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Does anybody know much about wax?

Maintenance/Repairs
#1

Hello. I am fixin’ to wax my car and if I have to buy wax I might as well buy good wax. However, with wax the parameter of “good” seems to be in the wrong place, as with many things.

Every package and ad talks about nothing but how glossy it makes your car right after you’re done. Well, I don’t care about gloss. In fact, if it’s too glossy it’s tacky. I want the most, longest protection I can get here in the Rust Belt.

And of course I don’t want any evil silicones. Silicones are bad.

So what do I want? Are there any waxes/coats/preservatives that prioritize protection and don’t contain silicone?

Thank you kindly.

#2

Wax doesn’t make the car glossy. It’s the polish that makes it shine. Wax is just a protector.

The best way to wax the car is to first prepare the finish. Wash first…then use a polisher…Then wax. Or instead of a polisher…use a clay-bar.

As for what products to use??? It doesn’t really matter. I’ve had great luck with Blue Coral, or Mothers products…But turtle wax is fine also.

#3

I suspect you’re going to get a huge list of suggestions here, covering most of the products you see on the shelf. Among the standard types of wax, I’m not sure there’s really that much difference in terms of protection.

You should also consider how easily the wax applies and buffs off. Some of them are noticeably harder to use than others. It’s more important to wax frequently, which is more likely to happen if you get one that’s easy to use. I’ve been happy with Meguiar’s liquid Cleaner Wax, which (at least for me) buffs off nicely without smearing and which doesn’t leave a lot of dust in cracks and crevices.

Also, I’ve read that some waxes are better than others in being removed from black textured plastic trim if you accidentally get some on it. I’m extremely careful not to do that in the first place, so I can’t comment on that.

#4

Yep, the important thing is to do it, not which brand. Consumer Reports has tested them, and some of the cheaper brands (those mentioned above) did as well or better than the expensive stuff.

#5

They all do pretty much the same thing. Everyone has his favorite, however, but each for a different reason: appearance, ease of application, longevity, economy. Take your pick. FWIW, I use Turtle Wax.

And I don’t understand your fear of silicone. Silicone is harmless. We’re talking auto polishes, not implants.

#6

Use a good quality wax like Mothers, Meguires, etc. I highly recommend the clay bar first. It is amazing the difference it makes in pulling all of the contaminants out of the paint. Go to the meguires site for more information on products and general car care. In the spring I will clay bar, machine polish, glaze, and wax my cars. In the fall maybe just wax.

#7

We all have our own preferences, but as long as you use a good brand name wax, clean the car well before applying, and follow the instructions on the can or bottle, they all work great. The key is to actually wax it.

I like NuFinish, and have been using it for many years. I like it because it’s easy to use, provides a good finish, and lasts. But I also don’t believe the statement on the bottle that say “The Once A Year Car Wax”. I wax my car three or four times a year. To maintain a good finish it needs to be waxed BEFORE it stops beading, not WHEN it stops beading.

I had my old pickup for over 17 years, most of the paint was original (it got banged up a bit over the years…mostly from abuse), and it still looked great. And I live in NH. And the truck was never garaged.

#8

Yes, I love Nu Finish. It’s a cleaner and protectant combined…not exactly a wax. But it is very easy to use, which makes you feel like doing the job more often. And it does last. Almost a year
if your car isn’t out in the weather a lot, etc. I do mine once a year, and the finish has no damage (except from nicks etc). I highly recommend it. The liquid seems to work as well as the paste.

#9

As I’m sure you’ve figured out, there are almost as many opinions as people - and they’re all valid. Personally, I like to use Teflon. I can’t remember who makes it, as I bought a pretty large container quite a while ago. Once teflon’d, you run it through touchless washes (or just use a hose), and just like the pans, the dirt falls off. I have to redo mine ~every 6 months.

#10

Since I keep my vehicles for many years and keep them looking great, I’ll occasionally have someone ask me how I do it.

I tell them “I found a coating you can put over the paint that prevents it from dryng out and keeps it looking great.”

They always say “Really? What is it?”.

I always answer “car wax”.

The brand isn’t that important. Waxing it is.

#11

I like waxes that are inexpensive, go on easily, and come off relatively easy. Turtle Wax Cleaner Wax and Kit have been good. Meguirs makes good stuff.

Careful of polishes. These are abrasive.

#12

I’ll put in another vote for Meguiars products. Good stuff.

I’ll also echo those who said to be careful of polishes. You should ONLY polish the car when it needs it - i.e. when you have little scratches or swirl marks or oxidized clearcoat. Polish is abrasive, and if you polish the car too often, you’ll end up polishing right through the clearcoat, which is bad news. I wax my car 2 or 3 times a year. I polish it maybe once every 3 or 4 years.

#13

I had heard abut clay bar as Mike had suggested. I found it a good thing also for pre wax prep, as I am on the 3 year plan. I tried color magic by turtle wax, black for my black car an was happy with the results.

#14

I now use Mother’s liquid wax and have for the past few years, but have used Blue Coral liquid and Turtle wax liquid in the past. I like the ease of waxing with Mother’s or Blue Coral better than Turtle wax, but they all do a good job of protecting the finish. I also usually wax about 2-3 times per year, but have been kind of slack this year. The car that normally stays in the garage was out the other day while it was raining and even though it’s been over a year since it’s last wax job the water was still beading nicely. Since the weather is finally starting to cool down maybe I’ll actually get around to waxing again before winter.

#15

Coupon alert. ArmorAll is offering $5.00 mail-in rebate coupons for their car wax products, available in wax and liquid form. Print your rebate coupons from this link:

http://armorall.com/img/armorall_rebate.pdf

#16

I’ll put in a vote for Meguiar’s products as well. Especially the Gold Class or Medallion waxes. They last longer, usually twice a year is enough. If the finish is oxidized or has “road film” use the #2 fine cut cleaner first. You’ll like the results!