There is truly nothing quite like a sleek, shiny, and freshly cleaned car. It can be difficult to get the vibe whilst cleaning the car at home, though, and you may feel like no-one will do it as well as your local car wash.
However, you may not always have the time to get your car to the wash yourself, and may want to attempt to get the professional sheen at home. For this, car polish is going to be your very best friend!
Car polish is just one of a variety of products that will help give your car that show-room sheen, and should be used in conjunction with these other products, such as wax and sealant.
That being said, there are also options to get an all in one product that does the polishing, waxing, and sealing for you, saving you a sore, achy arm and a few bucks in the process. This will be explored a little later, of course…
Doing a simple internet search for car polish wields utterly innumerable options, and it can all feel like you are trawling websites for hours debating what polish will be the best for that sleek shine.
However, worry not, because we have decided to do all that hard work for you.
Behold, a full breakdown of the best car polishes available to buy, as well as a whole Guide telling you exactly what you should be looking for in car polish so that you don’t get bogged down with all the mumbo-jumbo.
Then right at the end of the article we have a selection of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to car polishes.
If this sounds like exactly what you need then keep on reading. Don’t forget, if you are in a rush, you can just read our top pick below!
In a hurry to get showroom worthy shine?
Check out Shine Armour’s fabulous Fortify Quick Coat.
- An all-in-one product that can shine, wash and coat in one product
- It is water repellent so doesn’t need to be washed off
- A liquid substance so it is super easy to apply
- Smooths out scrapes and scratches in the paintwork
Top 5 Best Car Polishes
OUR TOP PICK
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Shine Armour Fortify Quick Coat
EDITORS CHOICE
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Carfidant Ultimate Scratch and Swirl Remover
BEST VALUE
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OUR TOP PICK
Shine Armour Fortify Quick Coat
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First up for our choice of the best car polishes is Shine Armour’s incredible Fortify Quick Coat.
This popular product is an All-In-One, meaning it can wash, coat, and shine, all in one handy little bottle.
Along with polishing, it also cuts through dirt and grime. It is a ceramic coating, that is water-repellent, meaning you don’t need to rinse it, rather you should rub it in and off the car.
It is a spray bottle, meaning the type of polish is a liquid. Liquid polishes are one of the easiest products to use, compared with waxes that are far more difficult to rub into your vehicle.
No water is needed for this car wash, meaning the product will help you be environmentally friendly. It lives up to its name too, since it boasts a fabulous fifteen minutes usage time before you see results. Imagine that, showroom shine is less time than it takes you to drive to the car wash and back.
It is safe for all car surfaces, and all you need to do is spray it on and wipe it off – no messing around with mechanical buffers (unless you want to, of course).
In terms of the polishing aspect of this three-in-one quick coat, it easily smooths out scrapes and scratches, giving your vehicle a completely new lease of life. It’s got our vote!
Pros:
- It is a three-in-one product that doesn’t cut on quality. It is a wash, it polishes, and it shines all in one, meaning you can save money by just buying this one product
- You don’t need water to use it, making it an eco-friendly choice
- A spray liquid which means the application is super easy
- It smoothes out paint scratches
- It is safe for all car surfaces
Cons:
- It does not come with a cloth, the recommended cloth for this product must be bought separately
EDITORS CHOICE
Carfidant Ultimate Scratch and Swirl Remover
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Next up we have Carfidant’s Ultimate Scratch and Swirl Remover.
The company benefits from having many years of experience providing car care in the professional automotive industry, so you can rest assured that this product will be top quality.
This product is both polish and paint restorer, making it perfect for any scratches, or general signs of wear and tear. It comes with a buffer pad, to ensure that the application is easy, and the final result is smooth, sleek, and shiny. It can also be used easily with a mechanical buffer if that is your preference.
The product contains a rubbing compound, meaning you can easily buff out water spots and marks caused by oxidation.
It is free of unnecessary chemicals, dyes, and additives, using only the highest premium chemicals for the product.
