Best car polish/wax | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks

Thu 2 Apr 2009 19:05

Best car polish/wax - bristol01

Good evening,

What is the best way to keep a car looking good? There seem to be a lot of waxes, polishes, sealants (whatever they are?) etc. out there, ranging from under a fiver to £40+ - how do others on this list keep their motors spick and span? I wash my motor with a bucket of water and sponge with a cap full of car shampoo in it, rinse and dry with a chamois, and have used turtle wax in the past, but this has now run out.

Cheers,

B01

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 2 Apr 2009 19:09

Best car polish/wax - stunorthants26

I use Autosmart G101 prewash, follow up with Autosmart Duet car wash, then dry off with Vileda Flunkey.
I remove tar with white spirit, sprayed on and removed with soft cloth, then wax it with Autosmart Carnuba Gold. Does for me.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 2 Apr 2009 19:14

Best car polish/wax - Old Navy

Auto Express has a car care special and product review this week, also online.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 3 Apr 2009 07:51

Best car polish/wax - L'escargot

Auto Express has a car care special and product review this week also online.

Yertiz.
tinyurl.com/cgcxh8

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 2 Apr 2009 19:19

Best car polish/wax - Roly93

I have tried loads of waxes over the last couple of years, as I usually buy a new or fairly new car which has to live outside.
I have tried the 'usual suspects' ie Meigars and Autoglym Super Resin which are okay. But by a wide margin, the best polish I have ever come across is the BMW Hardwax With Nanotechnology. It goes on like milky water, buffs of dead easily, leaves no marks of any type on any surfaces, and still beads after numerous washes and several months.

The only problem with this stuff is that it only really suits cars with fairly newish paintwork as it has zero cutting capability.

I got all of mine on Ebay for about £8 a bottle. I suspect you could double or treble this from a BMW dealer, but it would still be worth it.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 2 Apr 2009 19:36

Best car polish/wax - Pica

I have just used some Sonus swirlbuster SFX2 and followed on with some Meguiars Gold class wax (both machine applied) after a full claying and then some carnauba wax by hand the result is amazing :)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 2 Apr 2009 20:11

Best car polish/wax - bell boy

Personally i suggest no polish at all and let nature take its revenge
this way i can bid less at auction before i get to buff it ;-)
i use concept polish but basically anything is better than nowt
i am at the moment trialing autosmart stuff which seems superb

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 2 Apr 2009 20:44

Best car polish/wax - stunorthants26

>>i am at the moment trialing autosmart stuff which seems superb<<

Ive used it for nearly 12 years for that very reason - ive found nothing that gives both the range and cost effectiveness coupled with results.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 2 Apr 2009 21:34

Best car polish/wax - runboy

Don't forget polish isn't wax - some car magazine tests don't!

You can spend hundreds on products if you like, or just a few quid on getting the right products. I don't go mad, but ensure I wash the car with a decent lambswool mitt, dry with a microfibre, then polish and wax with Autoglym stuff. Not the cheapest but not expensive and gives good results. Every so often I top up the wax with a spray detailer and this keep the shine deep and the water beading off.

Have a look on some "detailing" forums if you really want to get into the art of spending hours on your cars bodywork!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 2 Apr 2009 21:56

Best car polish/wax - Blue {P}

Try Collinite 416 if you want something that gives a reasonable shine and lasts for months. It's widely respected by many in the detailing community as a good all-rounder.

There are higher shine waxes out there but they can be very expensive and generally need re-applying much more regularly.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 2 Apr 2009 22:05

Best car polish/wax - ifithelps

At the risk of appearing a detailing and polishing peasant, I use the coloured polishes - they do a decent job of hiding minor scratches.

A good everyday solution if you can't be bothered to get really into car cleaning.

The OP mentioned using a sponge for the wash, a no-no as I understood it because the grit is ground into the paintwork.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 2 Apr 2009 22:12

Best car polish/wax - stunorthants26

>>The OP mentioned using a sponge for the wash, a no-no as I understood it because the grit is ground into the paintwork.<<

What a load of old rubbish. If you clean your sponge before you use it, there is no reason whatsoever for anyone to be grinding grit into paintwork. People are just lazy and if they scratch their car by such utter follishness, good, its what they deserve.
I might clean cars everyday and find it not in the least taxing, but its not rocket science, just common sense.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 2 Apr 2009 23:42

Best car polish/wax - cattleman6

runboy. I always like Autoglym super resin polish, it is outstanding. I also have the Autoglym sealant which I used to use a lot,it protects best. ( putting it on top of polish takes a lot of time though). I used to do it. I also use "wonderwheels" cleaner on my alloy wheels. The car really looks good after the super resin polish and the wonderwheels. Once on my previous car I had little spots of paint prayed from someone painting a door in heavy wind. Luckily I had the autogly sealant on and the paint drops came off with extremely hard work. So I respect the sealant!!!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 2 Apr 2009 23:29

Best car polish/wax - bell boy

>>i am at the moment trialing autosmart stuff which seems superb<<

Ive used it for nearly 12 years for that very reason - ive found nothing

that gives both the range and cost effectiveness coupled with results.

