Your choice of personal preference car wax. Does not have to  be any of these car waxes. These car waxes are just examples.  As long as you use a car wax or what is otherwise known also as a paint sealer or ceramic coating for cars if going artificial.

While you are here, check out our ceramic paint protection review

If you have followed the car polishing page and completed the work, then you have finally arrived at the last line of defence as to  whether you make or break the staying power of your newly polished paint job. This is auto detailing at it’s best. The importance of waxing your paint finish can not be stressed  or overstated enough. With many polishes of todays technology,  it would be safe enough to say that you have some protection without waxing, “BUT”,  I’ve always believed that if you have come  this far as far as restoring your finish, then why chicken out at the end. All the effort, preparation, and time is lost if you don’t  complete this phase. The rewards that come with waxing as far as the extra gloss finish and added protection is all lost if you wimp out now. Everything  that I have suggested so far from car washing to car polishing or buffing is primarily aimed at achieving a smooth ,clean painted surface free from flaws as far as fine scratches, swirls, paint fade, holograms, spics, bugs, fall out, imperfections  and everything  that impaired that glassy finish your car’s paint finish once had.
Now you can apply a good quality wax or sealer to protect the investment in time that you have applied. Car wax products or paint sealers of todays times can be a rather confusing issue when you are  looking at an array of products on a shelf, staring right back at you in your local auto parts outlet.

“CARNAUBA” wax, was once the main product for car waxing. In a lot of cases it still is amongst car enthusiasts and the  concourse top end detailers. These days however there are also many top quality synthetic products which have a somewhat  longer lasting staying power. The shine achieved from these products is also phenomenal. It’s incredible how far technology has  advanced. They are very easily applied and easily removed with an awesome finish. They are also available in the top name  brands, so you don’t have to use Carnuaba paste waxes which are harder to remove. Although in most cases Carnuaba may not last as long as the new kids on the block, there’s just something about carnauba that  looks natural and different. It does not look like an artificial mirror look, but more of a glassy deep gloss finish. Carnuaba, for  those of you that are not familiar with this fantastic product, is extracted or derived from the south american wax palms.

It is produced by a wax palm called Copernicia Cerifera. It is thought however,  the best  Carnauba is found from the north  eastern brazillian wax palms in the tropical rain forests of Brazil. In it’s natural form it is a very hard wax that is durable and can withstand high temperatures. As it is a durable wax product, carnauba dries to a deep, natural shine. It does not look artificial.

Carnauba in it’s pure form is pretty much un affordable. Generally speaking, the more you pay for carnauba wax in a tin, the  more carnauba you are getting in the tin. If you buy a tin of Carnauba that has a high concentration of carnauba, you will most likely get anywhere from 3-6-9 months of protection depending on how your vehicle is used.

Remember, that when you are using singular products like one step wax or sealers, these are the finishing or final product. They  are not meant to clean your paint but to protect it. Don’t bother applying these products if you haven’t cleaned your paint. Cleaner waxes, which are two in one products clean and wax at the same time, but do not achieve the same results as one step products.
The basis of this article is to not convince you to go and buy Carnauba, but to try and convince you that you “DO NEED TO WAX  OR SEAL YOUR CAR’S PAINT FINISH”.Nobody said it has to be Carnauba wax. You just need to execute that last effort of waxing  or sealing your car’s paint finish. Whether it’s quality Carnauba, or a ceramic coating for cars, you need to wax.

There are generally two methods for applying your car wax. The easy way, and the hard way. By that , I mean either with a dual  action orbital buffer, or by hand (the hard way). If you happen to own a buffer, you will save yourself much work. Not to mention that I myself do prefer to use an orbital buffer. I personally like to feel that I am working the car wax into the paint by using a  buffer. Even though it’s just a car wax or paint sealant.

The orbital buffer is an awesome tool for saving the car enthusiast a lot of pain. It is a tool which will remove quite a substantial  amount of top surface damage, car paint fade, paint swirls, top surface imperfections,and at the end of the day, you get to keep  your elbow. I’ve heard of people saying that you can gain the same results by hand as you can by using a buff. I don’t believe so. The human hand just can’t do 3000 opm like an orbital can.

