Quick (read: Stupid) Question About Waxing

[ds2chan]

I bought some turtle wax for my car but I don\'t know how to use it.. :p

this is what I think.. after washing and drying ur car, u just apply some wax (karate kid style) and let it dry.. then apply one more coat (as per instructions on the container).. then that\'s it.. is that all or do I have to rinse off the car with water?? thanks..

[bubba1983]

wax on...wax off, thas all u need to know...

[TheProfessor]

What do the instructions say? Some waxes you just have to rinse off after applying while others need to be buffed out with a clean dry rag.

[ds2chan]

Originally posted by PSIVIC


What do the instructions say? Some waxes you just have to rinse off after applying while others need to be buffed out with a clean dry rag.

The instructions say:

\"Wash & dry car. Apply on a cool clean surface, not in direct sunlight. Apply a small amount of product onto damp applicator and spread evenly on one section at a time. Allow to dry to a haze. Remove excess with a soft cloth. Buff lightly for a maximum shine.\"

I\'m thinking I can use the applicator that comes with it to apply the wax and if needed use a rag to rub off the excess wax. And since I don\'t have a buffer (or whatever u use to buff) I can skip the last step. Is this right?? thanks.

[TheProfessor]

When they say \"buff lightly\" that doesn\'t necessarily mean with a machine.....you\'re gonna have to use some good old fashioned muscle! Use the provided applicator to apply it, and once it has gone hard (i.e. no longer pasty) you should use a dry clean cloth and start buffing it out. Make sure to keep using clean sections of the cloth.

[ds2chan]

Originally posted by PSIVIC


When they say \"buff lightly\" that doesn\'t necessarily mean with a machine.....you\'re gonna have to use some good old fashioned muscle! Use the provided applicator to apply it, and once it has gone hard (i.e. no longer pasty) you should use a dry clean cloth and start buffing it out. Make sure to keep using clean sections of the cloth.

damn, sounds like a lot of work.. I guess it\'s off to zellers to buy a new clean towel.. thanks for clearing this up for me..

[TheProfessor]

No worries....if you have an extra $50 to spend you can pick up an orbital buffer from Crappy Tire. They can dramatically speed up the process, but I find that they don\'t get in all the tough spots so you have to do some by hand anyways. Also, some people believe that if you stay on one spot for too long you end up doing more harm than good.

[majic]

Originally posted by PSIVIC


No worries....if you have an extra $50 to spend you can pick up an orbital buffer from Crappy Tire. They can dramatically speed up the process, but I find that they don\'t get in all the tough spots so you have to do some by hand anyways. Also, some people believe that if you stay on one spot for too long you end up doing more harm than good.

they are on sale for 19.99 right now (methinks)

if you do it by hand, expect it to 1) take a while .. unless u do a crappy job 2) be all sore the next day since you need to put some elbow grease into it and work muscles even whos ur dadd doesn\'t how about

if you go the \'manual way\' get some terry cloth (cotton) hand/face towels (the smaller ones, say 2ft. x 2ft.) and use them to \'remove\' the wax after hazing and buff with them..

[ds2chan]

I have some car wash that says \"wash and wax\" at the same time.. so I\'m thinking it has some additive to protect the paint and keep some sort of shine.. u think that\'s ok then?? all I really want is to try and protect the paint since my car is out in the sun a lot.. I thought waxing would be easy.. boy was I wrong..

[TheProfessor]

I find the car washes that have \"wax\" are kind of a scam.....nothing will compare to a proper wax job other than a proper wax job. If you\'re lazy like me just take it to a shop who\'ll do a good job, fork over the $100-$150 and be done with it.

[Spyder01]

There are 3 main types of wax...liquid, paste, and claybar....

liquid being the most useless...its like tireshine, only lasts for a few weeks max, doesn\'t really make the water bead off.

Paste seems to be the best these days, I currently use paste and it usually lasts for 6 months. But i reapply every 4 months. I should put on my next coat before C7 performance tour. I also use turtle wax and from experience, it seems to be THE best out there IMO. One thing that i would recommend is to keep the layer of wax on your car over night before you buff it off, that makes sure everything is dried. Then i just simply wipe it off with a old sock, microfibre cloth, or a clean buff pad that came with your bottle. Whatever you use, make sure that you don\'t clean the windows with it or it might create a haze. Heres a pic of my wax job the day before DarkNights7 a few months back.
http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/7452/10010832bt.th.jpg (http://img382.imageshack.us/my.php?image=10010832bt.jpg)

Claybar...many members here use it...i haven\'t used it before as i don\'t find it nessesary...from what i read, claybar is only for show car shine, it does clean better than paste wax but its much harder to use and apply...Im sure if you are interested, there are members here that could help you with this claybar.

