Understanding the Language of Car Care
Welcome to our comprehensive glossary of detailing terms. Whether you're a professional detailer or a car care enthusiast, this guide is designed to enhance your knowledge and understanding of common detailing terms.
- A -
Abrasive: Materials, either natural like silica or synthetic like aluminum oxide, found in compounds and cleaners, used to cut the paint surface and remove imperfections.
ACGIH: The American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists.
Acid: A substance with a pH level below 7. Cleaning products containing acids must be handled with care, following label instructions and using appropriate safety gear.
Acid Rain: Precipitation contaminated with airborne acidic materials, which can damage automotive paint finishes and glass.
Adhesion: The effectiveness with which a product bonds to the surface it is applied to.
Alkaline-Alkalis: Substances with a pH level above 7, classified as caustic. Commonly used in engine degreasers and other cleaning products. Follow label instructions and use safety gear when handling these substances.
Appearance Reconditioning: The process of cosmetically restoring a vehicle to a like-new condition.
- B -
Basecoat: The pigmented layer of paint in a basecoat/clear coat automotive finish, applied over the primer coat, typically measuring around 1 mil thick.
Bath Tubber: A colloquial term for a manufacturer who mixes their own chemical products in large containers, often resulting in low-quality, inexpensive products.
Biodegradable: Commonly refers to organic material that can be broken down into simpler compounds through natural processes like sunlight and bacterial action. No legal definition or universally accepted test exists for biodegradability.
Bird Dropping Etching: Damage caused by the acidic nature of bird droppings etching into the clear coat or paint, leaving pitted or mottled stains.
Blushing: When new paint turns cloudy or milky shortly after polishing, caused by solvents not evaporating from the paint. Rebuffing should be done after thirty days.
Body Shop Safe: Refers to products safe for use in body shops, containing no silicone or materials that can cause paint finish problems like fish eyes.
Buff Marks: Circular scratch marks in the paint surface, also known as "Buffer Marks" or "Swirls".
Buffer: A tool used by skilled technicians to apply products to a vehicle, also known as a "High-speed Buffer" or "Rotary Buffer".
Buffer Trails: Hazing left in the surface of paint/clear coat caused by a rotary buffing machine, also known as "Holograms" or "Rotary Induced Machine Marring".
Buffing Compound: A chemical with abrasives designed to remove severe oxidation or major finish imperfections. Not all buffing compounds are compatible with all paint finishes and must be used carefully by skilled technicians.
Buffing Spur: A small hand-held tool with a spoked wheel, used to clean wool buffing pads of accumulated compound and/or polish.
Burn: Removing paint from a vehicle using a rotary or high-speed buffer.
Burnish: Using a tool to make a surface smooth or shiny through friction, increasing the smoothness of the paint.
- C -
CAS No.: Chemical Abstracts Services registration number.
Ceramic Clear Coat: A paint containing microscopic ceramic fillers that give the clear coat a harder, more durable finish.
Checking, Cracking, Crazing: When paint appears like shattered glass due to losing its elasticity and being pulled apart by extreme temperatures.
Chemicals: A term for a group of products, such as polishing chemicals, chemical cleaners, and cleaning chemicals.
Citrus: A cleaning chemical using d-Limonene as the solvent.
Cleaner (paint): A product with a mild abrasive for removing light oxidation, scratches, and minor surface imperfections, usually less aggressive than rubbing compound and offering little or no protection.
Cleaner/Glaze: A product that removes light to medium oxidation and scratches from the paint surface while leaving a protective coating, commonly known as a "One Step".
Clear Coat: A thin, transparent layer of paint applied over a pigmented layer (base coat) to provide a deep, shiny finish. Most vehicles have 1.5 to 2.0 mils of clear coat.
Color Sanding: Another term for "Wet Sanding".
Combustible Liquid: A liquid with a flash point between 100ºF and 200ºF.
Compound: An abrasive product for removing heavy surface contamination and deep scratches, capable of reducing paint thickness quickly and potentially leaving visible scratches.
Concentrate: A product that requires dilution with an appropriate reducer, water, or solvent.
