3M Finesse-It Polish Compound, 320 77197, 3.785L 1 US gallon 4 ea/Case

What’s the difference between car wax and polish?

Car wax and car polish are two very different things. While car polish is used to remove defects from a car’s ‘coat’, car wax protects that coat. Car wax is essentially a protective layer which keeps a car looking shiny and new, regardless of age. Alternatively, when you use car polish you are using an abrasive (therefore, hopefully on your car’s wax coat instead of the paint work itself). Many people use polish to remove grease, dirt and light scratches from paint (to reveal undamaged paint underneath). A good car wax can reduce the need or frequency of car polishing altogether.

What kind of car wax is best?

You will notice car wax comes in the form of pastes, liquids, sprays and more. They all provide a protective and glossy finish, but sprays are quickest to apply. Pastes can be more difficult and time-consuming, but offer longer lasting results. Somewhere in between, we have liquid. Many car aficionados believe the more effort you put in, the better the result, but all car waxes are worth their money.

Car wax tends to be made from either natural sources (like carnauba plant) or synthetic silicones. Typically, pastes are natural and liquid are synthetic, using man-made polymers or resins rather than oils.

Typically, lighter-coloured vehicles look better with synthetic waxes and darker vehicles look better with natural waxes.