Automotive Detailing Terminology

Automotive Detail Terminology, here show you some of the most common terms used in auto detailing and car care.

Abrasives
Used in polishes to mechanically remove oxidation and smooth the edges of fine scratches and swirl marks thereby reducing their appearance or removing them completely. Abrasives can be aluminum silicate or kaolin clay. Polishes vary in polishing strength based on density, size, and the percentage of abrasive (by weight) contained in the product.

Bitumen
A tar-like substance used to repave roads. Typically referred to as tar. Can be removed with einszett Plastic Deep Cleaner.

Brake Pitting
Term given to balls of brake dust that etch into the surface of wheels. Remove with a specialized wheel cleaner that is non-acidic such as einszett Wheel Cleaner .

Carnauba
Obtained from the leaves of the carnauba palm found in the forests of South America and used primarily in waxes as the main source of protection. Carnauba in its purest form is very hard and brittle. Carnauba goes through a process of being mixed with petroleum solvents to soften it so that it can be easily applied.

Clay
Clay is a plasticine-based product that has the look of natural clay. Clay removes elements from the paintwork surface that polishes can not emulsify. Such elements include paint overspray, dried sap, and rail dust. Clay does not remove oxidation or enhance depth and gloss which is the purpose of car polishes. Use once or twice a year in conjunction with your polishing and wax regimen to remove contaminants in the paintwork that polishes can not remove.

Cleaner
A term used to describe a very mild polish which doesn’t rely on abrasives to reduce oxidation and swirl marks. Instead, it relies primarily on chemical cleaners (solvents) to clean paintwork surface.

Cleaner-wax
A very mild polish which contains wax. Cleaner-waxes are a one-step solution to cleaning and protecting the paintwork surface. They specialize in cleaning new and well-maintained paintwork finishes that do not have a lot of surface defects or blemishes such as swirl marks and heavy oxidation. einszett PolishWax, with yellow carnauba added, is an example of a cleaner-wax.

Clear Coat
Clear non-pigmented paint usually made of polyurethane (PU). Clear Coat is applied as a second coat over a base coat of pigmented paint in two-stage paint finishes—commonly referred as ‘base coat/clear coat’ finishes. Clear coat contains UV inhibitors. Contrary to popular belief, clear coat is not maintenance-free and does degrade like pigmented paint due to UV rays and acid rain. Therefore it needs to be polished on a regular basis to maintain depth, gloss, and longevity to keep the original ‘wet-look’ finish.

Compound
A highly abrasive form of polish. Also known as cutting polishes, compounds can come in the form of liquid or paste depending on manufacturer. Used primarily for heavily oxidized paintwork.

Cosmoline
A grease applied to vehicles prior to transport to inhibit rust formation on exterior metal parts. While vehicles are cleaned at points of distribution before delivery to dealers, traces of cosmoline may seep out of exterior trim crevices. Cosmoline may be cleaned with einszett Anti-Insekt Bug + Tar Remover or Plastic Deep Cleaner .

Cured Paint
Refers to paint that is applied at either the factory (original finish) or a refinishing paint/body shop and is 30 days or older.

Finished Leather
The process of applying a clear coat finish on natural leather to offer the long life durability. Leather is dyed, coated and embossed with a leather grain pattern for a natural looking finish. The majority of leather goods in the automotive and non-automotive industry are finished. Use einszett Leather Care which is specifically formulated for the treatment of finished leather.

Fresh Paint
A term referring to new paint applied in the factory or paint and body shop and is 30 days old or less. It is not recommended to apply a wax or polymer acrylic finish on fresh paint until after the 30 day period when it has become dry (cured paint).

Gel Coat
A fiber applied to marine vehicles that comprise of glass-fiber reinforced plastic. Gel coats can be polished safely polished and waxed with einszett silicone-free, body shop safe polishes in the Pro-Line range.

Glaze
A polish that is safe for use on fresh paint surfaces (paint that is less than 30 days old). Glazes do not contain additives such as silicone that can alter the finish of a freshly painted surface. einszett offers Body Shop safe glazes in its Pro-Line range.

Lacquer
Usually refers to older paints prior to water-based paints used today. Lacquer paints, which are high in petroleum solvents, was used prior to environmental regulations limited the use of lacquer finishes.

