In My Garage

In my first Car Care Myth article, I shed some light on what’s in your carnauba wax. Now, let’s look at one of the more baffling terminology distinctions in the world of car care… polish vs. wax. These two words have been confused and misused longer than Audi and Mercedes have been trying to build a car better than the M3.

Polishes are lightly-abrasive products designed to remove very thin layers of material (paint, chrome, glass, etc), removing imperfections like scratches and swirl marks. Abrasives, you say? Yep. But don’t go dumping all your polishes in the garbage… in many cases the thickness of the material removed cannot even be measured! And Griot’s Garage polishes are mild enough to be used over and over again without fear of damaging your car. That said, it is always best to only polish when necessary. You don’t always have to polish before waxing; only when the paint needs it.

Waxes are designed to protect the paint, while providing maximum color, depth, and clarity. Generally, waxes should be applied every 3 months to ensure your paint is being properly protected. You can always check the life of your wax by looking at the size of the water beads (smaller is better). If the beads start getting around the size of a dime, carve out some time in an upcoming weekend for a little garage therapy!

Always remember… Polish is to perfect, wax is to protect.