One of the things that most people get confused about when it comes to detailing is the terminology. The most common is that polishing and wax are used interchangeably (Actually, they are 2 different processes). This thread is designed to clear some of that up as well as provide you a way to abbreviate certain items.

 

#1 Meguiar's Medium Cut Cleaner, See Meguiar's

#2 Meguiar's Fine Cut Cleaner, See Meguiar's

#3 Meguiar's Machine Glaze, See Meguiar's

#4 Meguiar's Heavy Cut Cleaner, See Meguiar's

#5 Meguiar's New Car Glaze, See Meguiar's

#6 Meguiar's Cleaner/Wax, See Meguiar's

#7 Meguiar's Show Car Glaze, See Meguiar's

#9 Meguiar's Swirl Remover 2.0, See Meguiar's

#16 Meguiar's Professional Paste Wax, See Meguiar's

#20 Meguiar's Polymer Sealant, See Meguiar's

#26 Meguiar's Hi Tech Yellow Wax, See Meguiar's

#34 Meguiar's Final Inspection, See Meguiar's

#36 Meguiar's Hi-Tech Cleaner, See Meguiar's

#39 Meguiar's Heavy Duty Vinyl Cleaner, See Meguiar's

#40 Meguiar's Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner/Conditioner, See Meguiar's

#60 Meguiar's Hi Tech wash, See Meguiar's

#62 Meguiar's Car Wash Shampoo and Conditioner, See Meguiar's

#66 Meguiar's Quick Detailer, See Meguiar's

#80 MSG Meguiar's Speed Glaze, See Meguiar's

#81 HP Meguiar's Body Shop Professional Hand Polish, See Meguiar's

#82 SFP Meguiar's Body Shop Professional Swirl Free Polish, See Meguiar's

#83 DACP Meguiar's Dual Action Cleaner/Polish, See Meguiar's

1Z Einszett products

303 303 Aerospace Protectant

3MFI 3M Finesse-It products

3MPIIIMG 3M Perfect-It III Machine Glaze, See PIII, See MG

3MPIIIMP 3M Perfect-It III Machine Polish, See PIII, See MP

3MPIIIFCC 3M Perfect-It III Machine Fine Cut Compound, See PIII, See FCC

7424 Porter-Cable Model Number, See PC

7336 Porter-Cable Model Number, See PC

A2Z Eagle One (EO) A2Z All Wheel Cleaner

ABC AutoInts ABC 3 step paint decontamination wash system

AG AutoGlym

AFAIK As Far As I Know

AIO Klasse All In One

APC Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner

APC+ Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner Plus

ARO Amazing Roll Off

AW, A/W 50/50 Alcohol/water mixture

AZ AutoZone

BA Black Again

BBT Big Blue Towel

BCS P21S Bodywork Conditioning Shampoo

BF BlackFire detailing product

BF II BlackFire reformulated detailing product

BM BlackMagic products

BSP Meguiar's Body Shop Professional products, See Meguiar's

CB Clay Bar

CBT Autopia Concours Buffing Towel

CD or CCD California Car Duster

CG Crystal Guard Sealant

CK Clearkote products

CM Clay Magic

CMA Classic Motoring Accessories

CP Eimann Fabrik Clear Pearl detail spray

CT Cotton Towel

CW Cleaner Wax

CWB California Water Blade

DACP Meguiar's #83 Dual Action Cleaner/Polish, See Meguiar's

DC Digital Camera

DG Duragloss Products

EF Eimann Fabrik brand

EFBO Eimann Fabrik Black Opal

EFCC Eimann Fabrik Carpet Cleaner

EFCP Eimann Fabrik Clear Pearl instant detailer

EFCV Eimann Fabrik Clear Vision

EFHI Eimann Fabrik High Intensity cleaner

EFPW Eimann Fabrik Power Wash shampoo

EFSR Eimann Fabrik Spot Remover

EFTR Eimann Fabrik Tar Remover

EK Meguiar's Engine Kote

EO Eagle One

EOSR Eagle One Scratch Remover

EOWS Eagle One Wipe n Shine (QD)

EX Poorboy's World EX Sealant with Carnauba

FB Forever Black

FC, FCC Fine Cut (Compound)

FI Meguiar's Final Inspection Quick Detailer

FI-II 3M Finesse It line usually means their white finishing compound but there is also a rubbing compound