Layering
A term recently given to the practice of applying multiple layers of semi-permanent acrylic polymer sealants. While this may be possible for acrylic sealants, it is not possible with either carnauba-based or synthetic based waxes such as einszett Glanz Wax .

Lubricant
A substance such as a grease which reduces friction, heat, and wear when introduced as a film between solid surfaces. einszett Ultra Gel Chain Spray Grease is a lubricant.

Microfiber
A fiber consisting of polyester fibers that are finer than hair or silk. The most common application of microfiber is in the vehicle care industry where microfiber towels are used extensively for the refinishing of paintwork and general cleaning/maintenance. Microfiber towels are a blend of microfiber and polyamide (Nylon). Polyamide is a fiber that has a high capacity of absorption. Microfiber towels, will not scratch paintwork surfaces (not considering the influence of scratch inducing elements that might become trapped in the microfibers), resistant to oils and chemicals, wash very easily, have extreme longevity and are mildew resistant. einszett offers only the finest quality microfiber towels with a thick, plush nap surface to prevent scratching and offer the best results.

Nano Paint
Recently introduced by Mercedes-Benz, nano paint utilizes the latest in nano technology to make paint more durable and chip-resistant. Also known as scratch-resistant paint, nano paint works by means of nano ceramic balls suspended at the top of the paint layer which provides the scratch-resistant finish. Began to appear on higher end Mercedes cars after 2004.

Oxidation
A process which takes place in nature where oxygen breaks down the composition of both organic and synthetic compounds thereby causing it to age. Oxidation is the reason why paintwork dulls and loses its gloss. einszett paintwork polishes remove the oxidation and as a result restore gloss and depth.

Polish
A liquid cleaner that contains abrasives to smooth paint and remove oxidation, conditioners and oils to enhance gloss and depth.

Polymer
Refers to a synthetic compound. Polymers cover a wide variety of products. In the case of car care products it can refer to polymer acrylics, polymers in shampoo such as Perls Shampoo or polymer wax in Glanz Wax. In each case, the polymer means ‘man-made’.

Scratch-Resistant Clear
See Nano Paint

Silicone
A natural Earth element which comes in a variety of forms for varying purposes. As an ingredient in automotive application, it is used in polishes and waxes to make application and removal easy. Also enhances gloss, water-resistance, and durability.

Single-stage Paint
Consists of two coats of colored paint and does not have a clear-coat applied. Used primarily on older vehicles and still used on occasion on newer vehicles. einszett polishes and waxes are designed to be used on both single-stage paintwork and paintwork with clear coat.

Sulfur
An acidic compound found in egg and bird droppings. If left on paintwork, sulfur can permanently etch into the paintwork surface causing permanent damage. Proper application of wax can reduce the effects of sulfur etching and extend the longevity of paint.

Surfactants
A detergent used in cleaning products such as car shampoos and interior cleaners. Surfactants come in a variety of qualities with varying degrees of cleaning abilities. einszett only uses high-quality, low alkaline surfactants that are highly effective in cleaning but do not have an aggressive quality such as those used in more common brands.

Swirl Mark
A circular scratch in the paintwork caused by a variety of factors such as carwashes, abrasive towels and washing applicators, and improper use of machine applicators. Swirl marks can be reduced in appearance or removed with einszett paintwork polishes.

Two-stage Paint
Also referred as “base coat/clear coat”. Consists of two coats of colored paint topped with two coats of clear (non-pigmented) paint – referred to as ‘clear coat’. einszett polishes and waxes are designed to be used on clear-coated paintwork finishes.

Unfinished Leather
Leather which is left in its natural state without the application of a clear coat. Rarely found today, unfinished leather must be maintained on a regular basis with products utilizing natural oils and organic feed. einszett Leather Care is formulated to treat today’s finished leather which is found in the vast majority of vehicles today as well as non-automotive related leather goods.

Wax
Available in both natural and synthetic varieties, wax is used to coat a car’s paintwork to shield it from environmental influences that can shorten the life of the paintwork and harm its appearance. Waxes protect against such elements as UV rays, acid rain, road salt, road grime, bird droppings and tree sap. When applied on a regular basis, wax make washing and cleaning of the paintwork easier. A true wax will not clean the paintwork or contain abrasives.