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Best car polishing compound 2018 – [Buyer’s Guide]
Last Updated December 1, 2023
Let’s get started. After putting in 34+ hours of research and testing, I made a list of the best car polishing compound of 2018 and explained their differences and advantages.
Just read here for my top 3 recommendations. Why are these 3 car polishing compound on top of my list? Well read on… You see I’m an average member of the public just like you and the main reason I decided to publish a review website on car polishing compound is because I was looking for one not so long ago.
Best car polishing compound of 2018
Not all car polishing compound are created equal though. Now, let’s get to the gist of the matter: which are the best car polishing compound for the money?
Check them out and decide which one suits you the best to splurge upon. Here we have compiled a detailed list of some of the best car polishing compound of the 2018.
Test Results and Ratings
| Rank | №1 | №2 | №3 |
| Product |  |
 |
 |
| Total | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.3 |
| Ease of use |
5 points
|
5 points
|
4 points
|
| Versatility |
5 points
|
4 points
|
5 points
|
| Performance |
5 points
|
4 points
|
4 points
|
| Quality |
4 points
|
5 points
|
4 points
|
| Awards |  |
||
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
How to save up to 86%? Here is little trick.
You must visit the page of sales. Here is the link. If you don’t care about which brand is better, then you can choose the car polishing compound by the price and buy from the one who will offer the greatest discount.
№1 – Fontic 11pcs 4″ Compound Drill Buffing Sponge Pads Kit for Car
| Total: |
4.8
|
Why did this car polishing compound win the first place?
I was completely satisfied with the price. Its counterparts in this price range are way worse. I really enjoy the design. It is compact, comfortable and reliable. And it looks amazing! The product is very strong. Its material is stable and doesn’t crack. I don’t know anything about other models from this brand, but I am fully satisfied with this product.
5
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
№2 – CarGuys Hybrid Wax Sealant – Most Advanced Top Coat Polish and Sealer on the Market – Infused with Liquid Carnauba for a Deep Hydrophobic Shine on All Types of Surfaces – 18 Ounce Kit
| Total: |
4.5
|
Why did this car polishing compound come in second place?
Seems that the material is good. It has a very beautiful color but I don’t really like the texture. This is a pretty decent product that perfectly fitted the interior of our office. Managers explained me all the details about the product range, price, and delivery. I like this product. For such a low price, I didn’t even hope it to be any better. It’s decently made.
5
|
4
|
4
|
5
|
№3 – Meguiar’s G18116 Clear Coat Safe Polishing Compound – 16 oz.
| Total: |
4.3
|
Why did this car polishing compound take third place?
I liked the design. We’ve been using it for 2 months and it still looks like brand new. This price is appropriate since the product is very well built. It is inconvenient to use due to the size. I am going to get something different next time. The material is incredibly nice to the touch. It has a great color, which will suit any wallpapers.
4
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
car polishing compound Buyer’s Guide
Item Weight: 11.2 oz.
3M once more comes in on the 4th position. This 03900 rubbing formula, just like its earlier sibling, works instantly removing each and every visible scratch. It not only works on the surface to remove blemishes and defects but also restores the lost attractiveness of your car’s surface making it look new once again. If you dislike dull looking cars, that makes the two of us.
To be honest, disliking isn’t enough; you also have to take action against what you dislike. And yes, with this formula, you will definitely have that attractive car you have always wanted. Extremely easy to use, you can either use a machine or your hands to rub it over the surface of your car.
In fact, it effectively and safely gets rid of grade 1200 or even finer sand scratches on your car making it look attractive. Whether you are worried about medium oxidation, coarse swirls or even water spots, this formula is your solution.
Effectiveness
Before you pick any rubbing compound, it’s important that you consider how effective it is. Of course, determining how effective a rubbing compound is would require you to check the manufacturer’s information, customer reviews and ratings, as well as information from friends and relatives who have used the product before. We have those products which can remove effectively get rid of swirl marks, oxidation and water spots.
The Ingredients
The performance of any rubbing compound is as good as its ingredients. Ensure that the content of any given formula does not have any filler or toxic ingredients such as silicone which would have adverse effects on your car’s surface instead of producing good results.
Dishwashing detergent contains a higher concentration of salt and strong chemicals that are harmful to the paint, rubbers, and plastic trim in the long term.
As for washing detergent Bowden says the best car wash products are those with formulations that are pH balanced to be gentle on the paint, don’t contain strong chemicals, with a layer of lubrication and good soapsuds to keep grime suspended and away from scratching the paint. For him, a good quality detergent serves a dual purpose in reducing the damage from the elements and adding a layer of protection to the paint surface.
When asked how often should you wash your car, and can you wash your car too much with any risk of damaging it? Bowden assures that as long as the proper preparations are taken beforehand and the correct steps are followed, there really shouldn’t be any risk of damaging the paint from multiple washes.
Snow foam should be left to sit for three to four minutes to break down any grime that can scratch the paint surface during the wash.
Proper car washing techniques
Besides getting a proper microfibre wash pad or mitt, and a good quality car wash detergent, Bowden recommends having two buckets ready, one with fresh ‘soft’ water for rinsing, and another for the detergent mix. If your buckets permit, it is good to fit them with a grit guard to safely trap any dirt particles and grime that gets washed off the car, and prevents it from mixing with the washing liquids and being splashed back on the car.
