Skip advert
Advertisement

Wax and polish test

We test 10 of the best waxes and polishes

Wax and polish test

Paintwork takes a real battering on gritted roads, so once winter is over, the first thing to do is clean and revive it. Take care when washing as grime is likely to be thick on sills and wheelarches, and prone to scratching. Shift the worst with a hose or pressure washer, then use two buckets: one for shampoo, the other for clean water to rinse grit from your sponge or mitt.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Once the car is clean and dry, assess the state of the paint. Tiny abrasives in a polish will remove minor scratches and swirls in the clear coat, restoring shine, but you’ll need to seal this with a wax. We tried 25 of the best to see if they’re still the pick for your paint.

How we tested them

Durability is key, as waxing or polishing is still one of the most labour-intensive jobs on your car. It’s also the most rewarding, but you don’t want to be doing it again a couple of weeks later.

We marked a clean scrapyard panel into 25 sections and then applied each product according to the instructions. We rated how well they beaded water over six weeks – more than one of which was under several inches of snow. This was the main criteria, but we also looked at price, allowing for the fact hard waxes go further.

Verdict

Turtle Wax remains our pick with its ICE Synthetic Paste Polish. It was strong throughout the test, plus is easy to apply. Halfords’ no-frills Car Polish was one of the most resilient after six weeks, and takes second spot. Armor All’s durable new Shield completes the podium.

1 Turtle Wax ICE Synthetic Paste Polish

2. Halfords Car Polish

3. Armor All Shield

Also tested...

Race Glaze Carnauba Wax Polish ★★★

Meguiar’s Ulimate Liquid Wax ★★★

Farecla G3 SuperGloss Paste Wax ★★★

Simoniz Protection Car Wax ★★★

Turtle Wax Protect & Shine Creme Wax ★★★

Black Diamond High Wax ★★★

Triplewax Car Polish ★★★

Poorboy’s World Natty’s Paste Wax ★★★

Armor All Speed Wax ★★★

Autoglym Super Resin Polish ★★★

Mer Hybrid Wax ★★★

Race Glaze 4x4 ★★★

Scholl W6+ ★★★

Dodo Supernatural ★★★

Turtle Wax Sealer Wax ★★

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Renault Clio

Renault Clio

RRP £15,940Avg. savings £2,994 off RRP*Used from £9,197
Nissan Qashqai

Nissan Qashqai

RRP £27,135Avg. savings £5,905 off RRP*Used from £12,904
Nissan Juke

Nissan Juke

RRP £19,515Avg. savings £3,760 off RRP*Used from £10,753
Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage

RRP £27,795Avg. savings £2,454 off RRP*Used from £15,700
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: Prices tumble for Ford's Explorer – bag one for £233 a month
Ford Explorer - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: Prices tumble for Ford's Explorer – bag one for £233 a month

The Ford Explorer is one of the more fun-to-drive family electric SUVs around – and our Deal of the Day for 12 March.
News
12 Mar 2025
New Mercedes CLA 2025 preview: electric exec gets near 500-mile range
Mercedes CLA - front

New Mercedes CLA 2025 preview: electric exec gets near 500-mile range

The Mercedes CLA with EQ Technology heralds a new generation of lighter and more efficient EVs, plus there’s hybrids on the way
News
14 Mar 2025
New Renault Megane Esprit Alpine invokes the spirit of sporty
Renault Megane Esprit Alpine - front

New Renault Megane Esprit Alpine invokes the spirit of sporty

The electric hatchback is also receiving one-pedal driving mode and vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging capabilities
News
13 Mar 2025