What's the best way to apply paste waxes by hand (and other questions)?

[MikeWinLDS]

The waxes that come in the tins and other circular containers; what's the best way to get them onto your car? I remember the very first time I ever waxed a car using paste wax was with Turtle Wax's Ultra Hard Shell or whatever it was.



It came with an applicator pad and the circular container of wax. I didn't know how to apply it, so I just put the whole applicator into the container and swirled it around. Anyway, I used up a whole lot of wax, and I think it did it wrong.



How are you supposed to apply the wax onto your car with these tins? The latest wax I've used was Zymol's cleaner wax. It comes in a little bottle like a hair gel bottle, and all I have to do is squeeze it out onto the applicator pad; I usually use a large pea-sized amount.







Also a seperate question: How often are you supposed to polish and wax your car? I'll be using clay and polish from now on, but before all I've ever done was wash my car, dry it, and then wax it. I probably don't have enough time or money to do multiple repeat steps (using different polishes and waxes), so any advice on what products I can use just for one-steps only? I just want to wash, clay, maybe wash again, but perhaps not, polish, and then wax and be done with it.



It already takes me like 2 hours to wash and wax the car, and I don't want to spend hours and hour or even days curing the car and such. I try to vacuum everytime I wash and wax too. Don't really have a cleaning regimen, just whenever I think the car needs to be washed and whatnot. Should I be claying, polishing, and waxing everytime I wash my car, or does that depend on how often I wash it?

 

[the other pc]

When you're applying wax think thin. It must cover the whole surface but with a very light film. Only an imperceptibly microscopic amount that's right against the finish actually sticks and does anything so putting it on thick just means there's more residue to clean off later.



How often depends on how kind your local environment is to your car and how AR you are about it's condition.



Whether you need the full multi-step process depends on the car's condition. A finish that is new or already in great shape just needs to be maintained. A finish that has been abused or neglected should get the full treatment. After that it takes much less to maintain it.



The extent of maintenance will again depend on environment and personal taste. Some Autopians want an awesome shine at all times and revel in the multi-step approach, doing it regularly. One who can't devote quite that much energy to it can still keep a finish preserved and looking good without going to extremes.



Wash it regularly and keep an eye on how shiny is looks, how slick it feels and how quickly gunk builds up on it. You'll soon get a feel for how often it needs clay, cleaner or wax. (You also might find that you become so obsessed with it that you feel you need to do it all the time. If so, welcome to the club. )



Most of the companies make products that combine two or more of the steps. Play with some of them and you'll find one that is a good balance for you.



I have to say that for simplicity and practicality I like Meg's #6 Cleaner Wax. It's a non-abrasive cleaner/polish/wax. Doesn't do any one of the steps like a specialized product but does all three well and at the same time.





PC.

 

[Accumulator]

The waxes that come in the tins and other circular containers; what's the best way to get them onto your car? ...



It came with an applicator pad and the circular container of wax. I didn't know how to apply it, so I just put the whole applicator into the container and swirled it around. Anyway, I used up a whole lot of wax...How are you supposed to apply the wax onto your car with these tins?

Do it the way you *did* it, but scrape the applicator against the rim of the tin and squeeze out as much wax as possible. It's pretty amazing how *little* wax you really need. One normal-sized tin of wax should last for years.

The latest wax I've used was Zymol's cleaner wax. It comes in a little bottle like a hair gel bottle, and all I have to do is squeeze it out onto the applicator pad; I usually use a large pea-sized amount.

Yeah, use as little as you feel you can get away with. Make it a challenge, "how little can I use?"

How often are you supposed to polish and wax your car?

Polish it if it gets marring (swirls, scratches, etc.). Wax it before it really needs it (while the finish still looks good and is still beading. Clay it *very gently* before you wax and/or if the paint seems contaminated even after you wash. Generally, plan to redo the LSP after you clay.

I probably don't have enough time or money to do multiple repeat steps (using different polishes and waxes), so any advice on what products I can use just for one-steps only? I just want to wash, clay, maybe wash again, but perhaps not, polish, and then wax and be done with it.

I'd probably recommend 1Z Paint Polish followed by some LSP (Last Step Product). This works fine for friends of mine who are a*not* into detailing their cars. Nothing wrong with wanting to keep this manageable. You don't need to go off the deep end, the way some of us do, to do right by your vehicle.

Don't really have a cleaning regimen, just whenever I think the car needs to be washed and whatnot. Should I be claying, polishing, and waxing everytime I wash my car, or does that depend on how often I wash it?

You *do* have a regimen- "when it needs it" is fine

No need to do anything but wash most of the time. You might try refreshing your LSP with a QD (Quick Detailer) after you wash.

 

[MikeWinLDS]

Washing the car doesn't remove any of the wax or polish does it? I was always under the impression that it did, hence the reason I always waxed whenever I washed the car. But perhaps I should be waxing each time I wash; I'm not sure how long the wax lasts on the car. Would spraying down a section of the car to see if it beads or not be a sort of home test to see how long the wax lasts?

