Names for the car care cycle steps

[Mary S]

Here is my suggestion. Any comments or proposed revisions welcome.

I am taking this from the Mirror Glaze product line and the G110V2.

1. Wash and clay using car shampoo and detailing clay as previously defined.
2. Polish with a finishing polish like 205 or SwirlX to level paint surface to permanently remove swirls and light defects from clear coat or single stage paint and to bring out the shine and reflectivity in the paint.
3. Glaze using a glaze like 05 or 07 to add depth of shine, especially to darker colored cars.
4. Protect with paint protectants as previously defined.
5. Maintain as previously defined.

Wash/clay -> Polish -> Glaze -> Protect -> maintain.

Step 2, which used to be Clean, I changed it because of 2 items in the Meguiars product line.
1. 205 is called an Ultra Finishing Polish.
2. The g110V2 is called a Dual-Action Polisher, and although it can apply glaze and sealants, its main purpose as an improvement over a simple orbital buffer would be applying products like 205 or SwirlX to eliminate light defects in the paint.

Comments or suggestions?

[LelandGray]

Re: Names for the car care cycle steps

For step 2, you'd normally want to use 105 or Ultimate Compound.. although it does depend on the paint condition. Which, if you use 105 or UC, you're still technically cleaning. Then, you'd follow with 205.

[Mary S]

Re: Names for the car care cycle steps

For step 2, you'd normally want to use 105 or Ultimate Compound.. although it does depend on the paint condition. Which, if you use 105 or UC, you're still technically cleaning. Then, you'd follow with 205.

Okay, the reason I did not include 105 is because of the label, "Ultra-Cut Compound -- Ultra-fast cutting removes 1200 grit or finer sanding marks." So the impression I have is it is not something a consumer-level user will be using but is rather a compound for pulling out sanding marks by a professional.

Ultimate compound of course is a consumer product. It mentions the cutting as well: "Cuts as fast as harsh abrasives -- without scratching." "Obsoletes traditional rubbing & polishing compounds."

Okay, so they are mentioning it's cutting ability, again which I assume they are referring to sanding marks.

"Obsoletes traditional rubbing & polishing compounds."

My understanding of traditional rubbing and polishing compounds is that they are for removing scratches in clear coat, normally with the help of fine sanding.

Where Ultimate Compound obsoletes polishing compounds, if it is to do what they used to call "cleaning" in the care cycle, i.e. removing light scratches, holograms, swirls, cobwebs, and the like, this has been redefined as "polishing," which is consistent since it is replacing a polishing compound.

So since sanding is not part of the care cycle, the use by Meguiars of the terms "Polish" as in 205, "polishing compound" as in UC, and "polisher" as in the G110v2 DA, this obsoletes the need for the word "clean." The process of removing sanding marks can simply be called "cutting," which is how it is apparently now used.

[roushstage2]

Re: Names for the car care cycle steps

All of the steps are there, they are just listed with different names that often get used for those steps. Same process though. Is that what you were asking?

[Mary S]

Re: Names for the car care cycle steps

All of the steps are there, they are just listed with different names that often get used for those steps. Same process though. Is that what you were asking?

That's right, it is a question of the terminology, names that would likely be less confusing to the general public, names that would help allow detailers and car care people talk to eachother and have a common definition so it is easier to communicate with one another. And as I have indicated, these terms are supported by the way Meguiar's uses them in the g110v2 and the Mirror Glaze line.

I had another thread related to this, how to talk to potential customers about what Meguiars calls the "cleaning" step.

"Polish" might not be ideal, and would need to be expounded upon in marketing, but for me, better than "cleaning." And I can just let Meguiar's 5-step naming convention continue to drive me crazy, but I will learn to let it roll off me.

[BlackHawk]

Re: Names for the car care cycle steps

To add some more confusion... Meguiar's #7 Show Car GLAZE- A Pure POLISH For A Deep Gloss Shine. Notice both Glaze and Polish is used to describe this product. And your steps above...

2. Polish

3. Glaze

After reading I don't consider step 2 to be a "polish/glaze" step. It's a cleaning, defect removal product step. I could be wrong though. Step 3 is the step I believe is the pure polish/glaze step followed by step 4... a wax or synthetic sealant.

[roushstage2]

Re: Names for the car care cycle steps

The reasoning is people "polish" the paint to get the defects out and make it shiny. It's just different wording.