FP Menzerna Final Polish

GEPC P21S Gloss-enhancing Paintwork Cleanser

HI Eimann Fabrik High Intensity Cleaner

HIC Eimann Fabrik High Intensity Cleaner

HG Hand Glaze

HT Hi-Temp Products

HTH Hope this helps

HTYW Meguiar's #26 Hi Tech Yellow Wax

IA Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol

IG Stoner's Invisible Glass

IHG 3M Imperial Hand Glaze

IMHO In my humble opinion

IMO In My Opinion

IP Menzerna Intensive Polish

ISO In search of

ISA Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol

KSBF Koala Soft Buffing Towel

KSG Klasse Sealant Glaze

LC Leather Conditioner or Lake Country (Pad manufacturer)

LG Liquid Glass

LOL Laughing out loud

LS Liquid Souveran wax

LV Lexol Vinylex

Meguiar's #1 Medium Cut Cleaner

Meguiar's #2 Fine Cut Cleaner

Meguiar's #3 Machine Glaze

Meguiar's #4 Heavy Cut Cleaner

Meguiar's #5 New Car Glaze

Meguiar's #6 Cleaner/Wax

Meguiar's #7 Show Car Glaze

Meguiar's #9 Swirl remover 2.0

Meguiar's #16 Professional Paste Wax

Meguiar's #20 Polymer Sealant

Meguiar's #26 Hi Tech Yellow Wax

Meguiar's #34 Final Inspection

Meguiar's #36 Hi-Tech Cleaner

Meguiar's #39 Heavy Duty Vinyl Cleaner

Meguiar's #40 Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner/Conditioner

Meguiar's #60 Hi Tech wash

Meguiar's #62 Car Wash Shampoo and Conditioner

Meguiar's #66 Quick Detailer

Meguiar's #80 MSG Speed Glaze

Meguiar's #81 HP Body Shop Professional Hand Polish

Meguiar's #82 SFP Body Shop Professional Swirl Free Polish

Meguiar's #83 DACP Dual Action Cleaner/Polish

MF Microfiber or Microfiber Towel

MG Meguiar's Mirror Glaze product line, also Machine Glaze

MGC Meguiar's Gold Class products

MP Machine Polish

MPPC Meguiar's Medallion Premium Paint Cleaner

MPPP Meguiar's Medallion Premium Paint Protection

MSLT Stoner's More Shine Less Time spray

MT Microfiber Towel

MW Clearkote Moose Wax

ND Nevr Dull Metal Polishing Wads

OB Orbital Buffer

OG One Grand Products

OGBW One Grand Blitz Wax

OGOHG One Grand Omega Hand Glaze

OGSO One Grand Show Off Instant Detailer

P21S A brand of Detailing Products

PB Pep Boys

PBS Pinnacle Bodywork Shampoo

PC Porter-Cable Orbital Buffer 7424 or 7336

PCM Pinnacle Crystal Mist detailing spray

PCW P21S Carnauba Paste Car Wax

PI3 or PI-III 3M Perfect-It III products

PI II 3M Perfect-It II

PITA Pain in the back side

PPCL Pinnacle Paint Cleaning Lotion

PPG Pinnacle Paste Glaze

PS Pinnacle Souveran

PUPP Platinum Ultimate Paint Protection, also UPP

PW Poorboy's World

PW+ Eimann Fabrik Power Wash +

QD Quick Detailer also Meguiar's brand name for their Quik Detailer spray.

QD+ Poorboy's World Quick Detailer Plus spray

QEW Protect All Quick & Easy Wash

QS Clearkote Quik Shine detail spay.

QW Meguiar's Quick Wax

RO, ROB Random Orbital Buffer

RV Fieldcrest Royal Velvet Cotton Towel

ROTFLMAO Rolling On The Floor, Laughing My A$$ Off

S100 S100 Products, specifically S100 Carnauba Paste Wax

SCW 3M Perfect It Show Car Wax

SFP Meguiar's #82 Body Shop Professional Swirl Free Polish, See Meguiar's

SEC, SEPC S100 Shine-enhancing Cleanser

SG or KSG Klasse Sealant Glaze

SIG Stoners Invisible Glass

SM2.0 Meguiar's #9 Swirl Remover 2

SMR Swirl Mark Remover Usually refers to 3M Swirl Mark Remover

SS Saddle Soap

SSB Stoner Speed Bead

SW Poorboy's World Spray and Wipe

TS Tire Swipe foam pad

TW Turtle Wax products

UPC Platinum Ultimate Paint Pre-Cleaner

UPP Platinum Ultimate Paint Protection, also PUPP

UV Ultraviolet Light a harmful and slowly damages skin, paint and automotive interiors