The human hand can’t remove damage like an orbital can. Best of all, the orbital applies all manner of compounds very evenly,  whether it is polish or wax. It also does this with even pressure and will not burn your paint. It is a tool which really should be in  your tool box when it comes to polishing your car. To use this car buffing tool you will obviously need your car wax of your choice  plus a Meguiars finishing pad as was stated in the car polishing page of this site. These buffing tools do take a lot of the hard  work out of applying car wax to your finished and freshly polished paint surfaces.
Take your orbital buffer and attach your meguiars finishing pad to it. Apply your car wax or paint sealer of your choice to the  finishing pad. Always apply in a snail type spread. That way, as the pad runs across your paint surfaces it spreads covering the entire pad, and applying the wax  just nicely over your  surfaces with an even spread of wax.
The idea is to overlapyour passes with the orbital tool. If your using a paste, just apply small dabs to your pad and spread evenly over your surfaces.  Always buff to a haze, where it appears to be a nice thin film left behind. Carry out this procedure through out the entire vehicle. Do not  wipe off just as you have buffed your surfaces.

This is what needs to be achieved in order for car wax or paint sealer to dry effectively. If you don’t buff off enough, the car wax  can take sometime to dry, therefore smearing instead of wiping off when you do wipe down. Also, do not completely buff off as  you will not leave enough wax on your paint surfaces. The simplest way to identify as to whether your car wax is ready to be removed is to do the dry finger test. Simply run your finger over the surface and see if it wipes off without any smearing.
If there is no smearing, it is ready to be removed. It should wipe off somewhat in powder form. Generally allow about half hour for wax to dry. The hotter or more humid the weather, the  more time required. When it is ready to be wiped off, simply obtain your micro fibre cloth and wipe off the excess wax film. When  you have wiped off the remaining wax, also obtain your meguiars quick detailer, spray it on your surface, wipe off the excess detailer with one side then turn over and dry wipe what is left behind.

This will remove any residue left behind by the applied wax. This also assists in removing any streaking. The end result should be nothing but a beautiful reflective shine free of any smearing, streaks or imperfections Never apply too much wax, as it takes longer to dry, and you have to cover larger areas in one pass. Always remember the hotter the weather is, the harder the job of applying your car wax is going to be. When you do plan on treating your surfaces, try and choose a day when the weather will be on your side as far as temperatures are concerned. In the 20’s is good. When you get into the 30’s, the effort required becomes demanding. You can of course apply a second coat.
What I would recommend you do here is, to allow the first coat of wax ample time to harden before applying the second coat. I also would not recommend applying the second coat with the orbital buffer, but rather by hand with absolutely no pressure. Just merely wipe it on and allow more drying time. Preferably an hour before wipe off.

This paragraph of course is for those who do not own an orbital buffer, or for those who like to work hard. In fact, there are many people or car enthusiasts out there with such a love for auto detailing, that they actually do prefer old school methods of applying waxes or even polishing their cars.
Which ever way you look at it, detailing your car or treating your surfaces is supposed to be (for the car lover) an enjoyable  afternoon in your own little paradise in your workshop. Many people do get lots of enjoyment from car detailing.

Now, as far as applying your wax is concerned, the same rules do apply. Take your wax and poor some of it in a snail pattern on  your applicator. Exactly the same as the orbital. Next, Dab it on your surfaces to be covered and spread in straight forward motions. Avoid doing this in circular motions. Never apply too much wax in one area. Spread the wax evenly after dabbing it on your surfaces. Do the entire car portion by portion. By the time you get back to where you started the wax will have dried, depending on weather conditions of course. Apply the same wipe down procedures as in the orbital tool paragraphs. If everything has been carried out correctly, there is no reason the finished  results should not be a killer shine with a nice and very healthy reflection. I have to say though, that once you’ve tried an orbital buff, it’s hard to look back.
If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to email us, or if you need quality car polishing or detailing tools, visit our  shopping mall page for online car detailing supplies delivered directly to your door. Listed below are also some car polishing  tools which you will find extremely handy for the novice or the pro

Happy waxing.

Dr Buff

A love and passion for cars