[CieraSL]

Re: Names for the car care cycle steps

There is no industry standard for the various detailing terms, such as the term "polish" (which is why you get confusing products such as TW ICE Liquid Polish). However, I believe that Meguiar's stance on this is to refer to the term polish as a product without abrasives designed to add gloss to the paint. Hence products like M07 and DC2 fall under the term polish (labeled as step 3 in the 5-Step Paint Care Cycle, and step 2 in your labeling). A polish is inappropriate for the second step as it will not actually clean or remove swirls and scratches. Personally, I think Meguiar's labeling is the correct labeling. A glaze may or may not contain fillers, and I do not believe that DC2 or M07 contain fillers. Please correct me if I am wrong. Just my two cents.

[BlackHawk]

Re: Names for the car care cycle steps

There is no industry standard for the various detailing terms, such as the term "polish" (which is why you get confusing products such as TW ICE Liquid Polish). However, I believe that Meguiar's stance on this is to refer to the term polish as a product without abrasives designed to add gloss to the paint. Hence products like M07 and DC2 fall under the term polish (labeled as step 3 in the 5-Step Paint Care Cycle, and step 2 in your labeling). A polish is inappropriate for the second step as it will not actually clean or remove swirls and scratches. Personally, I think Meguiar's labeling is the correct labeling. A glaze may or may not contain fillers, and I do not believe that DC2 or M07 contain fillers. Please correct me if I am wrong. Just my two cents.

The above is how I thought things were.

[roushstage2]

Re: Names for the car care cycle steps

There is no industry standard for the various detailing terms, such as the term "polish" (which is why you get confusing products such as TW ICE Liquid Polish). However, I believe that Meguiar's stance on this is to refer to the term polish as a product without abrasives designed to add gloss to the paint. Hence products like M07 and DC2 fall under the term polish (labeled as step 3 in the 5-Step Paint Care Cycle, and step 2 in your labeling). A pure polish is inappropriate for the second step as it will not actually clean or remove swirls and scratches. Personally, I think Meguiar's labeling is the correct labeling. A glaze may or may not contain fillers, and I do not believe that DC2 or M07 contain fillers. Please correct me if I am wrong. Just my two cents.

There's my correction.

[Mary S]

Re: Names for the car care cycle steps

There is no industry standard for the various detailing terms, such as the term "polish" (which is why you get confusing products such as TW ICE Liquid Polish). However, I believe that Meguiar's stance on this is to refer to the term polish as a product without abrasives designed to add gloss to the paint. Hence products like M07 and DC2 fall under the term polish (labeled as step 3 in the 5-Step Paint Care Cycle, and step 2 in your labeling). A polish is inappropriate for the second step as it will not actually clean or remove swirls and scratches. Personally, I think Meguiar's labeling is the correct labeling. A glaze may or may not contain fillers, and I do not believe that DC2 or M07 contain fillers. Please correct me if I am wrong. Just my two cents.

Okay, here is a revision to take into account the fact the Meguiars calls 05 and 07 "pure polishes." The name of the product and the process by which it is applied don't have to be the same. It is kind of nice if it does. Meguiars could in fact stop calling these "pure polishes" and call them "glazes," but we have no control over what Meguiar's does. So even though the item is called a "pure polish" by Meguiar's, we do not "polish" the paint with it. At least, for purposes of having a name for each of the 5 steps in the car care cycle, if step 2 is "polish," then that name is already taken, and we have to call step 3 something else, so I am going to call the verb "glaze."

1. Wash and clay using car shampoo and detailing clay as previously defined.
2. Polish with a finishing polish like 205 or SwirlX to level paint surface to permanently remove swirls and light defects from clear coat or single stage paint and to bring out the shine and reflectivity in the paint.
3. Glaze using a pure polish like 05 or 07 to add depth of shine, especially to darker colored cars.
4. Protect with paint protectants as previously defined.
5. Maintain as previously defined.

So the terminology for the steps is:
1. Wash/clay.
2. Polish
3. Glaze
4. Protect
5. Maintain

What is happening in these steps is the same as Meguiar's 5 step paint cycle called:

1. Wash/clay
2. Clean
3. Polish
4. Protect
5. Maintain

Only the names have changed.

[CieraSL]

Re: Names for the car care cycle steps

So the terminology for the steps is:
1. Wash/clay.
2. Polish
3. Glaze
4. Protect
5. Maintain

What is happening in these steps is the same as Meguiar's 5 step paint cycle called:

1. Wash/clay
2. Clean
3. Polish
4. Protect
5. Maintain

Only the names have changed.