VM, VMW Clearkote Vanilla Moose Wax Hand Glaze

VNB Vac n Blow Vacuum

WM Wash Mitt

WS Water Sprite towel

WW Waffle Weave MF towel

WWB P21S Windshield Wash Booster

YMMV Your Mileage May Vary

Z Zaino Bros. Products

Z1 Zaino Show Car Polish LOK PreCleaner and Gloss Enhancer

Z2 Zaino Show Car Polish for Clear Coated Finishes

Z3 Zaino Show Car Polish for Regular Paint

Z5 Zaino Polish for Swirl Marks & Fine Scratches

Z6 Zaino Ultra Clean Gloss Enhancer Spray

Z7 Zaino Show Car Wash

Z9 Zaino Leather Soft Spray Cleaner

Z10 Zaino Leather in a Bottle Treatment and Conditioner

Z12 Zaino Clear View Glass Polish

Z14 Zaino Plastic Magic Cleaner & Polish

Z16 Zaino Perfect Tire Gloss

Z18 Zaino ClayBar

ZFX Zaino Flash Cure Accelerator Additive For Z2, Z3, Z5

 

Polisher Types (Courtesy of Bman)

Rotary (aka circular) Polisher: For professional detailing businesses and the SERIOUS hardcore enthusiast willing to learn. Fast, powerful, and demanding to use - a double edged sword. Usually expensive to buy and accessorize.

Examples: DeWalt DW849

Random Orbital Polisher (Porter Cable): For part-time enthusiasts, weekend warrior detailers, semi-pro detailers, and even serious enthusiasts. Basically for anyone for whom time is not money. Monkeys can be trained to use one. Slightly less expensive to buy and accessorize (typically almost $200 or so and up)

Example: Porter Cable 7424/7336

El-Cheapo Random Orbitals: Limited uses and best suited for only waxing and very light polishing jobs (like pre-wax cleaners). If this is all you'll ever be doing then this will be fine, even though most people will tell you "don't bother". Basically a crippled version of the above that uses cloth bonnets. Typically pretty cheap.

Example: Wen

 

Taken from www.properautocare.com

Acid Rain Spots - These spots are produced when the sun evaporates standing water on the vehicle's surface. They fall into two categories, mineral deposits and acid-etched spots. Mineral deposits are white, calcium or salt deposits left on the surface after water evaporates. These deposits can be easily removed with a pre-wax cleaner (polish) or a clay bar. Acid-etched spots are depressions in the paint or clear coat. Acid etched spots are removed by removing the very thin, layer of paint or clear coat that contains the defect. This is accomplished by compounding, polishing and finishing with a wax or sealant.


Carnauba Waxes - Waxes are typically blends of Brazilian Carnauba Wax (nature's hardest, natural wax), polymers, oils and gloss agents in a petroleum solvent base. Waxes create an easily renewable, glossy, transparent barrier to protect a vehicle's finish against a hostile environment. Waxes have withstood the test of time having been used for over 100 years to protect painted surfaces. Waxes are considered to be paint-friendly and are preferred by many enthusiasts for their deeper, richer shine. On the down side, Carnauba starts to melt at 160 degrees F. which limits its durability. A general rule of thumb for all Carnauba waxes is: 50% of the wax is gone after 30 days, 75% is gone after 60 days and after 90 days the surface should be re-waxed.


Circular Polisher - (Also called rotary or high-speed polishers) These are the same professional, machine polishers used by automakers and body shops for removing sanding swirls, scratches and paint defects. These machines are best used for compounding which abrades away or levels the top paint surface. The pads do rotate on circular polishers. Most circular polishers have detent speed settings which allow the operator to control the speed up to a pre-determined limit. Many enthusiasts are afraid of these machines but they shouldn't be. When used in the 900 to 1100 rpm range, these machines are very safe for novice users. Unlike orbital polishers where the pad is used flat on the surface, a circular machine is tilted slightly to work only on the side of the pad. Professionals will use a circular polisher to remove swirls, scratches and paint defects and then follow with an orbital polisher for polishing (removing compounding haze) and finishing (applying a wax or paint sealant). The Makita 9227 and DeWalt 849 are examples of circular polishers.


Compounds - Compounds are formulas of lubricants, solvents, water and abrasive minerals in either a liquid or paste construction. Compounds are designed to remove (abrade away) a portion of the top paint or clear coat layer which contain sanding swirls, scratches, water spots or blemishes. They are available in many different grades of abrasiveness or "cut" depending on the severity of the problem to be corrected. Compounds are best used with a circular polisher but can produce acceptable results with dual-action polishers if the defect is minor. Compounds typically leave the surface dull. This surface dullness is called haze or compounding lines and is removed by polishing with increasingly less abrasive polishes.