>>> yes
the products are first class
good priced
demonstrated
samples left to try in your own time
and a man with interest in his job

but what do we know as we only do it for a living

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 2 Apr 2009 22:01

Best car polish/wax - daveyjp

"BMW Hardwax With Nanotechnology"

From your description it sound exactly like Mer to me - it has the colour and texture of double cream. I mix it with water, wipe it over the car, leave to dry then polish it off.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 2 Apr 2009 22:22

Best car polish/wax - andyp

I used to love the results i got with Simoniz Original (the solid block of wax in a yellow tin), but it sure was hard work - and definately not something you used in direct sunlight !

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 2 Apr 2009 23:03

Best car polish/wax - oldtoffee

>>What a load of old rubbish. If you clean your sponge before you use it, there is no reason whatsoever for anyone to be grinding grit into paintwork.

Hmm, not sure I agree and I know you're in the business. I'm a keen amateur and I can see and have seen first hand the results of using a lambswool mitt or cotton fibre mitt with the two bucket method where the surface dirt can be kept away from the paint surface. A sponge is just going to move it aound the paint even if you rinse it after each panel. OK if your paint is "hard" protected with a good wax or sealant then it's far less of an issue but low protection and regular sponge washing will result in damaged top coat with visible swirl marks and hazing.

I'm a 100% convert to a light polish and subsequent glaze/sealant and on my car it's lasted so much better than any Autoglym or Meguiars wax I've tried. After 10,000 miles in the last 4 months there's zero loss in shine and minimal surface contaminants; everything just slides off on washing. I'd recommend checking out detailing world or polished bliss for excellent tips and advice on this kind of stuff.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 3 Apr 2009 00:09

Best car polish/wax - stunorthants26

>>Hmm, not sure I agree and I know you're in the business. I'm a keen amateur and I can see and have seen first hand the results of using a lambswool mitt or cotton fibre mitt with the two bucket method where the surface dirt can be kept away from the paint surface<<

The trick is to use a proper pre-wash which removes anything bigger than a grain of sand. Mine does, so that by the time a sponge gets near the paint, there is very little dirt on there. Any method is open to failure, but I dont scratch cars and since I can be cleaning up to 5 a day, I think id notice if I was as Im very self-critical of my work.
Ive been cleaning the same Merc SLK for 6 years and it doesnt even have a light scratch on it, let alone something grit would do, so ill stand by what I say.
Its not the method of application, its the prep.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 3 Apr 2009 01:00

Best car polish/wax - Stuartli

>>.. I mix it with water, wipe it over the car, leave to dry then polish it off. >>

And, presumably, spending hours trying to get it off the windscreen so that the wipers will work properly and not make it almost impossible to see out of the screen?

One of the reasons I don't use car wash 'n wax type products, including Mer, other than to apply them purely to bodywork.

Edited by Stuartli on 03/04/2009 at 01:02

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 3 Apr 2009 08:32

Best car polish/wax - Roger Jones

"I also have the Autoglym sealant which I used to use a lot,it protects best. ( putting it on top of polish takes a lot of time though)."

That surprises me. Applying Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection (EGP) is dead easy and quick, although it's best to allow it time to cure -- the longer the better -- before buffing off, which is also very easy. Applying and buffing Autoglym Super Resin Polish takes much more effort and time. Using EGP also means that polishing can be done less frequently, e.g. use EGP every month and polish every three months. HJ recommends two coats.

No doubt other manufacturers have similar products. I suspect the reality is much like the use of engine oil: it matters less what brand is used than the frequency of use and the care that's taken using the car or doing the cleaning job.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 3 Apr 2009 09:22

Best car polish/wax - Roger Jones

A comprehensive set of reviews at AutoExpress:

tinyurl.com/PolishReviews

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 3 Apr 2009 19:41

Best car polish/wax - Roly93

"BMW Hardwax With Nanotechnology"

From your description it sound exactly like Mer to me - it has the colour

and texture of double cream. I mix it with water wipe it over the car

leave to dry then polish it off.

>>
No it is absolutely not like Mer at all.
I used Mer years ago on my car and on my boat hull, I personally didn't like the stuff at all.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 3 Apr 2009 11:25

Best car polish/wax - turbo11

Autoglym super resin polish then a nice coat of Harly wax, which is 100% pure yellow carnuba wax. I do this twice a year. The results are fantastic.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 3 Apr 2009 12:32

Best car polish/wax - jonmac

I've used Mer for years, easy to apply. Give it a couple of applications and it will give a very good shine. Will last all winter . Just go over with chamois leather after a wash. I have a black car and gives a super sheen.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 3 Apr 2009 13:34

Best car polish/wax - Dynamic Dave

I've used Mer for years

Gets my vote too.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 3 Apr 2009 13:48

Best car polish/wax - Pica

I use MER in the shower enclosure (not on me but on the wall tiles and glass surround) - does a nice job

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 3 Apr 2009 14:14

Best car polish/wax - DP

I can't remember the last time I waxed a car, but my cars get a hand wash and chamois about four or five times a year on average, usually followed by a coat of Auto Glym SRP. I have nothing but praise for SRP - it brings both cars up beautifully.