In order for that to work, one would have to assume that corrective products such as Ultimate Compound, Swirl X, M105, M205, etc. are polishes, but according to Meguiar's definitions, they are not. They are paint cleaners. Hence the term "Clean" to define step number two. So really, according to your labeling, step 3 in the cycle is being performed twice - polish and glaze (assuming you were employing the optional step). Think about the term "Cleaner Wax". You are cleaning the paint, getting rid of swirls, light scratches, water spots, mild fading, etc. There is no "polishing" involved. Does that make sense?

[Mary S]

Re: Names for the car care cycle steps

In order for that to work, one would have to assume that corrective products such as Ultimate Compound, Swirl X, M105, M205, etc. are polishes, but according to Meguiar's definitions, they are not. They are paint cleaners. Hence the term "Clean" to define step number two. So really, according to your labeling, step 3 in the cycle is being performed twice - polish and glaze (assuming you were employing the optional step). Think about the term "Cleaner Wax". You are cleaning the paint, getting rid of swirls, light scratches, water spots, mild fading, etc. There is no "polishing" involved. Does that make sense?

Ciera, unfortunately Meguiar's has overloaded the word polish. They are using it in multiple contexts, for both what they call the cleaning step and what they call applying a pure polish. As I pointed out earlier, they call the G110 a dual-action "polisher," not a dual action "cleaner." They call 205 an ultra finishing "polish" not an ultra finishing "cleaner." They simply call SwirlX a "swirl remover" but the word "cleaner" isn't on that label either. UC stands for "Ultimate Compound," not "Ultimate Cleaner." In fact, the only place I can find them using the term "cleaner" in their line of products is in their Deep Crystal line for "cleaner wax." But ColorX in the Gold Class line is called a "car polish and wax system."

So what do you do when it comes time to give a name to 2 distinct processes by which you apply "cleaning" products and by which you apply "pure polish" products?

You can do what Meguiar's did and call applying pure polish "polishing" and applying cleaner products "cleaning." Well nobody calls it "cleaning," even Meguiar's. And if they did, it would be taken ambiguously with washing the car or "all purpose cleaner" and so forth.

So Meguiar's has really made their choice. "Polish" is the right word to use for what you do in step 2.

So you can call your 5-step cycle:
1. Wash/clay
2. Polish
3. Pure polish
4. Protect
5. Maintain.

The 3rd step name is awkward as a verb. I am going to "pure polish" my car today.

So my feeling is, you have to give up the name "polish" for step 3 and call it something else. You can still call 05 and 07 and DC Polish "pure polishes" but you can't call what you do with them "polishing" if you don't want to confuse it with step 2.

So since Meguiar's named 05 and 07 with the term "Glaze," even though they say it is a pure polish, "glaze" works for me. "I am going to polish and glaze my car today." I can live with that.

Keep in mind, if you are detailing for customers, you need to be able to communicate with them about what you are doing. The word "clean" for step 2 would never, ever, ever, ever fly when communicating with customers or potential customers.

So that is where I am coming from. Step 2 needs a name, and it needs it way way more than step 3 needs a name, since that is such an optional step. It is not central to what we are doing for our customers, while step 2 is.

If someone else has a better name for step 3 than glaze, by all means let's give it a pop, but "Polish" is taken, at least for me.

[CieraSL]

Re: Names for the car care cycle steps

OK, I gotcha. See, this is the problem when there is no industry standard for these terms - it becomes very confusing for the average Joe who cannot pick out the nuances between different terms and even the same term used in different ways. You and I understand the point being made, but what about the guy who's going into Wal-Mart looking for some products to make his car look better? Will he understand? I'm guessing probably not. When like terms are used interchangeably for different products and applications, it tends to create general confusion. But obviously, you can't nitpick about the nitty gritty.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Names for the car care cycle steps

You can do what Meguiar's did and call applying pure polish "polishing" and applying cleaner products "cleaning." Well nobody calls it "cleaning," even Meguiar's.

Actually, we do call it cleaning. Look at the 5 Step Paint Care Cycle and Step 2 is Cleaning. Now, this includes both claying and paint cleaning which, when combined, encompass all of the surface prep actions. But we most definitely do call it cleaning and refer to the products as paint cleaners. We also stress that polishing is an optional step, and for a couple of reasons:

• application of a pure polish doesn't return the same dramatic results on clear coat as it does on single stage paint

• application of a pure polish on a light color doesn't return the same dramatic results as it does on a dark color

• several of our products combine polish with another step

1. • cleaner polishes like M80, M83, SwirlX and others both clean and polish at the same time
   • polish/waxes like Gold Class Carnauba Plus and NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0 contain both polish and protection in one step