Pros:
- A professional and well-established company
- It is perfect for gentle scratches in the paintwork and to restore general wear and tear
- It comes with a buffer pad for easy application
- It is free of unnecessary chemicals
Cons:
- It is not as heavy-duty as some other brands and therefore won’t remove deeper scratches that can be felt with a fingernail.
BEST VALUE
Car Guys Hybrid Wax Sealant
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A bestseller, the Hybrid Wax Sealant from Car Guys is another three-in-one product. It is a carnauba car wax, a polish, and a sealant.
We know many people worry about the reduction of quality for these all-in-one products, but this couldn’t be further from the case with Car Guy’s products. It works on all surfaces and colors, meaning you can sleep easy knowing it will suit your car!
The selling point for the fantastic product is that it gives you a showroom finish that will make all your neighbors envious – watch you don’t leave this product on the sidewalk, or don’t be surprised if one of those envious neighbors swipe it up for themselves!
You can get it all done super fast two, as it only takes around fifteen minutes to get that professional sheen we all desire.
Due to being a spray liquid, all you have to do is spray it on your car surface, and rub it in with the cloth provided! Easy peasy, right?
The company recommends that you apply it to a clean, freshly washed, and dry car. However, they also state that many users use the Hybrid Wax Sealant as a drying aid, with excellent results.
Pros:
- Another three-in-one product so you can save yourself some time and money by doing it all with one product
- It works on all surfaces and colors
- It is a spray liquid which means that it is easy to use and even comes with a handy little cloth
- that is recommended for you to use
- It takes just fifteen minutes to get showroom worthy results
Cons:
- Some people may prefer separate products, especially if they already have a certain wax that they use
RUNNER UP
TopCoat F11 Master-Craftsman Polish & Sealer
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TopCoat’s incredible product comes complete with a cloth that is recommended for use when applying this polish and sealer. It even comes with a travel-sized all-purpose polish and sealer, so you can take it on all of those long journeys with you.
It not only shines, polishes, and seals but can also help to improve the depth of color of your paintwork. It is perfect for those who have a keen eye for detail, and for anyone who seeks perfection when it comes to their vehicles.
It gives amazing results after just one coat, however, for the extra wow factor, apply multiple coats to enhance the performance and protection of the product on your car’s paintwork and surfaces.
It helps to smooth out scratches, restore paintwork, harm caused by acid rain, and weather damage. As well as this, it can also help to remove the harm of bug splatter, and even protect from marks left by bird poop!
It’s also free from super harmful substances, and so it can be used in an enclosed space like your garage, rather than having to use it outside.
Pros:
- It is a liquid substance that be easily rubbed into your surface
- It comes with two cloths to be used to apply the product, as well as a travel-sized version
- As well as shining, polishing, and sealing, it can also help to improve the color depth of your paintwork
- Free from harmful substances so can be used in enclosed spaces
Cons:
- Again, as with other three-in-one products, you may prefer to use all of them separately
RUNNER UP
Turtle Wax Polishing Compound & Scratch Remover
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Last but not least is the Polishing Compound and Scratch Remover by Turtle Wax. This product is slightly different from the other products that have been shown so far which have been liquids and sprays.
This product is actually in the form of a heavy-duty paste. Pastes require a little more in terms of elbow grease when working them into your car’s surface, however, do not let this put you off because the results are well worth it! This paste can easily get through those harsh layers of oxidation to smooth out any scratches, leaving you with a smooth and sleek finish. If your finish has previously been dulled and faded, this product is perfect for restoring that.
It is recommended particularly for using between new coats of lacquer and acrylic paint layers. It is safe for all car finishes, as well as being perfect for any surfaces that are painted metal or chrome! The ingredients used are all non-scratching, meaning they won’t be too abrasive on your car surfaces, but still providing an adequate amount of abrasion for smoothing out.
Pros:
- Suitable for painted metal and chrome as well as your car surfaces
- It is a taste which means it can easily penetrate those harsh layers of wear and tear and smooth the scratches underneath
- It can restore faded paintwork, too
- The very light abrasion is great for getting a sleek finish and shine, as well as getting the scrapes out
Cons:
- It requires a little more elbow grease to apply as the paste is thicker than a liquid
- It does not come with a cloth or any tool to rub it in
Best Motor Oil Buying Guide
When you are purchasing a car polish, believe it or not, you shouldn’t just buy one willy-nilly. There are a few things that should first be considered.
