Cleaner Wax vs Ultimate Compund Vs Ultimate Polish?

[AustrianOak82]

I am working on building my collection up to a wide array of products for different uses. I do some PT detailing and start out with the wash & clay, and ultimately finish with a carnuba wax. Sometimes a polymer sealant after the clay. I am confused on the in-between steps, specifically after claying and before the final carnuba coat. I want to be prepared to tackle some minor oxidation, swirls, etc, the kind of thing that varies depending on how the person takes care of the car. From what I have gathered, the cleaner wax-ultimate polish-ultimate compound all seem to do the same thing. Can anyone elaborate on the differences and what applications they may be best for?

I have used the cleaner wax for years in the past as sort of one coat do-it-all wax and I know it's good for swirl removal. Is that more meant for one-coat coverage and the other two depend on the condition of the paint? Thanks!

[greg0303]

Re: Cleaner Wax vs Ultimate Compund Vs Ultimate Polish?

After you wash a vehicle (and clay if needed) it's good to inspect the paint surface. For serious below surface paint defects (like scratches, deep swirls, oxidation, water spots, etc) you need a stronger product to remove them. In those cases Ultimate Compound would be a good choice. For lighter jobs and gloss restoration a milder paint cleaner, like Ultimate Polish, is enough. Cleaner waxes (all in one products AIO) offer three products combined into a single product. They remove defects, restore gloss and leave a layer of protection. However, using three seperate products will leave you with an overall higher end effect. Cleaner waxes save time and are excellent products to use on vehicles which are used often/ daily. Some products from this group are quite aggressive, like D151 Paint Reconditioning Cream.