[ds2chan]

Originally posted by Spyder01


There are 3 main types of wax...liquid, paste, and claybar....

liquid being the most useless...its like tireshine, only lasts for a few weeks max, doesn\'t really make the water bead off.

Paste seems to be the best these days, I currently use paste and it usually lasts for 6 months. But i reapply every 4 months. I should put on my next coat before C7 performance tour. I also use turtle wax and from experience, it seems to be THE best out there IMO. One thing that i would recommend is to keep the layer of wax on your car over night before you buff it off, that makes sure everything is dried. Then i just simply wipe it off with a old sock, microfibre cloth, or a clean buff pad that came with your bottle. Whatever you use, make sure that you don\'t clean the windows with it or it might create a haze. Heres a pic of my wax job the day before DarkNights7 a few months back.
http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/7452/10010832bt.th.jpg (http://img382.imageshack.us/my.php?image=10010832bt.jpg)

Claybar...many members here use it...i haven\'t used it before as i don\'t find it nessesary...from what i read, claybar is only for show car shine, it does clean better than paste wax but its much harder to use and apply...Im sure if you are interested, there are members here that could help you with this claybar.

thanks for the tips and the info.. I sure hope ur car has wax on it in that picture.. :p

I\'ll give the wax a try.. I really want to protect the paint of my car.. but u can really use a sock to buff ur car?? will an old clean t-shirt do?? thanks again.

[Spyder01]

Originally posted by ds2chan
thanks for the tips and the info.. I sure hope ur car has wax on it in that picture.. :p

I\'ll give the wax a try.. I really want to protect the paint of my car.. but u can really use a sock to buff ur car?? will an old clean t-shirt do?? thanks again.

Yea, dried wax should look like the picture...i\'ve only used hand wax and its been great, its better too cause you can control it easier around headlights and stuff. a old sock thats got holes in it :D , so when you are finished with it, just throw it away...old clean t-shirt will do too, make sure its 100% cotton and none of those writings and stuff that could trap dirt. Wipe off the wax in a circular motion too.

Thats the way normal pplz like myself do it....but ofcourse there will be \'better\' and more expensive ways for you to take off the wax such as using special buffing cloths.

[Spyder01]

Crap, accidently double posted...anyway, this belongs with the above...

Not use a old sock to buff your car...ok...you will find this out when you actually do this. The sock is for you to take off the wax, this layer of white on the paint like the picture i posted. After you take that off, you will find that your car might have this \'wax\' or oily layer ...you will see the wax streaks under the sun. By using a dry microfibre cloth (they\'re only $1 at some dollar store), you can simply use that can wipe or \"buff\" your car until that layer is invisable. Then you\'l find your paint SUPER slippary when touching it...makes you want to touch it all the time :P

[ds2chan]

ok, I did a half arse job on my wax job.. it\'s ok cuz the wax will be gone in 6 months anyways.. but now I have some white residue on the black trimming by the windows and side mirrors of my car that doesn\'t seem to want to go away.. does anybody know how to get rid of it?? I\'ll post a picture when I get a chance (unless you guys know what I\'m talking about). thanks.

[TheProfessor]

I know exactly what you\'re talking about, and as far as I know there are a number of cleaners available that are specifically designed to clean the exterior trim pieces, just give one of those a shot if basic soap and water isn\'t working.

[ds2chan]

interesting.. soap might do it?? I\'ll give that a shot first..

but if I just leave it alone the residue should disappear, right?? thanks again psivic..

[TheProfessor]

Actually, I remember \"leaving it\" thinking it would go away and if memory serves me correctly it lasted a hell of a long time! You\'re much better off just trying to wash it off with some warm water and a mild car wash soap.

Good luck!

[swales]

Just to clear some things up, a Claybar IS NOT wax. It\'s used to remove all paint contaminants (pollution etc) and will remove the wax on your car. It\'s to be used after washing your car and before you apply wax.

Secondly, a liquid wax is not worst then a paste wax, in most cases such as Meguiar\'s NXT it\'s the exact same thing and gives the same results. Also, when removing wax don\'t use \"an old sock\" or old shower towel, you\'ll end up scratching the paint, use a clean Microfibre towel.

[SABIO]

Originally posted by swales
when removing wax don\'t use \"an old sock\" or old shower towel, you\'ll end up scratching the paint, use a clean Microfibre towel.