 

[Accumulator]

Whether or not beading can be used as an indicator can be a very contentious topic



A big change in beading/slickness/appearance does, *IMO* indicate some kind of degradation of the LSP.



Using a good wash at the proper strength shouldn't remove much LSP. On my waxed cars (as opposed to those with a synthetic LSP), I maybe wax every four-six washes, and that's probably more often than necessary. But I do use good wax and a wax-friendly wash Cheap wax and/or the wrong wash can indeed require rewaxing after (almost) every wash.

 

[MikeWinLDS]

How about the difference between the same product, but only in liquid and paste form? I'm currently looking at AutoGeek.net and there's a Pinnacle Souveran past and liquid wax, and the paste is a lot more expensive. Some property of the paste superior to liquid? And how do you know if a car wash solution is wax-friendly or not, aside from it maybe being listed on the bottle itself.

 

[audio1der]

Some waxes bead a long time, others do not, but it's often not a good sign of whether the wax is still there or not.

Washing with a proper car shampoo will not remove the wax- washing with dish soap will completely remove any wax (or most of your sealant) you have on the car.



If you're after protection much more than looks, carnauba is not serving you well.(it's not really supposed to)

Look into polymer sealants like Klasse, Zaino, Wolfgang, Poorboy's EX or (gulp) Nu-Finish if you must.

They're meant to last along time (often 6 months to a year with 2 thin coats a week apart) above looking good.



Carnaubas used to be all we had so yes, they were for protection. But just like you threw out your old Tandy computer, technology and science have brought us sealants. Carnaubas are now for looks and garage queens. Topping a good sealant with a pure carnauba gives you the best of both worlds (protection & looks).



For more info, search around- not meaning to be rude, but there is TON of info on the site, waitig to be absorbed by us!

 

[Big Leegr]

Just in case you didn't know, both Liquid and paste Souveran are strictly LSP's. They don't polish/clean at all.

You may want to consider using a quick detailer after your washes, as opposed to re-waxing each time. Most waxes should last a month at least, so if you're washing more often than that (and I would hope you are) you could use a qd as a touch-up, which would also be much faster than waxing. You should be able to qd a car in under 15 min.

 

[MikeWinLDS]

What about dirt and other particles on the car before spraying and wiping down a QD product? Good to use a CCD on the car before QDing?

 

[Big Leegr]

If you wash the car well first, there shouldn't be any particles to worry about. If you're using the CCD instead of washing, then I guess you're not having much dirt on the car. Some QD's say they can handle light dust etc. so those should be ok. Just don't rub the dirt etc. into the paint with the QD. I'd recommend (well, washing, actually, but if you're skipping that..) QD'ing to get the dirt off first, then going over it again to increase the gloss/slickness etc.

 

[MikeWinLDS]

Another question. If I decide to clay, polish, and/or glaze, I shouldn't be using a cleaner wax as a LSP but rather use a pure wax? Aside from waxes that clearly state they are cleaner waxes on the bottles, any other indications on the labels or whereverelse that a wax might be cleaner and not pure (was reading some posts about Meguiar's NXT wax being partly cleaner).



And how long do you leave waxes on your car before buffing it off? Was checking out this thread (http://autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=439443#post439443) and some users saying they leave the wax on for 15 or 30 minutes before buffing off. In the past I've only left on for at most like 1 minute and then buffing off when I saw it looked hard and hazy. Any adverse effects to leaving the wax on for too long?



Also these are the only products I've got to work with so far. Is this good enough, or should I go shopping for some new things. I'm using Turtle Wax Emerald for the car wash. Got a Magic Clay kit for claying. I bought a new bottle of Meguiar's Deep Crystal polish to try out polishing (will be my first time), and have been using the last several times Zymol cleaner wax. I know I need to get a pure wax and not cleaner since I'll be do the other steps inbetween washing and waxing. Should I also get a glaze to try out, and will that Megs polish work ok, or should I take it back and get something else? For the wax I was thinking about heading back to AutoZone and getting Megs #26 I saw on the shelf, or maybe ordering some #16 from the Autopia store.

 

[togwt]

In the past I've only left on for at most like 1 minute and then buffing off when I saw it looked hard and hazy. Any adverse effects to leaving the wax on for too long?



·Carnauba wax must be given sufficient time to dry, 1 â€â€œ 2 minutes is recommended before removing residue

·Using a 100% cotton towel and moderate pressure wipe very slowly to a brilliant lustre before wax is totally dry

·Allow to bond to paint surface for 24 hours

.With a 100% cotton buffing towel, buff lightly once more after 3-4 hours to perfect the shine.



~Hope this helps~



Knowledge unshared is experience wasted [each one / teach one]

justadumbarchitect / so I question everything/ JonM

 

[MikeWinLDS]

1) Using a 100% cotton towel and moderate pressure wipe very slowly to a brilliant lustre before wax is totally dry

2) Allow to bond to paint surface for 24 hours

3) With a 100% cotton buffing towel, buff lightly once more after 3-4 hours to perfect the shine.