Conventional Paint System: Refers to a single-stage paint finish, typically lacquer or enamel, applied over the primer without a clear coat.
Co-Polymer: A chemical compound of two polymers that are compatible and stable when joined.
Cosmoline: A heavy-grade petroleum by-product applied to automotive exteriors as a protective coating during transit, requiring special chemicals and procedures for removal.
- D -
Degradable: A product capable of breaking down through exposure to heat, moisture, sunlight, or other chemicals, with the resulting products possibly being stable or unstable.
Detail Procedure/Processing: The steps followed to complete a detail job.
Detail Technician: A skilled and knowledgeable professional in the art of detailing.
Detailing: The process of cleaning each area or part of a motor vehicle until the desired results are achieved.
Detergents: Cleaning products for auto interiors and exteriors with different chemical formulations as the active cleaning agent, varying in thickness and cleaning ability.
Dilute: To reduce the concentration of a substance by thinning with an appropriate reducer, water, solvent, or thinner as per the directions.
D.O.T.: Department of Transportation, a government agency that regulates the transport of goods.
Dressed/Dressing: The application of a coating to vinyl, leather, plastic, and rubber to protect or make them shiny.
Dual Action Buffer/Polisher: An electrical or pneumatic tool with a clutch mechanism that provides a smooth transition between random orbital and rotary motion by applying force.
Durability: The ability to resist deterioration or change over a long period.
Dwell Time: The period during which a product remains active on a surface, necessary for some cleaning products to work effectively.
- E -
Emollient: A substance designed to add moisture or increase softness, commonly found in hand cleaners or leather and vinyl conditioners.
Emulsion: A mixture of two incompatible liquids where one is dispersed as fine particles within the other.
Enamel Paint: A type of automotive paint used by manufacturers and collision repair shops, known for its shiny finish.
E.P.A.: Environmental Protection Agency, a government agency that protects the environment and regulates products from manufacture to end-use.
Exposure: When an employee is subjected to a hazardous chemical during employment through inhalation, ingestion, skin contact, or absorption.
Extractor: A machine used to clean carpets and fabric seats by applying cleaning solution and removing moisture and dirt through vacuum suction. In car washing, it refers to a machine used to spin dry towels.
- F -
Fabric Protector: A product applied to cloth seats and carpets to repel moisture and prevent staining.
Fallout: Contamination that settles out of the air onto automotive paint finishes, including airborne industrial pollutants, brake dust, rail dust, and aircraft fuel. Requires special products and procedures to remove.
Fish Eye: A paint finish problem caused by grease, oil, or silicone on the paint surface during painting. Also known as "Detachment" in Chile.
Flammable Liquid: A chemical with a flash point below 140ºF.
Flash Off: The time allowed for solvent to evaporate from the paint surface.
Flash Point: The temperature at which a chemical will ignite. Also known as "Ignition Point", "Combustion Point", or "Reaction Point".
Foam Cutting Pad: A less aggressive foam pad used with a compound to correct paint finish problems and clear coat finishes.
Foam Pad: A round foam disc made of various textures for buffing, cutting, or polishing paint.
Foam Polishing Pad: A soft foam pad used with a swirl remover/polish to remove buffer swirls or polish and smooth the paint finish.
- G -
Glaze: A body shop safe swirl remover or polish, containing no wax or silicone.
- H -
Hard Water Staining/Etching: Surface contamination on the paint caused by hard water and/or heavy contamination in water, also known as "Mineral Deposits".
Hazardous Chemicals: Products or chemicals that pose a health risk if used improperly or without safety equipment. Read the MSDS for each product used.
Haze: A dull or milky appearance caused by dried chemical products such as wax/sealant on the surface, or imbedded dirt, oxidation, or scratches.
Hi-Tech Paints: Refers to advanced paint systems like base coat/clear coat, tri-coats, and fluorine clears.
H.M.I.S.: Hazardous Material Identification System, a system of numbers, symbols, and letters providing information about health, flammability, reactivity, and personal protection for chemicals and products.