I\'ve almost always used an old t-shirt or towel to buff my cars over the years.... never had a prob.

[swales]

Originally posted by SABIO



Originally posted by swales
when removing wax don\'t use \"an old sock\" or old shower towel, you\'ll end up scratching the paint, use a clean Microfibre towel.


I\'ve almost always used an old t-shirt or towel to buff my cars over the years.... never had a prob.


I would never risk it, and don\'t recommend anyone else do it either, unless you\'re looking fro trouble. Do you have any hairline scratches on your car?

[ds2chan]

Originally posted by PSIVIC


Actually, I remember \"leaving it\" thinking it would go away and if memory serves me correctly it lasted a hell of a long time! You\'re much better off just trying to wash it off with some warm water and a mild car wash soap.

Good luck!

I applied car wash soap directly to the black trimming and it did the trick.. thanks psivic.. so now I\'m happy again.. :)

[TheProfessor]

No worries, just glad it all worked out.

[Hazy]

Will a regular bath towel be bad to use to dry off your car?

[majic]

Originally posted by Hazy


Will a regular bath towel be bad to use to dry off your car?

to DRY off your car use the \'absorber\' or something similar.. streakless finish :D

[swales]

Originally posted by Hazy


Will a regular bath towel be bad to use to dry off your car?

Yes. It\'s the fibre\'s in the towel that scratch. The best towel\'s you can use are Waffle Weave Microfibre towels.

[Hanif]

I have a question about waxing: is now (November) to late (i.e. cold) to wax your car? Should I wait until the spring time now to wax mine?

One more thing, are there any good websites out there where I can read and find out how to exactly wax a car (since i\'ve never done it before)?

[Hanif]

One more thing..........in your opinion, what is the \'best\' way/method to wax a car?.......is it wash-->claybar-->liquid/paste wax?? What about all the minor dents, will the wax fill those up or should I get those fixed first before waxing??

Thanks in advance for all your help.

[TheProfessor]

I personally don\'t think it\'s too late, but it might be freezing for you. Most if not all waxes indicate that they should be applied to a cool surface. As far as filling in \'dents\'....how big/small are these dents, and where did they come from?

As for process, what you posted seems about right, though depending on which brand you decide to go with the manufacturer may suggest something different. You can also add a polish to the whole process.

[ds2chan]

Originally posted by Hanif


I have a question about waxing: is now (November) to late (i.e. cold) to wax your car? Should I wait until the spring time now to wax mine?

One more thing, are there any good websites out there where I can read and find out how to exactly wax a car (since i\'ve never done it before)?

one suggestion I\'d like to make after waxing my car for the first time.. I was pretty much overwhelmed by the amount of work that goes into waxing a car.. I say do a bit at a time.. that is, apply the wax to the top of the car and wax that part first.. see how you feel.. if you feel gung ho then go ahead and do the rest.. because just doing the roof is tough physically and partially mentally.. that\'s what I would do if I were to do a wax job again...

[TheProfessor]

^^^ Agreed, it is definately not easy work. I know personally I don\'t have the spare time or patience to do it myself so would just pay a shop to do it.

[Hanif]

Originally posted by PSIVIC

I personally don\'t think it\'s too late, but it might be freezing for you. Most if not all waxes indicate that they should be applied to a cool surface. As far as filling in \'dents\'....how big/small are these dents, and where did they come from?

As for process, what you posted seems about right, though depending on which brand you decide to go with the manufacturer may suggest something different. You can also add a polish to the whole process.

The size of all the dents are pretty small. Most of them are on the front fender from everyday driving. The only other noticable dent is right above the front driver wheel. It\'s not that big and you can\'t see metal, but at the right angle, it\'s visible.

I haven\'t looked too closely for other dents. Thought I\'d do that if/when I get them fixed.

[Hanif]

Originally posted by ds2chan

one suggestion I\'d like to make after waxing my car for the first time.. I was pretty much overwhelmed by the amount of work that goes into waxing a car.. I say do a bit at a time.. that is, apply the wax to the top of the car and wax that part first.. see how you feel.. if you feel gung ho then go ahead and do the rest.. because just doing the roof is tough physically and partially mentally.. that\'s what I would do if I were to do a wax job again...

Thanks for the suggestion ds2chan! I\'ll definitely do that.

I think I\'m gonna wait until the spring to wax my car. I have just over a month left before I go back to school and still have to come up with a topic for my work term report. So I guess, I\'ll just wax my car after my next term (i.e. mid/late April).