What is the difference between wet sanding and dry sanding?
Quick answer: Dry sanding is faster and more aggressive for cutting filler/primer and knocking down heavy defects; it creates dust and leaves a coarser scratch that needs further refinement. Wet sanding uses water to lubricate and carry away slurry, runs cooler, clogs less and gives a flatter, finer finish—ideal for denibbing or levelling orange peel in clear coat before polishing. Thorough drying and step-up polishing are essential after wet sanding.
The only difference is water. There can be some advantages to sanding wet, as the water can act as a lubricant and wetting the sandpaper can help keep it clean and prevent the dust building up, but there is very little difference in result. The grade of paper has far more effect than whether water is used or not, and it's largely a matter of preference and convenience which a technician chooses.
Written by Danny Argent. Last updated 09/09/2025 16:09