Is it necessary to ever hand wax your car? If so, how often and for what reason do you need to hand wax ?Are spray on waxes that come from the automatic car washes a substitute for hand waxing?
It is only necessary to hand-wax the car if you want to keep it looking good over the long-term. If you plan to get rid of the car within 2 or 3 years, you would likely not notice a difference whether you waxed or did not wax.
I hand-wax my cars once a year, but since I tend to keep my cars for 7 years or so, this is really a good idea. When it comes to trade-in time, and your “old” car looks like it just rolled out of the showroom, you will get a much better price for it.
Not only are the so-called spray-on waxes at the car wash not a substitute for hand waxing the car, but they also present a potential safety hazard. That stuff is sprayed on your windshield, as well as the body of the car, and when you encounter a rain storm after washing, it may take quite a while for your wipers to “cut” through the residue on the windshield. Until the residue is removed, your visibility can be severely limited.
I used to spend endless hours waxing our cars. That stopped 24 years ago when my wife thought it was not right that she was spending all her time taking care of our kids and I was spending all my time tending to the cars.
We’ve had many cars in the last 24 years. While waxing does make them look nicer, we’ve both been content with their appearance without wax.
Keeping them washed is the #1 priority for me. Waxing, not so much. My '96 still looks fine, it’s been waxed maybe 5 times.
No,cpapacini, it is not necessary to ever hand wax a car. Nor is it necessary to shave every day and clean your fingernails. Appearance is a personal matter. We all have individual opinions.
I happen to take pride in the fact that my 16-year-old sedan still gleams in the sun, almost as if it just came from the showroom. Washing and waxing takes me about 2 hours at a time twice a year, working at a very leisurely pace. To me it is well worth it. Others are quite content with a dull finish. Suit yourself.
Someone else can advise you on carwash spray wax. I have never tried it.
If you have anything other than a tan Honda Civic, you will want to wax your cars on a regular basis. It also protects the paint from acid rain and other contaminats. Using a clay bar prior to waxing is also a great idea. Paint ages so gradually, you don’t notice how different it looks from new after a couple years until you compare it to new. Car wash waxes are totally worthless and simply waste your money and cause the line behind you to get longer. I wax my cars twice a year, spring and fall, and clay bar and polish at least once. If you don’t care how your car looks and don’t mind rust spots, don’t bother.
It’s up to you. I seldom wax my car, and it looks great. (2002 VW NB) I would guess it is at least three years since the last time I waxed it. It has the original paint, now.
It’s strictly personal. I wax our vehicles about 3-4 times a year. It really helps keeping the vehicle looking new. Wax also protects the paint. If you plan on keeping a car a long time (we usually keep ours close to 300k miles)…then wax will help to keep it look good.
Hand Waxing A Vehicle Usually Isn’t A Lot Of Fun, But It’s A Pleasure Looking At The Vehicle When You’re Done And It Really Cleans The Finish And Protects It.
I always dreaded this chore because it made my hands, wrists, and arms ache. Years ago I bought a waxer/polisher. Now it’s almost fun. I Do It Spring And Fall.
For about $20 - $25 you can buy an electric (AC) 6" Random Orbit Waxer/Polisher at Wal-Mart or other stores. That’s what I did. You’ll need a regular extension cord.
I wash the car first (I wipe some water off with my hand, but let it air dry, no need to dry it). Next I water dampen a 6" terry cloth bonnet. I put a few little dabs of New Finish car polish (it’s just what I use) on a panel (door, fender, bumper, etcetera). Some large panels like roof or hood (we drive big cars and a minivan) I do half from each side. Then I run the waxer and run through the dabs and polish the entire panel (or half). I wipe/buff the dried polish with a clean towel and go to the next panel.
I start at the top (usually cleaner) and work down. I sometimes have to spend more time going over lower areas (more stuck on stuff). I sometimes redampen the bonnet. Dampened bugs come off easier than dry bugs. Obviously, you’ll have a few little nooks and crannies that necessitate hand work. I use a little damp, square sponge with wax on it.
Get an extra pack of 6" terry cloth bonnets (2 or 3 to a pack). I sometimes clean them, but new ones work best when you begin a new wax job.
That’s what I do. No more sore joints and I don’t have scratches or swirl marks (but we do have light colored cars). I have found that with this method I can remove most tar spots, bugs, and even rail dust marks without destroying my joints. By hand it would be a nightmare.
CSA
I also use a an electric buffer (10 inch) for waxing. You can also get buffing pads for the buffer and the only time you’ll have to do any hand work is around areas the buffer can’t reach. I hand washed my mom’s Grand Marquis last week and used the buffer for waxing. It actually took me longer to hand wash the car than it did to wax it. The buffers can be bought at Walmart for about $25-$30 I think. I bought mine new at a flea market for I think either $5 or $10.
I’ll agree with the others, mostly. As for air drying, in areas with contaminants in the water (like Texas), you’ll leave spots all over the vehicle. Mr. Clean used to make a filter thingy that went on your hose. I bought mine at WallyWorld for $25 years ago. Now it’s only available at a few online sources like Amazon. It’s called </a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Clean-AutoDry-System-Starter/dp/B0006M56CE”>Mr. Clean AutoDry. It does an exceptional job of purifying the water so you don’t get spots.
There’s also a hose attachment that you fill with a surfactant that breaks the water’s surface tension and allows it to run off in sheets rather than spotting. I’ve never use done, but I hear they work.
Personally, I keep my cars waxed, and after I wash and rinse I simply take a short drive. The water all rolls off.
I use a squeegee for quick water removal. The car need not be completely dry. Any remaining droplets won’t interfere with the wax application.