How To Wax Your Car
- An auto detailing instructional article written by Dwayne McPeeks.

"Learning how to wax your car properly, and then waxing your car on a regular basis, will help ensure that your car's paint looks great for years to come!"

YOUR PAINT IS UNDER ATTACK. It's true. Your car's paint is constantly under attack. Acid rain, intense UV rays, industrial fallout, bug splatter, bird droppings, break dust and hard water mineral deposits are just some of the things that can attach to your cars paint and damage the finish. By applying a high quality car wax on a regular basis, you are applying a sacrificial barrier that will offer protection from the aforementioned elements and contaminants.

CAR WAX DEFINED. Wax is a generic term that can be used to describe products containing organic wax that is derived from the Brazilian Palm Tree, COPERNICIA cerifera also known as the "Carnauba palm" or wax can be used to describe synthetic polymer "waxes" that are used to protect automotive paint also known as paint "sealants". Organic "carnauba" waxes come in both paste and in liquid form and provide a deep, wet-look gloss. Synthetic polymer waxes are most often found in liquid form. In recent years polymer waxes have come a long way regarding the way that they look. Polymers used to provide a plastic-like, sterile shine but that is not the case anymore. Today's polymer waxes rival the finest carnaubas when it comes to appearance. Polymer wax also offers much more durability and protection than carnauba wax provides. For the rest of this article the term "wax" will be used to describe both organic and synthetic waxes.

FREQUENCY OF APPLICATION As you may have noticed, in the heading of this article I wrote, "waxing your car on a regular basis". This point is so important that before we even get into the actual process of waxing a car, we need to address this subject. There is a lot of misinformation available on the internet. There are a lot of products available today that are just marketing ploys and scams. Some products claim durability of 1 year, 5 years or even "Never wax your car again!" Durability of 1 year maybe be possible on a "garage queen" that is never exposed to the elements. If you actually drive your car, wash it on a somewhat regular basis and park in direct sunlight, NO CAR WAX IS GOING TO LAST A YEAR! Period.

CAR WAX DURABILITY There are many things that determine the durability of a particular car wax. Here are some of the contributing factors:

1. The composition of the car wax. Is it synthetic or organic? For the most part, synthetic "polymer" wax lasts longer than organic "carnauba" wax. In general, carnauba wax lasts anywhere from 1 week to 4 months. Polymer waxes last from 1 month up to 1 year. It all depends on what the finish is exposed to. Your mileage may vary.

2. Amount UV exposure.

3. Frequency of washing and method of wash.

4. The condition of the car's paint. Is the paint rough or is it smooth? Is oxidation present? Waxing over an older, neglected finish is a waste of time. The wax will not last.

5. Quality of preparation prior to waxing.

Preparation is paramount when it comes to waxing your car. Car wax bonds better to a smooth, clean and contaminant-free surface. Proper preparation of the paint finish is vital to a long-lasting wax finish. If your car's paint is not as smooth as glass, claying and polishing may be needed to create a smooth paint surface that is ready for waxing.

WAXING YOUR CAR: THE PROCESS Finally! So now we know that car wax is a sacrificial product that is designed to protect the under-lying paint while enhancing the look of the paint. We know technically what car wax is, how often that it needs to be applied and how long it lasts. Now we get to learn how to apply car wax!

This is the part where it will really pay to read the instructions on label of your favourite car wax. In most cases, the manufacturer's directions will give you the best results. In some instances we have seen manufacturers provide questionable directions on their labels.

No matter which type of car wax that you decide to apply, keep in mind that for best results, use the least amount of product that you possibly can. Multiple thin coats are much better than one thick coat. You will be leaving behind a clear, microscopic layer of wax. All excess product will be removed during the residue removal process. The more that you apply, the more that you will have to remove. When it comes to layers, thinner is better.

Wax can be applied by hand or by machine with an orbital polisher. I have used these methods with great success. When waxing by hand, I am able to get into tight areas and around trim that a machine cannot get into. When waxing with a machine polisher, larger areas are waxed in a short amount of time. A machine polisher can apply wax much more thin and more even than you can apply by hand.

For hand application, I prefer a foam wax applicator pad. Do not moisten the pad with water, this can cause some waxes and polymers to become sticky, gooey and hard to remove. I prefer to prime the foam pad with the actual wax product being used. "Priming" is simply applying liquid car wax to the applicator to moisten the foam and help it spread the product more evenly. It does not take much product to prime the pad correctly. Apply the wax with long, straight overlapping passes. Do not apply in a circular motion, this could increse the appearnce of swirls in the paint.

When applying wax by machine, prime the foam pad with just enough wax to moisten the foam. Spread the wax in a small area before you turn the machine on. Only turn the machine on when the foam pad is in contact with the vehicle's paint. Use overlapping passes, first side to side and the front to back. This machine will help you to apply a layer of wax very thin and even.

Some waxes need to be applied and removed one panel at a time while others work best if allowed to dry for a longer period of time. In general, carnauba waxes need to be applied and removed before moving on to the next section. If left to dry, they can get very hard and their residues are very hard to remove. If you run into this problem, reapplication of the car wax will soften the hardened wax, make sure to remove the residue immediately. Polymer waxes tend to work best and be easier to remove if allowed to dry for a longer period of time. These types of car wax allow you to apply the polymer to the entire vehicle, take a break and then start removing the residue.

The best way to remove the dried wax residues is by hand with thick, soft and plush high-pile microfibre towels. Using only high quality microfibre, take one in each hand and fold them over to increase the thickness of the towel. Remove the wax residue and buff and polish to reveal that freshly waxed shine.