Car Detailing, like many other professions, has its own specific glossary. Let's look at the terms together main ones.
/// A
- AIO: All In One, “all in one” products that include multiple functions.
- APC: All Purpose Cleaner, universal cleaners for every surface.
- APPLICATOR: Sponge or microfiber pad for applying waxes, glazes or polishes.
/// B
- BEADING: Phenomenon that leads to the formation of perfectly circular water drops on the external surfaces of the car when it gets wet. This effect can only be seen in cars protected with waxes, sealants or nanotechnology, and is an indicator of the performance of the protector.
- BUFFING: Superfinishing with a soft, long-haired microfibre cloth on a clean car.
/// C
- WAX: Protective product to be applied to the bodywork which protects the paint from pollutants and UV rays, prevents oxidation and slows down deterioration.
- CLAY: Clay bar, glove or decontamination pad for use on exterior surfaces of the car to eliminate substances nested in the pores of the paint, such as ferrous particles, encrustations, fumes paint, tar.
- CLAY LUBE: Lubricating liquid to be used to facilitate the sliding of the clay and avoid to mark surfaces.
- COMBO: Combination of different products or application techniques.
- COMPOUND: Abrasive polishes used to remove deep imperfections or marks sanding off car paint.
- CORRECTION: The process of polishing the bodywork in which defects such as swirls, rids and oxidations are eliminated or reduced, until they become barely visible or disappear. This operation is carried out with electric or compressed air polishers.
/// D
- DECONTAMINATION: Series of operations to prepare the bodywork for polishing or waxing. It includes the use of clay bar and chemicals to remove tar, limescale, resin or residues ferrous particles.
- DETAILING: The art of cleaning and polishing cars, taken to the highest levels of perfection, in order to obtain a competition-worthy result.
- DRESSING: Product to be applied on unpainted plastics and rubbers to protect them from dirt, from UV rays and to revive them, giving them a natural “as new” look.
/// G
- GLAZE: Product similar to polish but without any abrasive capacity, capable of improving the paint finish, hiding imperfections such as light scratches and oxidation.
- GLOSS: Depth of colour, understood as the mirrorability of the bodywork following treatment with wax or sealant.
/// I
- IPA: Isopropyl alcohol, product for degreasing panels, useful in the verification phase after applying polish and before applying a sealant to ensure maximum adhesion.
/// L
- LSP: Last Stage Protection, final stage of detailing, usually the application of wax or of the sealant.
/// M
- MICROFIBER: Cloths with high softness and absorbency properties that have replaced the use of deerskin and cotton cloth.
/// N
- NANO: Nanotechnological treatments that act at a molecular level on the substrate to be protected, increasing resistance to water, contamination, frost and high temperatures, making cleaning easier.
/// O
- HOLOGRAMS: Halos on the bodywork visible especially on dark or bright colours, in the light of the sun, due to polishing done incorrectly or hastily. They can only be eliminated with polishing done correctly.
/// P
- ABRASIVE PASTE: Corrective polishing polish with high abrasive power, specific for the elimination of serious defects such as rids, obvious scratches and sanding marks.
- POLISH: Slightly abrasive cream for eliminating the lightest defects or for the polishing phase finishing after correction.
/// Q
- QUICK DETAILER: Quick cleaner for bodywork with light dirt or dust, useful for finishing drying after washing even when the car is dry, giving shine, silkiness and protection. It can be used as a lubricant for clay.
/// R
- RIDS: Random Isolated Deeper Scratch, linear scratches deeper than swirls. They are literally incisions in the paint and can be of varying depth. Depending on the severity of the damage they can be eliminated totally or only partially, by resorting to polishing.
- ROTO: Random orbital polisher, uses a movement in which the plate, in addition to rotating around to its clockwise axis, it also makes free micro-orbits that vary in size based on the orbit of the polisher.
/// S
- SHEETING: Ability of water drops to slide off the bodywork, an indicator of good quality of the protective.
- SEALANT: Product similar to wax but with a synthetic base that guarantees a longer duration compared to a natural wax.
- SWIRLS: Circular scratches that form on the bodywork due to the rubbing of cloths, sponges, etc. These are surface marks that can be removed by polishing.
/// T
- PAD: Tool designed to best meet polishing performance and objectives. It can be made of sponge, wool, microfiber, nylon or denim.