Dual-action Polisher - (Also called orbital polishers) These machine polishers mimic the random motion of hand application. The pad does not rotate, it oscillates in very short movements. It will appear that the pads on these machines just "vibrate" on the surface. This is correct. The pad is not supposed to "turn". Orbital polishers offer the greatest safety as they can not generate enough heat or cut to damage the paint. Because the pad does not rotate, orbital polishers can not create swirls. These are excellent machines for enthusiasts but are also used by professionals for finish polishing, final waxing and buffing. These polishers can remove very light swirls but can not remove deeper swirls, scratches or paint imperfections. The Porter Cable 7424 is an example of a dual-action or orbital polisher.


Orbital Polisher - (Also called dual-action polishers) These machine polishers mimic the random motion of hand application. The pad does not rotate, it oscillates in very short movements. It will appear that the pads on these machines just "vibrate" on the surface. This is correct. The pad is not supposed to "turn". Orbital polishers offer the greatest safety as they can not generate enough heat or cut to damage the paint. Because the pad does not rotate, orbital polishers can not create swirls. These are excellent machines for enthusiasts but are also used by professionals for finish polishing, final waxing and buffing. These polishers can remove very light swirls but can not remove deeper swirls, scratches or paint imperfections. The Porter Cable 7424 is an example of a dual-action or orbital polisher.


Oxidation - Oxidation is the dulling and/or hazy appearance of a vehicle's top paint or clear coat finish. Oxidation is caused by accumulated exposure to ultraviolet light and environmental pollution. Black, red and dark color paints oxidize quicker because these pigments absorb more ultraviolet light than light color paints. Correction requires removing a portion of the top paint or clear coat that contains the oxidation. This is best accomplished using a compound and a circular polisher but acceptable results can be obtained with an orbital polisher.


Paint Sealant - (Also called synthetic waxes and paint protectants) These are formulas of man-made polymers, oils, and gloss agents designed to protect painted and/or clear coated automotive finishes. They can be water-based, petroleum solvent-based or a combination of both. These formulas offer several advantages over Carnauba Waxes. They are very durable, capable of lasting six months or more, are easy to apply and wipe off and produce a very bright shine. Water-based and oil-in-water emulsions are very paint friendly making them perfect for historic, collector and exotic vehicles. They create a very hard, glass-like barrier which resists detergents, acid rain and pollution. On the down side, some enthusiasts feel synthetic waxes produce a "sterile" shine that is bright but lacks emotion. While this may be true of some products, other synthetic protectants can be engineered to mimic the look of Carnauba. The word "sealant" is being dropped by many manufacturers as it implies that it prevents the paint from "breathing". This is a myth. First, paint does not breath. In the curing process, paint should be exposed to the air so solvents can evaporate. After 30 days, cured paint should be protected or "sealed" with some type of natural or synthetic "wax".


Polishes - (Also called pre-wax cleaners) Polishes are formulas of oils, solvents, water, clays and minerals designed to improve surface gloss and remove old wax or sealants, minor swirls, compounding haze, and light oxidation. Polishes may or may not contain fine abrasives, silicones, fillers and waxes. They do not have the "cut" of compounds and typically burnish the surface to a mirror-like gloss rather than abrade away paint. Polishes can be applied by circular polishers, dual-action polishers or by hand. Unfortunately, there is no industry standard on what constitutes a polish and some manufacturers use the word "Polish" to describe their paint sealant which adds to consumer confusion. In the strictest sense a polish is a gloss-enhancing, cleaner not a protectant but some products do contain wax or sealants which blurs the line between polishes and protectants.


Pre-wax Cleaners - (Also called polish) Polishes are formulas of oils, solvents, water, clays and minerals designed to improve surface gloss and remove old wax or sealants, minor swirls, compounding haze, and light oxidation. Polishes may or may not contain fine abrasives, silicones, fillers and waxes. They do not have the "cut" of compounds and typically burnish the surface to a mirror-like gloss rather than abrade away paint. Polishes can be applied by circular polishers, dual-action polishers or by hand. Unfortunately, there is no industry standard on what constitutes a polish and some manufacturers use the word "Polish" to describe their paint sealant which adds to consumer confusion. In the strictest sense a polish is a gloss-enhancing, cleaner not a protectant but some products do contain wax or sealants which blurs the line between polishes and protectants.


