Used in polishes to mechanically remove oxidation and smooth the edges of fine scratches and swirl marks thereby reducing or removing their appearance. Abrasives used are made of aluminum silicate or kaolin clay. Polishes vary in polishing strength based on the percentage of abrasive (by weight) is contained in the product.

These spots are produced when the sun evaporates standing water on the vehicle's surface. They fall into two categories, mineral deposits and acid-etched spots. Mineral deposits are white, calcium or salt deposits left on the surface after water evaporates. These deposits can be easily removed with a pre-wax cleaner (polish) or a clay bar. Acid-etched spots are depressions in the paint or clear coat. Acid etched spots are removed by removing the very thin, layer of paint or clear coat that contains the defect. This is accomplished by compounding, polishing and finishing with a wax or sealant.

This generic term can mean literally anything from compounding to wiping the wax off by hand. It simply depends on who you ask.

Obtained from the leaves of the carnauba palm found in the forests of South America and used primarily in waxes as the main source of protection. Carnauba in its purest form is very hard and brittle. Carnauba goes through a process of being mixed with petroleum solvents to soften it so that it can be easily applied.

(Also called rotary or high-speed polishers) These are the same professional, machine polishers used by automakers and body shops for removing sanding swirls, scratches and paint defects. These machines are best used for compounding which abrades away or levels the top paint surface. The pads do rotate on circular polishers. Most circular polishers have detent speed settings which allow the operator to control the speed up to a pre-determined limit. Many enthusiasts are afraid of these machines but they shouldn't be. When used in the 900 to 1100 rpm range, these machines are very safe for novice users. Unlike orbital polishers where the pad is used flat on the surface, a circular machine is tilted slightly to work only on the side of the pad. Professionals will use a circular polisher to remove swirls, scratches and paint defects and then follow with an orbital polisher for polishing (removing compounding haze) and finishing (applying a wax or paint sealant). The Makita 9227 and DeWalt 849 are examples of circular polishers.

A natural earth element which was utilized beginning in the early part of the 1900�s to remove overspray contaminants such as paint overspray, rail dust and encrusted sap from the paintwork of cars. Contrary to popular belief, clay does not remove oxidation or enhance depth and gloss which is the purpose of paintwork polish. Use once or twice a year in conjunction with your polishing and wax regimen to remove contaminants in the paintwork that polishes can not remove.

Clear non-pigmented paint usually made of polyurethane (PU). Clear Coat is applied as a second coat over a base coat of pigmented paint in two-stage paint finishes commonly referred as base coat/clear coat finishes. Clear coat contains UV inhibitors. Contrary to popular belief, clear coat is not maintenance-free and does degrade like pigmented paint due to UV rays and acid rain. Therefore it needs to be polished on a regular basis to maintain depth, gloss, and longevity to keep the original wet-look finish.

Using a compound to remove paint imperfections, oxidation, scratches, stains, and other blemishes.

A grease applied to vehicles prior to transport to inhibit rust formation on exterior metal parts. While vehicles are cleaned at points of distribution before delivery to dealers, traces of cosmoline may seep out of exterior trim crevices

Refers to paint that is applied at either the factory (original finish) or a refinishing paint/body shop and is 30 days or older.

Same as compounding, just a more specific term. "Cutting" means using an abrasive to "cut" into the paint finish.

(Also called orbital polishers) These machine polishers mimic the random motion of hand application. The pad does not rotate, it oscillates in very short movements. It will appear that the pads on these machines just "vibrate" on the surface. This is correct. The pad is not supposed to "turn". Orbital polishers offer the greatest safety as they can not generate enough heat or cut to damage the paint. Because the pad does not rotate, orbital polishers can not create swirls. These are excellent machines for enthusiasts but are also used by professionals for finish polishing, final waxing and buffing. These polishers can remove very light swirls but can not remove deeper swirls, scratches or paint imperfections. The Porter Cable 7424 is an example of a dual-action or orbital polisher.

A fiber applied to marine vehicles that comprise of glass-fiber reinforced plastic. Gel coats can be polished safely polished and waxed but we prefer a marine gel coat product over wax.

Smoothing out a paint finish by cutting the "peaks" down to the level of the "valleys", thus "leveling" the paint finish. This is usually necessary on fresh paint when it has orange peel.

(Also called dual-action polishers) These machine polishers mimic the random motion of hand application. The pad does not rotate, it oscillates in very short movements. It will appear that the pads on these machines just "vibrate" on the surface. This is correct. The pad is not supposed to "turn". Orbital polishers offer the greatest safety as they can not generate enough heat or cut to damage the paint. Because the pad does not rotate, orbital polishers can not create swirls. These are excellent machines for enthusiasts but are also used by professionals for finish polishing, final waxing and buffing. These polishers can remove very light swirls but can not remove deeper swirls, scratches or paint imperfections. The Porter Cable 7424 is an example of a dual-action or orbital polisher.