Wax Job/Waxing
This will be a theme of what is about to come. As a detailer, there is no such thing as a wax job. The same can be said for ‘doing a ceramic coat’. Applying wax, a paint sealant, or a ceramic coating is one major step of many in a detailing process. Each detailing step is important, aside from what comes with opening a jar of wax or a bottle of ceramic coating.
I tell people when they hear about ceramic coating services being all about the prep, that the word prep is a euphemism for detailing. Before I focused or even offered ceramic coating protection, my processes that led to putting on wax were near identical to what I currently do with ceramic coatings.
Polymer
It is your classic paint sealant. A lot of people are thinking of a 6 month or longer term 2 month plus wax. But in reality, they are getting a paint sealant or infusion of a sealant with a wax. Carnauba Wax does not last long a car. Even the high-end waxes that are advertised to last much longer, often are a product of polymer infusion or more recently SIO2.
Ceramic / SIO2 (2 Part)
Many manufacturers will try to justify using the word ‘Ceramic’ for a product even when less than 5% of a popular active ingredient in ceramic coatings (SIo2) is in the product. The most common example of this is spray waxes. It is also not out of question for some companies or detailing service providers to use the word ceramic when the product has no significant identical ingredients at all.
There is no formal detailing industry mandate what a coating is. Just because it has the word ceramic on it, does not mean it is a ceramic coating. From a professional’s and enthusiast’s perspective I am going to give you a sensible definition of a real ceramic coating. If it does not come out of glass or metal bottle, it is likely not a ceramic coating. The reason being, the solvent carriers are too strong to be held in a plastic bottle. When people like me think ceramic coating, we think (temporary) chemical resistance from non ph neutral chemical bombardment from the environment. Not a force field, but there is a barrier that also keeps things from sticking to it.
If more people treated these services with the mindset that it is detailing, that happens to be a ceramic coating protection versus wax, customers would experience significantly less disappointment. Essentially consumers would put more thought into researching a detailer versus jumping at the phrase Ceramic Coating.
Never Wax Again
I get the plausible truth of this quote, and I also understand why detailers utter this phrase. But I do want to caution you not to get delusions of grandeur, thinking a product is going to last a lifetime or never need to be washed properly. Many people take that leap, which will lead to disappointment.
Self Cleaning
Easier to clean is a more appropriate quote. To be more specific from a detailers standpoint, it is easier to safely wash your car. Dirt does not stick to the surface. This means the car will not get dirty as fast and less agitation is needed when cleaning. It also means you are bought more time before bugs and birds become a severe problem develops. It does NOT mean the car will clean itself without you ever having to properly wash the car. It does not mean you can’t put (NEW) swirls back into the paint, by doing the same things that caused the damage. Neglecting your car with foreign contamination building up can lead to consequences. But there are specialty cleaners that you can use that won’t compromise the protection like a wax. This goes back to ceramic coatings not being for everyone.
Wax/Ceramic Job
Most of what goes into detailing happens prior to applying a ceramic coating. Assuming proper detailing is involved, the same can be said for applying wax.
Buff
The term ‘buff’ will often be used to generalize anything with a polisher, especially for a somewhat extended period of time. Meaning some people will interpret various all-in-one products, use of dedicated polishers, and even sealants with some chemical cleaners as a buff. Many of the other terms described here, you will be better for dealing with like scratch, etch, paint thickness. There are many archaic descriptions for how this works (paint correction). Re-flowing paint not only is this not a reality of polishing, but too much heat is harmful in the polishing process. Heat provides false feedback results and can harm the condition of your paint.
Etching
Very few people understand what this means. Etching is similar, in terms of damage, to a scratch. Why is this important? This term is often used to correctly describe damage done by water spots, bug and bird remains that is no longer topical. Not all water spotting in particular is equal. Some can be removed easily by an acidic cleaner. Some by a basic wash, depending on how prompt you are. But in many cases the damage is comparable to a scratch, in which paint correction is necessary. In those cases the damage is too deep to remove. Especially not knowing the circumstances, the vehicle experience, it can be difficult to determine how severe that etching is.