If your car’s paintwork is on point and well prepped for the next stage (waxing), then you will find the information below to be very useful.
This article focuses on how to get it right when waxing your car, but you should sign up for the guide series so that you can know the necessary preparation steps to take that culminate in a smooth finishing before applying the wax.
In as much as the overall agenda of this article focuses on how to wax a vehicle by hand, it will include the use of sealants since their popularity is on the up and up.
Many of the vintage enthusiasts first apply a sealant on their cars before doing one or two layers of car wax. It gives an intensely glossy finish that lasts. With that in mind, below are the things you should know:
- Choosing Your Car Wax (Or Sealant)
Your choice is subject to some basic rules based on the time you have on your hands to do regular maintenance of your car’s finish while also factoring in the climate in your location.
If your concerns are about durability, then a sealant is the best pick since it can outlast a synthetic wax. The latter is yet a better choice compared to carnauba wax. Therefore, if working on the car’s finish is not a regular thing, then a sealant is what to get.
Regarding the issue of climate, you should pick a product that is not overwhelmed by the weather changes. For instance, winter waxes or sealants are the ideal choices if you are in an area that has harsh winters. The vehicle use is tentatively high during the summer days, and thus the need to wax it may arise more often; hence, a carnauba and synthetic waxes will suffice.
When buying what you need, know the difference between a car polish and wax. Some of the manufacturers’ packaging can be confusing thus the need to go over the user’s manual to avoid making a mess of things.
After deciding whether to pick a synthetic product, or the carnauba wax or a sealant, your final choice will be based on the color of your vehicle. Some of the products are designed for dark colors while others are ideal for the light hues.
- How To Apply Car Wax
Applying the wax to your car will involve the following steps:
1). Ensuring the surface is dry before waxing. Not all products do will on wet paintwork and most of them give the best results when used on dry surfaces. Look here to get the top spray waxes for cars.
2). Avoid working on your vehicle when its parked under the sun; have it under the shade even if some of the products can be used under direct sunlight. The shade is good and makes things easy for you, so you do not have to break a sweat.
3). The notion that you get a deeper shine when you use more of wax or sealant is false; in fact, things are the opposite. Go for thin layers even if you will do more than one; ensure you cure and buff it before applying the next.
4). Execute your work in section, one at a time as you use a handheld applicator pad. Cover around 2 – 3 square feet at a time.
5). Apply a spot of the polish (about the size of US quarter or 10p coin) at the center of the applicator pad. Proceed to apply it using an up and down motion ensuring that you follow straight lines with every stroke. Avoid using circular motions and do not use too much pressure. Press lightly so that you have a light and even glide for a thin and smooth layer.
6). Depending on the product instructions, you can leave the polish to dry or not before you start to buff.
7). Always use the best quality buffing material when buffing. It should be made of the plushest microfiber you can afford.
8). Allow the first layer of wax or sealant to cure before you apply the next. Ideally, you should give it around 12 hours before applying the next coat.
Trick Of The Trade
If you follow the above steps when hand waxing your car and you do it without a buffer, then you should expect a few smudges, and making them disappear can be frustrating.
How to wax a car like a pro will involve leaving the vehicles in the warmth of the outdoors for roughly ten to twenty minutes, depending on how hot the sun is before returning it under the shade. Once in the shade, get some detailing spray and apply a light coat over the affected section of the car before you buff it off.
The sun will warm up the paint job so that the detailing sprays can work its way into the layer of sealant or wax so that you can remove any smudges when buffing the surface.