Taking careful consideration will ensure that the polish you buy will be suitable for your car because certain car paints will need certain polishes – more on this later – whereas others will need something more abrasive.
So keep on reading to find out the features you should be looking for, and how they will affect your car.
Type of Polish – Consider the Formulation
Various types of car polish can be purchased, namely paste, liquid, and spray. There are even those that class as hybrids.
All of them are formulated slightly differently, with varying effects. To properly examine what the best one is for your car (because there is not one that is better than the other, it is all dependent on your personal needs), they must be looked at separately.
Liquid – A liquid car polish is the sort of middle ground in terms of consistency of the product. Liquid polish can easily be worked into the paint job of your car, making it an easily blendable liquid for all of those pesky little scrapes.
You can get some high-quality liquid car polishes on the market, making this formulation a worthy contender.
Paste – This type of polish is probably one of the most popular formulations around. Even though it is harder to work into your car than other formulations, the work is worth it! It gives excellent results and is arguably the best formulation for filling in any scratches and scrapes.
Spray – Spray polishes are liquid polishes in a spray aerosol bottle. This form of polish is far better for smaller spots, rather than attempting to do the whole car with the aerosol.
Related to the type of polish, is the physical make-up of the product itself. For example, you should consider whether you would like a polish with added silicones, sealants, waxes, and other add-ons. Or, maybe think about whether you would prefer to buy all of those things separately rather than an all in one product.
Application of the Polish
The application of your polish is something to consider, too. You need to think about whether you would rather apply the polish yourself with cloth, or whether a mechanical buffer would be more beneficial.
For example, some polishes, particularly those that have the liquid or aerosol consistency are far easier to work into your car paint job. On the other hand, if paste polish is your penchant, you may find it a little harder to work in by hand. In this case, you may find that a mechanical buffer will be better suited to that particular type of polish.
We always recommend looking at each product that you are interested in individually and seeing what that particular manufacturer recommends. For example, if you cannot easily use your hands due to a health condition, a polish that is not compatible with a mechanical buffer would not be suitable for you.
Likewise, you may not want to bring a mechanical buffer anywhere near your precious car, and in that case, you should choose a polish that is fine to be used by hand, and easy to work in, covering all scratches and scrapes easily.
Some polishes come with cloths and other tools to ensure a proper and complete application. Some brands may even recommend a different product of theirs for the application process, such as branded clothes, sponges, and more. This is because household products may not be suitable to use.
The Abrasiveness of the Polish
Next, we need to talk about abrasion. This sounds scary, we know, especially if you are a newbie to home car care. All polishes have small, rough particles that are used to buff your car, getting rid of any scratches, scrapes, and old paint.
They are super fine and are very, very unlikely to ruin your car paint job, rather they will be doing the exact opposite and improving the overall appearance of your car. What you don’t want is a product that has super scratchy ingredients in there, because that would have adverse effects!
The polish must contain at least some sort of abrasive material. This is so that it will give your car a smooth, sleek finish. This will ensure that the overall surface of the car is primed and ready, and in turn, will help you to achieve the shine that we often see on display cars in showrooms.
Typically, all modern car polishes are very versatile, and they tend to suit most cars’ paintwork. However, it should be noted that not all car polishes are formulated with the same level of abrasiveness, and you should double-check with your car manufacturer what grade of abrasiveness will be most suitable to you.
Alternatively, you could test the polish on a small, well-hidden area of your car to see how well suited it will be for you, taking due care to ensure that you apply it gently at first, with your hands rather than a mechanical buffer.
Doing a test patch will ensure it is suited before you apply it to the whole car. Even if you feel confident that the polish will be suitable, we still recommend giving it a patch test first of all. The last thing we want is for you to have to get a whole new paintwork job done!
Final Word
As you can see, there are a great many car polishes out there, and you can rest assured that we happily recommend all of those above.
Don’t forget to use our handy Buyers’ Guide to find the perfect polish for your car!