In today’s busy world, finding the time to wash our cars can be a hassle. That’s probably why automatic car wash businesses do so well. So it should be no surprise that the concept of waxing a vehicle is foreign to many people — partly because they don’t see the point, and also because they simply have no idea how to do it.
From a purely aesthetic standpoint, giving your car a coat of wax will make it gleam like it just came off the showroom floor. The other benefit of it is that it will help to shield the paint — and make it easier to clean — from the abuses of everyday driving like splattered-no road tar, bird droppings, and so on. Follow these easy steps and your ride will be shiny and protected in no time.
Before you start:
• Make sure your car is clean and dry, so wash and wipe beforehand.
• Pickup some wax. Something like Meguiar’s White Wax is a good choice because it serves the dual purpose of adding a layer of protection as well as removing light oxidation and contaminants (note, the company also carries a Black Wax that serves a similar purpose, designed for dark coloured vehicles).
• Have some clean, 100% cotton or microfibre cloths on hand for the application and then the polishing afterwards.
• Find a cool, shady location like in a garage or under covered parking to avoid the hot sun baking on the wax.
• Squirt some liquid wax onto the cloth (a little goes a long way), and choose one panel of a car to work on at a time. I normally start with the roof and then the hood and work my way towards the back of the car.
• Apply the wax in the same direction that the wind would flow over the car. In other words, use a front to back motion rather than circles, which can cause swirl marks in the paint. After you finish with a panel, leave it move to the next one letting the wax sit for a while instead of immediately wiping it off.
• After the car is covered in a hazy white finish, it’s time to polish. Using another clean towel, buff off the wax using a similar technique to when you were initially applying it.
A few things to be mindful of: try and avoid getting wax on any black rubber trim because it can be annoying to remove later on. A big white dried blob kind of ruins the look of your newly spotless vehicle.
If you run your fingers over the paint and you still feel or see some bumps, you may need to use a clay bar first to lift out any lodged in bits of dirt or grit.
That’s all there is to it! Now go out and show off the fruits of your labour.
