How to wax a car.???????

[clioworx]

Never waxed my car and not sure really the best way how to do it and a few questions which would really help me out and give me a shove to do it............

1. What is the best type of wax/polish to use
2. Is there a special cloth I need to use
3. How often should this be done
4. And are there any best ways or methods of doing things

I have used t-cut on old cars but never waxed a new so I'm a little stuck.

Thanks for the help in advance as it's a trivial post.

 

[Rich]

1. A polish cleans up the paint, removes marks, and gives a good gloss, a wax seals in the shine and protects. They are two different things - but you do get all in one products that do both like Autoglym Super Resin, that cleans, polish and protects. There are also sealants, that like waxes protect you paint but are made up of chemicals to allow them to last longer. As to what is best you looking for looks, ease of use, durable protection, or a compromise of all factors. Different products also look better on different paints and colours.

2. Lost of people like Microfiber cloths as they are safe on paint.

3. Polishing should only real need to be done a couple of times a year, waxing depends on how the car is used and kept and what waxes or sealnts you use. A good sealant can last 3+ months.

4. Check out

http://www.cliosport.net/index.php?ind=reviews&op=entry_view&iden=36

as this is a great starting point.

 

[clioworx]

So the best way to do it is.........

!. use a polish
2. then wax
3. then use a sealant

All this should be done every 3-4 months.

 

[MattyH16v]

So the best way to do it is.........

!. use a polish
2. then wax
3. then use a sealant

All this should be done every 3-4 months.

Me thinks it should b:
1. Polish
2. Sealant
3. Wait 24hrs keeping paint cleen and dry if possible
4. Wax

Every 3-4 months sounds ok. R-Jay will know, he's an expert!

 

[Jay]

1. wash
2. clay (every few months only)
3. polish
4. sealant
5. wax

It's best to wait in between sealant and wax if you can.

 

[Rich]

As Jay says

Once or twice a year for a big clean up

1. Wash
2. Clay
3. Polish
4. Sealant
5. Wax (really just to improve looks not a needed step if using a good sealant)

A good sealant should last around 3 months, you could then use wax over the top and and apply that 30 - 60 days, meaning you really only need to use a sealant every 6 months during the twice a year clean up.

If that is to much, as long as you don't top it with the wax you can just apply another coat of sealant after 3 months or as soon as it looks like the protection has diminished.

As had been said the reason for leaving the sealant in the dry if possible for 12-24 hours is to allow the polymers in the sealant to bond and set up to give maximum protection. Its not essential but should see greater protection and durability.

You can them maintain the car with washing and using a quick detailing spray to retain luster.

 

[Ali]

Whats a sealant? Like what brand should i use?

Do you wax in lines or circles? lol...

 

[_Kenny_]

Megs #21 is a good sealant mate and I prefer circles myself lol

 

[Rich]

A sealant is a man made blend of products, some do contain wax. Some are polymer based to help then bond and be durable.

I prefer Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection, but other options include Megs #21, which imo doesnt look that special and is expensive. Megs NXT, dont like the cleaners in it. Other brands you could look into are Poorboys EX, 4* UPP, Wolfgang Sealant, Klasse Sealant Glaze, Zaino to name but a few.

 

[_Kenny_]

Never used AG EXP mate, you really rate it then?

 

[Rich]

Looks good and lasts a long time, cheap to buy, conatins no cleraners or abbrassives, is just a pure sealant. Easy to apply.

Downsides its not the easist product to remove, even when applied very thin. If applied to thickly it will dust on removal. Also takes 30-60 mins waiting time after application before you can remove.

 

[David_Snaresbrook]

I've used the Auto glym sealant, and was very pleased with the results. Using that with the autoglym resin polish is a very good combination imho especially if you are a polishing newbie. Put it on thin, using soft clean cloths, constantly swapping the cloth about so you use a different part, thus reducing the chance of swirl marks.

Personally, i prefer a nice soft cotton cloth to apply the polish, then a microfibre cloth to remove it.

i also dont see the need to spend lots of money on the cloths, as i usually go down to QD stores, and they have packs of luxury microfibre cloths for a quid in there, and they work excellent, and come with cloths for glass etc.

 

[NOT! gary l]

thats all time consuming, must admit though on the pics of cars people have posted a lot of them look shinier than showroom condition

but

whats best for us north of the border bearing in mind that we only see 5 days of sunshine a year

every fricking time i get the wax out its guaranteed to start pi****g down

id love to have my own garage to wash/wax/polish/seal my car the way it deserves

 

[Jay]

At the mo I'm using Poorboys EXP sealant, very good stuff!

 

[andywright182]

i didnt realise that waxing a car could be so complicated! think i might do a 'proper' job of it next month if the weather improves a bit