Rotary or High-speed Polisher - (Also called a circular polisher) These are the same professional, machine polishers used by automakers and body shops for removing sanding swirls, scratches and paint defects. These machines are best used for compounding which abrades away or levels the top paint surface. The pads do rotate on circular polishers. Most circular polishers have detent speed settings which allow the operator to control the speed up to a pre-determined limit. Many enthusiasts are afraid of these machines but they shouldn't be. When used in the 900 to 1100 rpm range, these machines are very safe for novice users. Unlike orbital polishers where the pad is used flat on the surface, a circular machine is tilted slightly to work only on the side of the pad. Professionals will use a circular polisher to remove swirls, scratches and paint defects and then follow with an orbital polisher for polishing (removing compounding haze) and finishing (applying a wax or paint sealant). The Makita 9227 and DeWalt 849 are examples of circular polishers.


Scratches - A scratch is a deeper break in the paint or clear coat. Scratches that go part way through the top clear coat can be removed by compounding, polishing and finishing with a wax. You should not attempt to remove a scratch that goes through or almost through the clear coat. As a general rule, if you can feel a scratch with your fingernail, you should not attempt to remove it completely. Deeper scratches can be made to look better by hand rubbing with Eagle One Scratch Remover and finishing with a wax.


Silicone - Silicone is a chemical polymer that can be engineered to posses exceptional water repellency, gloss, slipperiness and bonding properties. Silicones are commonly used in automotive products to enhance gloss, make product application and removal easier and improve durability. Silicones got a bad reputation in the early 50's when they were found to cause "fisheyes" in freshly painted panels that were not properly cleaned. Early silicones were also very greasy which attracted dust and dirt. Today, silicones can be engineered with almost any property but the myth of silicones being "bad" persists. For this reason, manufacturers typically refer to their products as containing "modern polymers" and drop the word "silicone" from their literature. In fact, today's automotive products would not be as good as they are without these modern miracles.


Swirl marks - These are curved, minor scratches in the top paint or clear coat surface. Swirls can be created by using an abrasive polish or compound, wool buffing pads or by setting the speed too high on a circular polisher. Very fine swirls can be created when washing or drying the vehicle if a grain of sand or any grit gets trapped between the sponge (towel) and the car's surface.

The only way to remove a swirl is to abrade away the surrounding paint or clear coat to the lowest point in the swirl. This is best accomplished with an abrasive compound and a circular polisher. Swirls can be visually reduced by hand or with an orbital polisher using a non-abrasive polish. While these polishes are often called "Swirl Removers", they do not actually remove the swirl. They typically use a solvent cleaner to round-over the top edge of the swirl which robs sunlight of a sharp edge to cause a reflection. Fillers in the polish then fill-in the swirl. Waxing over the polish seals the fillers in place, visually hiding the swirl. This is a cosmetic fix, not a cure. As the wax ages the swirl will re-appear and the process will need to be repeated.


Synthetic Wax - (Also called paint sealants and paint protectants) These are formulas of man-made polymers, oils, and gloss agents designed to protect painted and/or clear coated automotive finishes. They can be water-based, petroleum solvent-based or a combination of both. These formulas offer several advantages over Carnauba Waxes. They are very durable, capable of lasting six months or more, are easy to apply and wipe off and produce a very bright shine. Water-based and oil-in-water emulsions are very paint friendly making them perfect for historic, collector and exotic vehicles. They create a very hard, glass-like barrier which resists detergents, acid rain and pollution. On the down side, some enthusiasts feel synthetic waxes produce a "sterile" shine that is bright but lacks emotion. While this may be true of some products, other synthetic protectants can be engineered to mimic the look of Carnauba. The word "sealant" is being dropped by many manufacturers as it implies that it prevents the paint from "breathing". This is a myth. First, paint does not breath. In the curing process, paint should be exposed to the air so solvents can evaporate. After 30 days, cured paint should be protected or "sealed" with some type of natural or synthetic "wax".


Waxes - (Also called Carnauba Waxes) Waxes are typically blends of Brazilian Carnauba Wax (nature's hardest, natural wax), polymers, oils and gloss agents in a petroleum solvent base. Waxes create an easily renewable, glossy, transparent barrier to protect a vehicle's finish against a hostile environment. Waxes have withstood the test of time having been used for over 100 years to protect custom painted surfaces. Waxes are considered to be paint-friendly and are preferred by many enthusiasts for their deeper, richer shine. On the down side, Carnauba starts to melt at 160 degrees F. which limits its durability. A general rule of thumb for all Carnauba waxes is: 50% of the wax is gone after 30 days, 75% is gone after 60 days and after 90 days the surface should be re-waxed.