Every wash should start with a thorough rinse, although for more fastidious enthusiasts, Bowden says they can start off a wash with a pre-washing using a pH balanced ‘snow foam’ formulation, such as their Snow Job. The snow foam is sprayed over the car and left to sit for three to four minutes to breakdown any grime that can scratch the paint surface during the wash, before being rinsed off.
With any loose dirt and soil washed off the body, the car wash detergent can now be applied with a microfibre wash mitt or pad starting from top to bottom (cleanest to dirtiest parts of the car) to ensure any dirt left behind doesn’t get moved onto the cleaner parts of the car during the washing process.
Though chamois is effective at soaking up water, scratches can occur when it gets dragged over sections of grime that were missed in the process of washing. “Avoid washing the car with circular motions as this may leave swirl marks if the dirt isn’t completely rinsed off. Instead run your wash mitt or towel along the body in a lateral direction to wipe away the remaining dirt,” says Bowden.
Bowden also advises using an electric blower to remove any pockets of water in hard to reach nooks and crannies, such as the wing mirrors housings, may contain water that could allow rust to form. Also after a wash Bowden recommends taking the car for a short drive to draw out any remaining pockets of water.
An electric blower can be used to remove any pockets of water in hard to reach nooks and crannies.
How to wax a car
Once the paint surface has been thoroughly cleaned and prepared, Bowden recommends giving it a coating with a quality carnauba wax. These sort of waxes are one of the best car wax around as it provide a more naturally based paint protection that is ideal in the harsh Australian environment, as well as adding a wonderful glowing shine. In order to work the wax into the paint, the car’s surface must be kept cool and out of the sun during the whole process.
The wax should be applied to a panel at a time. Start by smothering the wax completely over an applicator pad before lightly applying it on the body in circular motions. Once spread over the whole body, and left to dry for around a minute, it will form a light dry haze over the paint surface.
Wax is best applied with an applicator pad in circular motions.
There should be no wax residue remaining once buffing is complete, leaving a good shine to the paintwork.
Colored Wax
These are variations of synthetic car wax, and serve a slightly different purpose than just protection. Colored waxes come in color variations to match your car and keep its color looking rich and helps your car maintain its protective shine.
Car Waxing Techniques
When it comes to caring for your car waxing is an easy and efficient way to keep it looking good and to protect it from debris, dirt, and grime. There are several different methods to waxing however and it is beneficial to learn about each type so that you can choose what method is best for you and your car. Both hand waxing and electric buffing have benefits and drawbacks and an in depth look at both is the best way to decide what is right for you.
Hand Waxing
Hand waxing is any application of waxing or a waxing product with nothing more than your hand and an applicator or a sponge. When it comes to waxing many prefer hand buffing to electric buffers for a few different reasons. For starters, older cars that have not been painted in a while are more likely to have their paint peeled or buffed away by high speed buffers. Hand waxing allows the user to apply the exact amount of pressure needed and to vary that pressure dependent on what the car needs in each particular are.
This means overall that hand buffing offers far more control than an electric buffer offers making it the preference for many. Another reason that people prefer hand buffing is that you can get a thinner layer of wax without buffing it all away and needing to start over. The third reason many prefer hand waxing over electric waxing is that you do have more control and you can give your car the attention that it needs. Hand waxing on the downside does take far longer and can be tiring and may not be able to remove large scuffs.
A rubbing compound
It is an abrasive material that grinds the surface layers of dull and damaged paint. It creates a magic by making the scratches vanish! But of course, you need to follow certain techniques to use it efficiently. This guide will exclusively teach you how to use rubbing compound to get rid of scratches.
No086Rubbing Compound
Apart from removing scratches, blemishes, and watermarks, it will restore shine to your car as it did to mine some time back; I had an old and dull car which was restored instantly after use of this great product.
It smoothes, cleans and makes all the rough surfaces to restore the lost perfection. In case your car has scratches and dents, you need to use this perfect product as they will go with just a simple wipe; it is easy to apply. You are good with this product even if your car is suffering from deep scratches as it will wash them away.
Meguiar’s G1721Compound
It is one of the best rubbing compounds currently available in the market as attested by a friend who bought it recently after his car was involved in an accident that left a deep scratch on the side of the back door.
It is capable of removing all the scratches and other blemishes without having to leave the car dirty. It has a fast cut, abrasion which enables it to remove all the defects found over your car’s surface and making the car to be restored to its original shape.
If you see my friend’s car, you won’t believe the pictures of at the accident scene, and after the application of the rubbing compound. With it, you won’t find the repair work to be back breaking, rather, you will enjoy it.
If you are in need of one of the best rubbing compound, then it is advisable that you buy a Griot Garage 10862.
It is a product which will bring out all the scratches from your vehicle, leaving it shiny and looking better than it was before the scratch occurred.
It has micro abrasives which require you to gently rub it over the surface to make it possible to achieve the best results. The application process is user-friendly because all you need to do is to do a single pass and wipe and the perfection will be back on your vehicle.