Car detailing is for people with far more time on their hands than I have. And probably nicer cars too.

Cheers
DP

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 3 Apr 2009 14:17

Best car polish/wax - bristol01

Thanks everyone for your replies: very interesting, and I shall follow up on the suggestions. I have recently bought a nearly new car (Toyota Verso) which willl not be garaged so am looking for an effective way of protecting it. My last car was red and some of the paint had become oxidised. It was clobbered by a delivery lorry (fair play to the driver who left his details) and when it was returned from the body shop it looked great and all the oxidisation had been dealt with. I meant to ask them how they did it but never got round to doing so.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 3 Apr 2009 14:34

Best car polish/wax - maximus

Just to say that the easiest way that I've found (and quick) is to wash the car as usual and then before leathering apply turtle wax 'wax it wet'. It may not last as long as other finishes, and is probably best on fairly new cars, but, boy is it easy and it does protect for some time. Basically you can use it every time you wash without taking any extra effort.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Thu 12 Dec 2013 10:49

Best car polish/wax - sharkpolitur

The best car polish, wax in the world & other care care products are Made in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Scandinavia, Italy, France, UK.

In EU regulation doesn't allow to write ex. Made in Germany if the product was Made in China, this is what happens when you buy an American Made in USA products, many of them are produced from cheapest chemical formula's used for polish or wax, all in China, then US company packages it at home & put a sticker Made in USA. It's lies. Many famous US, UK brands ex. Meguiar's (which belongs to 3M), Turtle Wax etc. they produce ineffective products that sit inside a beautiful packed bottle with nice & shiny (Chiny) label but inside is "cat in the bag" old technology, cheapest ingredients.

Words like nano polymer, synthetic wax, carnauba wax have no meaning when they come from many (most) US brands, inside is the same polish or wax you can buy in the nearest DIY warehouse from the cheapest manufacturer for much, much less. The result will be the same.

There are some exceptions in USA too, but it's better to avoid US Made brands if you are not familiar how they produce it, from what & where.

On the opposite, in EU there is a clear law, if German company produces ex. in Chech Republic, Poland, Slovakia etc. they then either write Made in EU or just write company's address in Germany. All the products that are Made in Germany are really Made in Germany to the highest standards, same as products from other W. European countries & UK.

Made in Germany car care products list below

So I recommend the following products all made in Germany, Suisse, Austria, UK, Scandinavia, Italy, France, Netherlands & EU plus few US & Australia, Japan brands:

Akemi, Abacus, Alclear, ATG Professional, Aparoli, Autobrilliant (Germany, Swiss), Autosol, Abel Auto, Autoglym, Berner, Brestol, Caramba, Carlack, Carlofon, Chem-Tools, Cleanproducts, Collo, Car System Rohde, Dr. Keddo, Dr. O.K. Wack, Einszett or1Z, Eibenstock (polishers & other tools), Elsterglanz, Ernst Chemie, Erste Hilfe, Farecla, Festool (polishers & more), Fein (polishers & tools), Förch, Frescura, Glanol, Gollit, Grojet, GS27, HaWe (tools), Holts Auto, Hortega, Innotec, Joybond (Japan), Karipol, Kim-Tec, Kimicar, Kitten Car Care, Kenotek, Koch Chemie, Krauss (battery polishers & more), Krown (Canada), Lexol, Leonax, Louis (motorbike), Luster Lace, Makra, Mathy Universal, MGE Car Cosmetic, Motip, Maxolen (Swiss), Mer Aut***ine Technologie, NeoClean, Nanoconcept, Nanoparat, Nanolex, Nanoplast, Normfest, Nigrin, Peter's Best, Petzoldt's, Pingo, ProTec, Polish Angel, Preimess, Prima, Porzelack, Race Glaze, Rot Weiss, Ravenol, Schweizer Effax, Scholl Concepts, Sesam Autopflege, Singoli, Stark, Surf City Garage, Suter-Kunstoffe, Route 66, Tornador Bendel, Technolit, TDKW Carclean, Valet Pro, Voodoo Ride, Victoria-Online, Wigo, Xerapol, Wynn's, Zaino Brothers, Zymöl, 22Ple, 303 Products.

If you live in UK or other English speaking country, then try to write in search after each brand name words like: car care or in German Autopflege, politur because many of these companies are small & sell only in some parts of W. Europe so not easy to find them on the internet.

I use the best products in car care, so should you.

Mark's Best Nano Polish & Wax

Sharkpolitur

sharkpolitur.webs.com/

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Ask Honest John

Sell Your Car

Real MPG

Fuel Calculator