One difference between boat waxes and polishes is that polishes last much longer. Polish doesn’t offer the same UV protection that a wax does. So the best option is to use both, but start with your polish first and then apply wax after.
Also you should apply wax more regularly as it tends to wash off and even evaporate in high temperatures.
What is the best wax to use on a boat?
- 3M Marine Restorer & Wax
The 3M Marine Restorer & Wax is one of the best brands of boat wax you can use for your boat to provide its coat with the supreme protection it needs. It removes the oxidation on your boat really well while also restoring the shine and color of your boat as if it were brand-new. You can also use this for your RV, which is usually made from the same material as your boat. You can find this product here on Amazon.
- STAR BRITE Premium Marine Polish (Longest Lasting)
STAR BRITE Premium Marine Polish is great at providing your boat with glossy protection that will surely last for a very long time. It was even designed to improve hull speed because of how it is made to be non-stick. However, it was not made to be used as a cleaner wax and is more of a coating wax. Go here to learn more about this boat wax.
Can you use car wax on a boat?
Maintaining your boat is just as important as maintaining your car. That’s why you need to apply wax on your boat every now and then similar to how you would with your car. But do your car wax and boat wax need to be different? Can you use car wax on a boat in case you don’t have boat wax?
You can use car wax on boat wax but it won’t have the same effect as boat wax. That’s because boat wax is specifically formulated to work with the gelcoat on a boat just like how car wax is specifically formulated to work with the clear coat on a car. In short, you shouldn’t use car wax on a boat.
As the old adage goes, “just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should”, you shouldn’t use car wax on your boat if you want your boat’s coat to be protected for prolonged periods of time. You can still use car wax on a boat but it won’t have the same effect as boat wax. In any case, it’s better for you to read on further to find out what makes car wax and boat wax different from one another.
Can you use regular car wax on a boat?
For boat owners out there, one of the things that you need to know is that you have to make sure that you properly maintain your boat to ensure that it will go through the waters without facing a lot of problems when it comes to the exterior. In that sense, you have to make sure that your boat’s coat is properly waxed from time to time because of how it helps protect the entire boat from damages.
But while you probably know that applying car wax on your car is one of the most important things you need to do to make sure that the car retains its fresh look and to protect it from possible damages from the elements, does it also follow that you can apply the same car wax on your boat to protect it from the elements as well?
That’s actually a legitimate question. In case you didn’t know, there is a separate product called boat wax that you should be using on your boat. Still, there might be times that you won’t have boat wax lying around in your garage but you do have car wax. So, can you use regular car wax on a boat when you don’t have boat wax?
Technically, yes, you can use car wax on your boat. But what you have to understand here is that car wax is made specifically for the coating on your car, which is a lot different from the coating on your boat. While car wax would still be able to do its job when you apply it on a boat, it won’t have the same long-lasting effects that boat wax would have.
So, just because you can use car wax on your boat, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should especially if you can always go and buy boat wax. However, if you can’t buy boat wax now and you need to apply wax on your boat, you can still use car wax but don’t expect it to have the same effects on your boat as it would on your car.
What is the difference between car wax and boat wax?
The main difference between car wax and boat wax is that they were formulated differently to suit the coats of a car and a boat. In the case of car wax, it was made to be applied on clear coat, which is the coating applied to a car to make its paint shine while also protecting it from the elements such as rain and stones. On the other hand, boat wax was made specifically for gelcoat, which is the coating on boats to protect them from UV rays and from different elemental conditions that can possibly damage the boat. Gelcoat is also more durable but is more prone to oxidation over time.
Because of how different clear coat and gelcoat are to one another, you have to understand that car wax and boat wax need to be formulated differently. Car wax is designed for road conditions such as repelling water and protecting the car’s paint from stones but is not designed for constant immersion in the water. Meanwhile, boat wax is designed for the harsh conditions that boats go through on a regular basis such as constant immersion in the water, direct sunlight, and very hot or cold situations.
In that sense, you would understand why car wax was never designed to be used for boats even though you can still use it. Car wax doesn’t have the specific formulation that will allow it to survive the harsh marine conditions that boats go through on a regular basis but it may be able to hold its own for a while but not even half as good as boat wax could. That’s why you should probably just go for a boat wax instead of trying to save money by using car wax.
Great Boating Websites:
Best Boat Report has a great article about the topic in more detail.