Holograms: Trails of hazing left in the paint/clear coat surface by a rotary buffing machine. Also known as "Buffer Trails" or "Rotary Induced Machine Marring".
HSE: Health & Safety Executive, a U.K. government agency that sets standards for worker safety.
H&SAWA: Health & Safety At Work Act.
- I -
IARC: International Agency for Research of Cancer.
IDLH: Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health.
Industrial Fallout: Airborne pollutants from industry that settle on automotive surfaces, become embedded in the paint, and degrade the finish. Also known as "Rail Dust".
- L -
Lacquer Paint: A glossy, resinous material used as a surface coating, either clear or colored, made by dissolving nitrocellulose or other cellulose derivatives in volatile solvents.
Lacquer Thinner: A highly flammable solvent used to thin lacquer or paint and clean various items on the vehicle.
- M -
Matte Finished Paints: Paint that leaves a flat, non-shiny finish, such as on side mirrors.
Metallic Paint: Automotive paint containing metallic flakes, giving a glittery appearance.
Metering System: A system that automatically dilutes concentrated water-based chemicals with water.
Micro Blisters: Tiny blisters in the paint surface caused by contamination during the painting process, also known as "Solvent Pop".
Micro Scratches: Circular scratches in the paint surface caused by improper or harsh washing technique, also known as "Swirl Marks" or "Spider Webbing".
Mineral Deposits: Surface contamination on the paint caused by hard water or heavy contamination in water, also known as "Hard Water Staining/Etching".
Mottling: When paint appears streaked with light and dark areas, caused by heavier film thickness in one area over others.
MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheets, which describe the hazardous ingredients in a chemical, safety measures, first aid procedures, etc.
Multiple Step Process: A paint correction process requiring three or more steps to properly correct the vehicle's painted surface.
- O -
Oil: A viscous liquid, either a mixture of hydrocarbons (mineral oils) or mixtures of terpene and simple esters, used in paint and auto polishes.
One Step: A process where the paint is corrected, polished, and protected in one step, or a chemical product that performs these functions.
Orange Peel: A paint texture resembling the surface of an orange peel, lacking clarity of reflected image.
Orbital Buffer: A tool with a pad that travels in ellipses instead of rotating on a fixed axis, used when waxing to simulate hand movement.
Original Finish: The paint applied by the manufacturer (OEM finish).
OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a U.S. government agency setting standards for worker safety.
Overspray: Tiny specks of substance such as paint mist that settle out of the air onto a vehicle's surface.
Oxidation: The process where oxygen molecules bond with chemical substances in an automotive finish, causing the paint to become dry, dull, and faded. Common in single-stage paint finishes.
- P -
Pad Washer: A mechanical device used to clean buffing pads of compounds, cleaners, waxes, etc.
Paint Burn: Removing paint from a vehicle due to friction generated by a rotary buffer.
Paint Cleaner: A product containing mild abrasives for removing oxidation, light scratches, and minor surface imperfections, usually less aggressive than rubbing compounds and offering no protection.
Paint Etching: Damage to a paint finish caused by acidic substances resting on the surface.
Paint Film Thickness: The measure of the paint film on the vehicle, typically in mils (thousandths of an inch).
Paint Sealant: A protective product applied to automotive paint to coat, seal, and protect the surface.
Paint Thickness Gauge: An instrument that measures the film thickness (primer and paint) on a metal vehicle surface.
PEL: Permissible Exposure Limit.
Petroleum Distillates: Compounds derived from crude oil through refining, capable of dissolving other substances.
Petroleum Solvents: Liquids derived from crude oil through refining, capable of dissolving other substances.
pH Scale: A scale from 0 to 14 determining the acidic or alkaline nature of a chemical. 0-6 is acidic, 8-14 is alkaline, and 7 is neutral.
Polish: A chemical formulated to produce a smooth, bright, and glossy paint surface, also used to remove swirl marks.
Polisher: Another name for a rotary or dual action buffer.
Polishing: The action of using a rotary or dual action buffer to remove swirls and smooth the paint to a high-gloss finish.
