To answer this question properly, the condition and color of your paint needs to be addressed. The reason I say the color is this, we all know a dark color i.e. black, dark blue even red show more imperfections then any other color. If you can see swirl marks ( not scratches ) swirl marks are from previous high speed polishing ( buffer ). Swirl marks mean that the proper steps were not taken during the high speed process. A lot of detail shops are more or less a production type shop, make it shine and get it out the door. When a high speed buffer is used there needs to be a minimum of 3 stages of polishing to properly treat the paint and address each and every type of problem that the paint has. What I mean by production type detail shop is this, to get all the imperfections out you need to be buffing ( high speed ) on avg a one sq ft x one sq ft area when buffing with the CLEANER polish. A production shop will usuaully buff a much bigger area i.e. buffing half the hood in one step. Unless your car is being color sanded ( wet sanded ) or you have some really deep scratches ( that you can see white within the scratch ) there is NO NEED to use an abrasive material like a compound, NEVER. That is the main reason why people have swirl marks, because a shop used an abrasive compound and then just used a orbital polisher or by hand applied a wax.. This is just masking ( hiding ) the swirl marks. After the wax is washed off after a few washes your gonna see the swirls again. If you are using an abrasive compound in step one step two HAS to be a polishing cream or polish. This step eliminates the swirl marks by polishing them out. Lets remember swirl marks are scratches from either using a compound and or using a wool pad or a cutting foam pad. If i polish a car I either use one of these two pads ( wool or cutting pad ) THEN use a polishing pad in step two. Step three is applying your glaze or sealant, I myself mix glaze and a sealant together in the same bottle and apply this mixture for step three.
I kind of went off here but all a wax will do is mask your paints problems. So if you have swirl marks or what I call spider web scratches everywhere ( these are from normal washing or drying your car that are more visible on dark colors ) a wax will only hide your issue.
How you wash your car will help you SO MUCH in the care of your paint. I cringe when I see someone washing a car and I see them wash the hood then fender then wheel then go down the side and wash down by the rocker panel then wash the door etc etc etc.. I have two wash mitts one for the top panels and the sides, I don't wash below side moulding on the door with this mitt. Then I grab the second mitt and wash all the glass then below the door moulding's then the rockers then wheels. If you follow this washing procedure I guarantee you will eliminate a lot of the damage that is done while washing the car.If you have nicer aftermarket wheels I would suggest a mitt just for your wheels. The areas that collect and hold onto most of the dirt are all of your glass wheels and lower sides of cars, so if your using one mitt and just washing all over and not in stages or steps your smearing all that dirt and grime all over the car which of course is going to scratch your paint everywhere.
So after all that if you don't have major paint issues stick with a GOOD GLAZE and SEALANT. Read the label if you see alcohol or any type of animal fat stay away both of these will dry out your paint in a heart beat. Think of your paint like your skin, if you put alcohol on your skin it's gonna dry out, right? Same for your paint. Your paint has pores in it just like your skin if the pores in your skin get clogged your skin gets oily. If the pores in your paint get clogged and cant breath your paint is going to oxidize and become brittle and not have a lot of defense against scratching etc. So how you care for your paint starts with how you wash it.. Please don't use the broom brushes at your local do it yourself car washes!!!!!! Just remember if you buy a product off the shelf at your parts store you will need to apply this product more frequently, then say a professional product.
Apply your glaze sealant or whatever you use the same way I explained how to wash your car TOP TO BOTTOM. Also do one panel at a time when applying your paint protection this will not allow the paint protection time to completely. Use two wipe off cloths ( fold em up into squares ) one to take off the first layer of paint protection then the second one to do the final wipe down. I promise you if you do it this way, wash and apply the paint protection and removal with two cloths you will find it to be way less harsh on your paint and easier to care for your paint..
Again myself I stay away from waxes because all they do is mask they don't treat and protect the pores in your paint like a glaze and sealant will protect.
What brand to use depends on you, it's all in the proper prep work before the paint protection is applied and how it is applied that really truly counts, and of course how often you wash and apply paint protection.
Sorry for the length of this but I hope it helps someone!!!
Bob
I kind of went off here but all a wax will do is mask your paints problems. So if you have swirl marks or what I call spider web scratches everywhere ( these are from normal washing or drying your car that are more visible on dark colors ) a wax will only hide your issue.
How you wash your car will help you SO MUCH in the care of your paint. I cringe when I see someone washing a car and I see them wash the hood then fender then wheel then go down the side and wash down by the rocker panel then wash the door etc etc etc.. I have two wash mitts one for the top panels and the sides, I don't wash below side moulding on the door with this mitt. Then I grab the second mitt and wash all the glass then below the door moulding's then the rockers then wheels. If you follow this washing procedure I guarantee you will eliminate a lot of the damage that is done while washing the car.If you have nicer aftermarket wheels I would suggest a mitt just for your wheels. The areas that collect and hold onto most of the dirt are all of your glass wheels and lower sides of cars, so if your using one mitt and just washing all over and not in stages or steps your smearing all that dirt and grime all over the car which of course is going to scratch your paint everywhere.
So after all that if you don't have major paint issues stick with a GOOD GLAZE and SEALANT. Read the label if you see alcohol or any type of animal fat stay away both of these will dry out your paint in a heart beat. Think of your paint like your skin, if you put alcohol on your skin it's gonna dry out, right? Same for your paint. Your paint has pores in it just like your skin if the pores in your skin get clogged your skin gets oily. If the pores in your paint get clogged and cant breath your paint is going to oxidize and become brittle and not have a lot of defense against scratching etc. So how you care for your paint starts with how you wash it.. Please don't use the broom brushes at your local do it yourself car washes!!!!!! Just remember if you buy a product off the shelf at your parts store you will need to apply this product more frequently, then say a professional product.
Apply your glaze sealant or whatever you use the same way I explained how to wash your car TOP TO BOTTOM. Also do one panel at a time when applying your paint protection this will not allow the paint protection time to completely. Use two wipe off cloths ( fold em up into squares ) one to take off the first layer of paint protection then the second one to do the final wipe down. I promise you if you do it this way, wash and apply the paint protection and removal with two cloths you will find it to be way less harsh on your paint and easier to care for your paint..
Again myself I stay away from waxes because all they do is mask they don't treat and protect the pores in your paint like a glaze and sealant will protect.
What brand to use depends on you, it's all in the proper prep work before the paint protection is applied and how it is applied that really truly counts, and of course how often you wash and apply paint protection.
Sorry for the length of this but I hope it helps someone!!!
Bob