Car Waxing Basics

Car Care Guide Topics

Waxing your car is a bit above and beyond basic car care, but it's not all about shine and flash. Waxing is a basic part of car care and paint preservation. Learn these steps to make a basic wax job as painless as possible. Get to it, Daniel-san!

Car Waxes...Which One Is Best

Synthetic or carnauba? Liquid or paste? It all depends on what you want out of a wax, and what kind of ride you're using it on. Picking a wax can be dizzying, which is why you should check out our in-depth guide to waxes.

• Wash and dry first
  Wash and dry your vehicle completely before waxing it. This will ensure no dirt particles or contaminants are trapped beneath your wax, and helps achieve maximum clarity and shine when you wax. Always wax right after a wash and dry—never wax a dirty vehicle!
• Park in the right place for waxing
  Just like washing and drying, waxing should only be done in a cool spot in the shade. Since you've likely just finished the wash, you can probably stay put. But, if the daytime sun is getting more intense or the clouds have parted, move to a more sheltered spot for waxing. Moving into your garage or carport is the perfect idea.
• Inspect your paint
  With clean hands, run your palm and fingers over your newly-washed vehicle. If the surface feels smooth as glass, you're ready to wax. If it feels gritty, you may have to re-wash. If you detect larger particles in the paint surface, you may need to use detailing clay to lift larger contaminants.
• Gather your materials
  Pick out a wax and a disposable foam or washable cloth applicator. For buffing, microfiber polishing cloths or soft terry cotton towels are the best option for a scratch-free shine. Use 3 or 4 cloths total. Use different towels than the ones used to dry your vehicle—these rags may have picked up stray dirt, tiny rocks or other abrasives.

Car Waxing Quick Tips:

Waxing rookies should start with a liquid synthetic wax—they're easiest to apply and last longest.

Be careful to keep wax off of plastic or metal trim, including door handles, bumpers and grille detail. Wax can have nasty effects on plastic, and takes much work to remove from its porous surfaces.

To limit the chance of swirl marks, buff back and forth from front to back instead of buffing in a swirl pattern as Mr. Miyagi instructs. This will limit light abrasions.

Waxing Your Car By Hand

If you're a waxing newbie, it's best to start with hand waxing and graduate to machine waxing later. Follow these steps for a basic wax job.

• Apply the wax section by section
  Using your applicator pad, spread a moderately thin layer of wax over the sections of your paint. Start wherever you want, but remember where you applied the wax first. That's where you'll start buffing.
   
• Begin buffing the wax out
  Lightly buff the now dried wax off your paint surface, revealing a deep shine beneath. Go section by section to remove the wax in the same order it was applied. Shake off your buff towel periodically to get excess wax out of the way.
   
• Inspect your finish for an uninterrupted shine
  Search your finish for inconsistencies in the wax job. Look for areas that require more buffing, places where there's still dry wax, and any other streaks/swirls left in the finish. Buff these areas again to reveal a consistent shine.

Waxing Your Car With A Polisher

Electric polishers and buffers can cut your waxing time dramatically. But, it's also possible to cause damage if you're not sure how to use a buffer right. In fact, you can burn your paint. It's best to start with hand waxing then graduate to the next level once you're experienced at finish care and have long since graduated from this guide.