In a general sense, this question cannot be answered. Different companies use the words differently. Since two products from two different companies can heave exactly the same title on their bottles and perform completely different functions, you can only compare specific products, not general names.
One company can use the word “polish� where another would call the exact same product a “cleaner.� One company can use the word “polish� where another would call the exact same product a “glaze.� Yet another company might call their product a “polish� when the first two companies would call that product a “sealant.� You can find “cleaners� that chemically remove only the lightest of contaminants or “cleaners� that remove sanding scratch like a heavy compound. You can also find “polishes� that leave behind more swirls than other companies’ heavy compounds.
There is no standardization, no common meanings assigned to terms. There is no industry association or national standards body to assign definitions. It’s a free-for-all.
You need to understand your paint and what it needs. You need to understand what the companies whose products you choose to use mean by their titles and what functions their specific products perform.
I know it’s stupid and confusing but that’s just the way it is. You can blame it on wax companies’ wanting to out-market each other rather than work together to inform the customer.
PC.