It is one of the best rubbing compounds which I learned about its effectiveness through a colleague at work who was all praise for it.
He talked about it not being the usual rubbing compound as it does great things to a car. All this should be attributed to its formula that comprises of the high level of professionalism that ensures that you get pleasant results. Your dull and oxidized surfaces will become good as new.
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TESTING
At this point we usually provide a list of important features, but with these scratch removers, there really is only one important consideration: does it remove scratches? As all bar a couple use the same method – the abrasive one where the particles become smaller as you work – we can safely say each does the job, although some claim to do it better than other.
As for price, while it is always a consideration, the difference in price between these is minimal – none, for example, are greater than £20 – so you really need to be looking at them in terms of the job they do and how they do it, rather than in cost.
Let’s Wrap It Up
Which do we recommend? Well, the only one that claims to deal with deep scratches is the Quixx product, number 10, so if that is the problem you are dealing with, that’s your choice. For surface scratches, the choice is yours, as all of these come from known brands with great reputations, hence you really can’t go wrong. We’d recommend you leave out number – the scratch remover pen – as it is a far from permanent solution, so the pick of the rest if up to you.
How we tested them
All of the products we tested were applied on sections of a scrapyard bonnet that was covered in tiny swirls, and we also added some scuffs of our own. With limited wiping, we rated progress on the marks, as well as the overall finish.
Rating: ★★★★★
This ‘color and clarity restorer’ has long been one of our favourite paint treatments, as it strikes a great balance between abrasion and progress on marks. Nothing we tested could match the way it tackled our self-inflicted scratch and left a shiny finish that did not require further polishing. It can be applied by hand with a foam pad or cloth in a circular motion, or by a machine polisher or buffer. A superbly balanced and effective solution.
Rating: ★★★★☆
It’s hard to know how to rank Autoglym’s new kit. It is undoubtedly expensive for just 100ml of scratch remover paste, but it does come with a microfibre cloth, foam applicator pad and 100ml of Super Resin Polish to bring the rest of the paint to the same appearance. The paste works brilliantly, dealing quickly with marks and leaving a shiny finish.
Swirl Remover
The techniques described above can be used on single stage and a variety of projects using professional paint products. Buffing is also used for wood finishes and stone counter tops to restore luster and repair marks from joining pieces.
The YouRepair Store carries a full line of automotive tools and products everything from paint to swirl remover to let your car look the best it can.
Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound is best known for being a pure polish rather than an all-in-one solution (no sealant or wax).
The product itself is already pretty amazing as it leaves your paint a mirror-like finish while protecting it from marks and contaminants.
Meguiar’s has a Super Micro Abrasive Technology (SMAT) that effectively eliminates minor scratches and swirl marks.
Our Rating
This product was once given to me as a gift from a friend. I tried to apply on my auto, especially on the rear side where there are minor scratches. I have two large dogs and sometimes they love to play and brush along the sides of the car, causing some marks and scratches.
Meguiar’s worked well in removing the minor defects. It leaves a glossy finish and you can hardly see the marks even under the sun. You can see some sample pictures below.
Autoglym Super Resin Polish
Autoglym car polish is an all-in-one product that cleans, polishes, and protects the paint which I believe provides great value on your purchase.
Super Resin Polish has been a popular car care product for years but it has recently improved since 2015, enhancing its capability to protect the paint without leaving any residues.
The polish also boasts its solution with man-made polymers, emulsifiers and conditioners to effectively clean, condition and enhance the paint of your car. It wipes off easily and provides an amazing glossy finish.
Turtle Wax T-374KTR Color Magic Car Polish
If you have a black car that needed corrections on the paint, then Turtle Wax Color Magic Car Polish could be an ideal product for you. Although available in other colors, the polish is more popular on its black and white versions.
This product from Turtle Wax is embedded with dyes for the color enhancement of your paint. It repairs the scratches by filling it in with pigments.
You can expect this polish to work well on oxidized and faded paints, as well as providing a long lasting shine and UV protection.
How to save up to 86%? Here is little trick.
You must visit the page of sales. Here is the link. If you don’t care about which brand is better, then you can choose the car polishing compound by the price and buy from the one who will offer the greatest discount.
Final Word
First of all thanks for reading my article to the end! I hope you find my reviews listed here useful and that it allows you to make a proper comparison of what is best to fit your needs and budget. Don’t be afraid to try more than one product if your first pick doesn’t do the trick.
Most important, have fun and choose your car polishing compound wisely! Good luck!
So, TOP3 of car polishing compound
- №1 — Fontic 11pcs 4″ Compound Drill Buffing Sponge Pads Kit for Car
- №2 — CarGuys Hybrid Wax Sealant – Most Advanced Top Coat Polish and Sealer on the Market – Infused with Liquid Carnauba for a Deep Hydrophobic Shine on All Types of Surfaces – 18 Ounce Kit
- №3 — Meguiar’s G18116 Clear Coat Safe Polishing Compound – 16 oz.
Questions? Leave a comment below!
Chatting about car polishing compound is my passion! Leave me a question in the comments, I answer each and every one and would love to get to know you better!
