You decided to navigate all the different offerings and packages that Pitt Stop Detail & Auto Sales can do for you, but you can’t decide on exactly what your vehicle might need. While you know it needs interior detailing and odor removal, and you know it needs to be washed and detailed outside, you cannot decide if your car needs to be waxed or polished. In fact, you aren’t even sure what the difference is between the two. We can help you understand the difference.

Waxing

When you wax your car, truck, or SUV, you are applying a protective clear coating to the surface of your vehicle. The paint that covers your vehicle is susceptible to a lot of wear and tear. From harmful UV rays to microparticles that build up over time, there is a lot that can damage your paint. When you wax your vehicle, you are adding an extra layer of protection to the paint. While waxing won’t stop damage from a collision and can degrade over time, it will prevent further damage from the sun’s rays, reduce dirt and dust, and allow for water to bead up and roll away, leaving behind a gleaming shine.

Polishing

On the other hand, polish is a corrective technique for your vehicle. From micro scratches in the paint to chips and dents, polish smooths out the surface in order to reset the appearance of the paint. Almost like fine sanding a piece of wood, polish will take away a thin layer of the paint. This is also a great technique if you have built up rust on a small portion of your vehicle and need that area repaired. Even older cars can benefit from being polished as the service can restore a shine to the appearance of the paint.

When to do each

The two techniques are not exclusive of one another. Waxing is a regular maintenance that should be done, according to Carparts.com, two to four times a year, depending on geographic factors and frequency of use. When water stops beading up, you know it is time for a new coat of wax. They recommend your vehicle is polished once a year because we all get little dings and scratches as part of regular driving. You don’t want to polish your vehicle more frequently because there are layers of paint that are removed as part of the process. Whenever you have your vehicle polished, you should wax it as part of the service to protect the work just put in to restoring your paint.

To schedule your wax or polish with Pitt Stop Detail & Auto Sales, contact us today. Waxing and Polishing services come with our expert attention to detail. Both services are time consuming for you and we can complete the work to bring your vehicle back to tip top shape.