How Should You Choose Only The Right Wax For Your Car

Once you have bought a car or simply restored a vintage or classic four-wheeler, it becomes vital to have it waxed and do the same at regular intervals. Waxing is necessary to keep your car in a lustrous and sparkling condition; aesthetically. Some years back this wouldn’t be a topic to discuss because it was a simple affair with limited options to go for, but it is not the same any longer. To buy the best auto wax, you need to do some research now otherwise a wrong choice of car wax might ruin the paint.

What Is This Wax Made Out Of?

Before going any further on the topic, it would be better to understand what is this wax made out of that we are discussing. The natural wax is made out of the Copernicia prunifera palm leaves, which only grows in the states of Ceará, Bahia, Piaui, Rio Grande do Norte and Maranhão in the northeastern area of Brazil. This ‘Queen of Wax’ in a pure form comes in hard flakes of yellow-brown color. It is procured by collecting the same from the leaves and then drying them. After which the collected substance is beaten in order to lose the wax off them, finally refining and then bleaching it to prepare the wax as we see it. Thus, it is aptly named Palm wax or Brazil wax, but mostly known as Carnauba wax in the car wax selling stores. It would be interesting to know that it is labeled in various grades that differentiate its purity levels. This is indeed made out of natural ingredients, but its shine doesn’t last longer that its Synthetic counterpart. Furthermore, because of its texture; it is strenuous to apply.

The Synthetic waxes are mostly made out of chemicals and they give better shine and more longevity in comparison to the Carnauba wax. These are economic too.

Though, it is a strange practice by most of the automobile enthusiasts, where they use the natural wax for lasting protection and the chemical wax for fabulous shine; one coat of former and next of latter. Smart indeed!

However, you have to comprehend that there is more to this product than just being something that would put a protective coat over your car’s paint. Hence, there are few elements that must be taken into serious consideration before buying and applying it.

Vital Elements To Consider While Selecting The Wax

Purpose: Many think that wax only renders a lustrous shine, but it protects the car’s paint from sun, pollen, debris, bugs, road grime, bird-dropping, tree or leaf sap and rain-water stains. But then there are varieties that are only meant to deliver the sine and not do the remaining. The former is costly, while the latter is a bit cheaper because of its lack of overall utility.

Frequency Of Wax Application: On an average, any wax application should last close to 6 weeks. Hence, it would be a good habit to wax your car every one and a half months. Some owners tend to wait for the need of a repeated wax application, which shouldn’t be the case. Delaying the repeat application can cause the paint to fade quickly in the long run; when it could have been so avoided. Hence, you must choose the one that would last more so you don’t have to repeat the process in a jiffy. It saves not just money, but effort and time.

Type Of Wax:

The car wax types can be segregated into two types.

Cleaner Wax: As the name would suggest, it simultaneously cleans first and then waxes the vehicle’s surface. This is better than the multi-step where cleaning is to be done first, then waxing follows next. These wax compounds contain render three benefits, which are cleaning, shining and delivering protective layer. This type is best for immediate fixes, where you don’t have much time, but waxing the car is necessary for a pleasant (presentable) ride with ‘someone.’ However, it can’t be denied that following each step of waxing in a careful manner is always the right way to go. Though, do remember that this kind of wax is not meant for the car surface that has a rust or paint oxidation issue. It won’t help!
Finishing Wax: As the name suggests, this is meant to render the fabulous shine on a car that’s just out of the showroom or where its paint job is new. It doesn’t contain strong chemicals like the cleaner wax, while the applying it is not much laborious.

Various Forms Of Wax

There are mainly 4 forms of wax that are chosen as per individual preference of the applicant.

Paste: This is considered best because of durability and ease of use, while its protection value is better than liquid and spray wax. Though, it does take a good effort to apply, but it’s worth the hardship.
Liquid: It is convenient to apply, glossy and durable after application. But it does need swift movement as it has to be done within seconds otherwise it becomes difficult to put it evenly.
Spray: It is considered the least favorite among the four-wheeler owner. It doesn’t have good effect when the weather conditions changes rapidly. But it is good for beginners, who wish to learn how to apply car wax quickly.
Rubbing Compound: It is applied primarily to restore minor damaging and scratches on the car. They have abrasives, coarse or fine to fix the issue. Though, do remember that this is not meant for major issues.

Now considering all the above, do make a choice for your car.

Reference: How To Wax Your Car