Maybe I should ask about what exactly is the definition of buffing. What I have been doing in the past is letting the wax dry to a haze and then with moderatre pressure wipe off the wax by rubbing it off with a 100% cotton towel in circular, vertical, and horizontal motions. Am I not supposed to do that yet?



Should I just be wiping it off gently in an either vertical or horizonal motion, and then later on when the wax has cured then do the whole rubbing with the circular and other vertical/horizonal motion? And do I use the buffing towel (step 3) after step 2 (waiting total of 27-28 hours before buffing) or after step 1 (waiting 3-4 hours after initial wipe-off)?

 

[audio1der]

Sounds like you're buffing it off to me.

With most waxes, I've found it's easiest to apply to the whole car, then buff off the whole car. None of this apply/wipe off stuff, plus it gives it lots of time to haze. This includes using hard waxes like #26, etc. I canno think of a downside to letting the product haze for a long time, but we all know the smearing one has to deal with if you don't leave it ling enough.



And unfortunately, there are not always notes on the bottle as to whether the wax has any cleaners or not. NXT is a "pure" selant because it has no cutting ability, but it has a slight chemical cleaning ability which might remove part of a previous wax coat...

I should think Turtle wax would have cleaning ability- it is meant to be more of an "All-in-one" wax, than an LSP.



Seriously, Mike- don't over-think this; it's waxing your car.

It's great to learn and try different techniques and ideas, but don't overthink it to the point of making it difficult for yourself.

Enjoy it!

:xyxthumbs

 

[MikeWinLDS]

Yea, I have a tendency to overanalyze things, ahahah. The only bad thing I can really think about when experimenting and trying different things is that there aren't trial-size products out there. Like if you bought a product and didn't like it at all, you spent that money on it already, and you can't return it or anything, and it just sits on your shelf collecting dust.

 

[audio1der]

Those are bottles for freebie details, or why so many of us wax our door jambs/under the hood

 

[dcampen]

It already takes me like 2 hours to wash and wax the car

For me, a big attraction of the Zaino sealant system over carnuba wax is that it is so much easier and faster.

 

[MikeWinLDS]

Don't you have to wait long periods of time for the different coats of Zaino to dry off before adding on another layer? Unless you're talking about something else, how is that faster?

 

[paco]

Mike.



Paste vs. Liquid.



A paste tin will last a lot longer than a liquid version. It's a personal preference kind of thing. Liquid can be easier to apply if you intend on using a machine to apply it but you can also charge a pad with the paste version. From a $$$, the paste wins hands down.



How often? For a wax, probably every 6-weeks is a good bench mark. However, it depends on which wax you are talking (some have better durability then others), the area you live in and whether it's a garage queen or daily driver.



Go very very thin. If you see a lot of it, you've applied way to much.



Cure time: That is very product depend. If you go S100, it's wax on wax off with no wait. If you go No. 26, 1/2 hr is usually good or more. I personally don't like waiting 24 hours etc because dirt in the air can settle on the wax and then removing the excess wax (buffing) can be a hassle.



If you go with a sealant as your final step product, it's basically the same thing except how you apply different sealants can be very product specific.



For waxes, they are all pretty much the same way. I personally like to use a circular foam pad and apply in "linear" strokes as opposed to circular. Technically, it shouldn't matter if you have a clean surface and pad/wax but just in case.. I perfer to have a linear scratch than a circular one which is much more apparent.



Buffing... 100% cotton is good but I'm a MF kind of guy.



I have found that waiting an couple of hours after you buff and squirting the freshly waxes panels with a very light coat of distilled water and buffing it off can increase the shine nicely.



Other than that, waxing shouldn't take you more than 10 - 15mins. Hence why some people here wax almost everytiime they wash their car.



Paco

 

[dcampen]

Don't you have to wait long periods of time for the different coats of Zaino to dry off before adding on another layer?

Not if you are adding the ZFX accelerator. From the Zaino site:



"Apply Zaino Show Car Polish enabled with ZFXâ„¢ with a 100%, made in the USA, cotton applicator. Use the polish sparingly. A small amount goes a long way, and you will be applying multiple coats. ...

Allow the polish to haze over (20 minutes is sufficient).

Buff off the Show Car Polish residue ...

After buffing, spray the car with a light mist of Z-6 Ultra Cleanâ„¢ detailing spray. Z-6 will help buff away any remaining residue and enhances the brightness of the finish. ...

You're now ready to apply your next coat of Zaino Show Car Polish enabled with ZFXâ„¢. There's no need to wait. Simply follow steps 1-4 above one more time."

Unless you're talking about something else, how is that faster?

I still wait about one-half to one hour between coats even though I use the ZFX but the waiting time is time I can spend doing something else.