy, repeat from step one.

Thanks to those who recommended the G-Tech C2v3 a bottle arrived this am. Gave it a quick test on the bonnet as it’s too hot to do the car. Came up amazing.

I’ll get a photo once’s I’ve done the whole car.

Our car is one year old in July and only done 3000 miles. However, it's bright orange and there was a lot of black specks in the paint which wouldn't wash off.

So I had my first experiment with clay bar from Halfords. Think I paid a fiver. I was shocked at the amount of embedded grime I found all over the body and it's quite satisfying to see it slowly vanishing.

One bar was more than enough to do the whole car and it gives you a much smoother surface to work with before you apply anything else.

I also picked up some cheap Simoniz wax and I've been watching the rain bead up and run off the roof and bonnet ever since. I'm planning to do the full car when I've got time.

I did buy some alloy wheel cleaner which is crap though. My pound shop muc-off copy is better.

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/product-group-tests/63776/best-car-wax-and-sealant

Claying is an eye opener first time. I recommend a mitt, easier to use than a bar, try the G3 farcela.
I use ironx for fallout
If op, or anyone actually, is near se19, I have some products I bought in gallons as it's cheaper, and could fill a smaller bottle for you.

2nd the autoglym stuff. My car is 19 years old and puts most cars to shame how good it looks.

Srp is decent it's a triple action product, gentle polish, fillers (reduces appearance of fine swirls) and wax on one. The are similar products from other makes. Egp is a sealant, and I find it easy to use and long lasting. In general sealants last longer, waxes shine better. You can wax over a sealant.

The rapid aqua wax is also good, it's a detailer or drying aid. I've loads of BSD from Sonax, which is a bit shinier and a bit longer lasting (I had both and did half the car in each to test). BSD is an older product these days and quick detailers get better and better.

A good thorough clean, prep, polish, seal once a year, with a top up of quick detailer each wash, and a car will stay in very very good nick

The OP’s query was around a brand new car so claying and auto glym SRP are overkill at this stage.

I’m personally a fan of autoglym products and got really good results using clay, shampoo, srp and egp on a 2.5 year old car that was noticeably rough to the touch, but this wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) affect a brand new car.

For the least hassle approach if you own a pressure washer then the auto glym polar blast, wash and seal combination gives really good results with very little effort. Polar Seal has to be seen to be believed as your watery spray turns to beading as it hits the paintwork. There is a sample pack available containing all three to allow you to try it as the full set is not cheap but will last several years.

If you have time and the inclination then the UHD shampoo and wax will give a noticeably deeper shine, the wax lasts 6 months(ish) so it’s a wash with the UHD shampoo and a quick dry with aqua wax every few weeks. It’s a new style of wax that is easier to apply than egp. Extra touches like fast glass for windows and instant tyre dressing for tyres can give it the “just valeted” look for a little more effort.

This is based on autoglym products that I’ve found to be consistently good, but also a bit more expensive than average. You could save some cash by replacing each of these products from a combination of the other makes that are readily available.

I'd disagree, a new car can will have contamination in the paint after transport so a clay is worthwhile. Particularly if going for a ceramic coating, get the paint prepped and it will bond better. Srp... Depends, again plenty of new cars have swirled paint from the dealer staff that know no better using an old sponge and single bucket to wash it after arrival.

Note if you are going to do any serious paint correction, you'll need a polisher, hand polishing won't do much. Shouldn't need that on a new car, unless you are chasing concourse standard.

My neighbour gave me some T-cut colour fast to get rid of some hedge scratches which did a great job, so what's the difference between that and clay?

T-cut is a fine abrasive that flattens imperfections, clay is a sticky compound (think extra strong blu-tac) that pulls embedded dirt from the paint work

Any thoughts on what to do for matte paint? Got a matte grey car coming in October. Never really worried about ceramic coating or anything before, and I definitely cba cleaning and polishing all the time. I might be convinced that something applied from new might help look after the paint in the long run. Didn't bother on the metallic finish on the last car 11 years ago and that still looks fine (for an old car).

What happens with ceramics when they start to fail?

I can just wax over the waxed car but ceramics seem to be putting a hard layer between the paint and the world. When they start to fail , do you just sand back and touch up like peeling varnish on wood or what?

Seriously interested before I cough the money

The OP’s query was around a brand new car so claying and auto glym SRP are overkill at this stage.

It really isn't. Unless your dealer does a much better detailing job prior to delivery. If you run your finger very lightly across the paint if a new car, you will feel the debris stuck in the paint. You can often see it too. If you look closely on a light coloured car you can often see what looks like tiny rust spots. It is actually caused by metal dust off train wheels, transport brakes etc that get embedded in the paint. If you are going to go to the trouble of dealing and waxing you will want to start with a clean surface.

Wca, I don't know and it's a good question. I suspect they are easily removed with a gentle polish tbh but not sure

My go to is the Turtle wax hydrophobic sealant.
Car now has a decent level of protection such that it doesn’t get too dirty between washes .
Ten minutes with this and car is nicely protected and has a good level of gloss.

Managed a coat on nearly all panels this afternoon while it clouded a little. Need to spend some time around the grill removing the wildlife before doing that. I need practice with the clay bar too. However, it’s come up good.

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Looking good!

Did you use a lubricant with the clay?
I just use heavily watered down car shampoo. Amazing what the clay pulls out!

No, just water I might try that next time. Yeah it’s a colour that really stands out. Thanks.

Collinite 476s is a superb carnauba wax  and will give you a good 5-6 months of protection.

Did you use a lubricant with the clay?
I just use heavily watered down car shampoo. Amazing what the clay pulls out!

That's what I did my first time. A splash of car shampoo in a squirty bottle. I couldn't belive how much crap came off and you can feel with your fingers how much smoother the surface is.

It really isn’t. Unless your dealer does a much better detailing job prior to delivery.

Our car was scruffy when we collected it last year but I couldn't blame the dealer as there were gale force winds and an absolute sand storm at the time. All the cars were covered in dust. Still, after the first wash I could see how swirly and contaminated the paint was.

I quite enjoy doing it now that I'm on top of it.

Collinite 476s is a superb carnauba wax and will give you a good 5-6 months of protection.

I used to use Collinite, and it is good, but it's a pain in the behind to apply. Been using Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection since then and I really don't think I could go back. It lasts just as long, and it's like water, you wipe it on and wipe it off. Job done.

EGP is a sealant, not a wax, they tend to last longer but waxes have a bit more shine. The higher the shine the less staying power unfortunately.
I like EGP, and if I'm really going for it I'll wax over the top...pourboys natty wax still got half a pot after 6 years... Less is more, you don't need much of any wax

Oh and super soapy water is a fine clay lube.

I put several coats of Autoglym High Definition Wax on my car when it was new and I’ve reapplied it probably 3 times in 3 years. I wash with snow foam and Autoglym shampoo and the paintwork is still very shiny with very few swirl marks. It could probably do with a full treatment now though - clay, polish, wax etc. Ive tried loads of brands of waxes and polishes and I keep going back to Autoglym for the finishing products. They are by far the best IMO. Ive started using them on my bike in preference to MucOff now too and I much prefer the results....

On clay bar: anyone ever had the experience that it damages or thins out paintwork? I did it to my last car and the wing ended up looking like a camouflage pattern. I think it may have had a cheapo respray before I had it, and I needed to wax the buggery out of it before it went back to normal.