Polishing Pad: A sheepskin or foam pad used with a rotary or dual action buffer to remove swirls or smooth the paint.
Polymer: A chemical compound of many units, used in various applications.
Polyurethane: A catalyst-type paint known for exceptional durability.
PPE: Personal Protective Equipment.
Pressure Washer: A machine using a piston pump to increase water pressure, used for cleaning engines, wheels, and washing and rinsing vehicles.
Pre-Wash: The initial step in preparing a vehicle for detailing, removing dirt and tar.
Primer: Material applied to the surface to seal, fill scratches, and improve adhesion of paint.
Professional: A person fully knowledgeable, trained, and skilled in all aspects of their profession.
P.S.I.: Pounds Per Square Inch, a measure of air and water pressure.
- Q -
Quality: The degree of excellence or relative goodness of work performed.
- R -
Rail Dust: Small metallic particles that settle on vehicle surfaces, become embedded in the paint, and oxidise, appearing as orange specks. Requires special products and procedures for removal. Also known as "Industrial Fallout".
Resin: A synthetic or naturally occurring polymer.
Respiratory Distress: A physical condition caused by inhaling toxic vapours, characterised by shortness of breath, dizziness, and sometimes unconsciousness, requiring immediate medical attention.
Rinseless Wash: A chemical that requires little or no water to rinse off the vehicle.
Rotary Induced Machine Marring: Hazing trails left in the paint/clear coat surface by a rotary buffing machine, also known as "Buffer Trails" or "Holograms".
RPM: Revolutions Per Minute, the number of complete turns made in one minute.
- S -
Sealer/Sealant: A paint protection chemical applied by hand or machine to coat, seal, and protect the surface, usually containing amino-functional silicones for durability.
Shine: To brighten or increase the lustre of a paint finish.
Silicone: A group of polymerised semi-organic compounds, characterised by high resistance to heat and water, enhancing gloss and durability but potentially causing complications in repainting.
Solvent: A substance, usually liquid, that dissolves or can dissolve another substance.
Solvent Pop: Tiny blisters in the paint surface caused by contamination during painting, also known as "Micro Blisters".
STEL: Short Term Exposure Limit.
Surfactant: A compound that helps lift substances from a surface for removal, commonly found in cleaners to improve rinsing.
Swirls/Swirl Marks: Circular micro scratches in the paint surface caused by improper or harsh washing or buffing techniques, also known as "Micro Scratching" or "Spider Webbing".
- T -
TCC: Tagliabue Closed Cup, a test used to determine the flammability of a product.
Teflon: A fluoropolymer patented by DuPont, used in waxes and sealants to provide protection on paint finishes.
Throw Off: Chemical product thrown from the surface or buffing pad by force, appearing as tiny speckles on other vehicle surfaces.
TLV: Threshold Limit Value.
Transit Coating: A protective coating applied to auto exteriors prior to transportation to prevent damage, requiring special chemicals and removal procedures.
TWA: Time Weighted Average.
Two Step Correction: A paint correction process involving two steps of machine polishing, typically a compound or cutting step followed by a finishing polish or refining step.
- U -
Ultraviolet (UV) Rays: A component of light that cannot be seen by the human eye, causing fading, cracking, peeling, and discolouration in automotive surfaces. Some products contain ingredients that guard against UV damage.
Urethane Paint: A catalyst paint known for exceptional durability.
- V -
Vapor Steamer: A device that uses a small boiler to generate steam for various cleaning functions.
- W -
Water Based: A product where the primary liquid ingredient is water.
Water Soluble: Characterised by the ability to mix completely with water.
Waterless Wash: A chemical that cleans a vehicle without water, applied by spraying on and wiping off.
Wax: A natural or synthetic element used in chemicals to protect the paint, such as carnauba wax.
Weathering: The change or failure in paint caused by exposure to weather.
Wet Sanding: A procedure of simultaneously sanding and rinsing an automotive finish to remove imperfections, usually performed by professionals.
Wool Cutting Pad: An aggressive 100% woven wool pad used with a compound to correct major paint finish problems.
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