An Ounce of Protection

Actually it might take more than an ounce of car wax to do it, but waxing your car can be worth far more than a pound of repair.  Unfortunately, even four hours of work and four coats of car wax may not provide the protection you need to get through extreme heat and sun-scorching conditions, unless you know the basic ABC's of car waxing.

The old saying of working smarter/not harder is especially true when it comes to enhancing and protecting the appearance of your car.  The type of products you select is as important as the brand of products you select, the sequence in which you use them and the textiles that you use to apply them and wipe them off.  Make the right choices and you'll save time, expend less energy and enjoy far better results.      

Before you can make the right choices in product selection, however, it is critical that you understand the 5 basic steps for appearance car care.  They are: 1) Washing:  Removing the loose contaminants from the surface of your car; 2) Cleaning/Prepping:  Removing bonded contaminants, stains, blemishes, scratches, chemical etching and oxidation; 3) Polishing:  An optional step for dark-colored cars; 4) Waxing:  Waxing is part of the larger category of protection, which coats the paint finish with a residual layer of waxes, polymers, silicones and resins that prevents most environmental contaminants from coming into direct contact with your paint finish for a period of time; and, 5) Maintenance:  The regular use of a mist and wipe product for removing fresh contaminants.      

The task of selecting which products will work the easiest and produce the best results on your specific car is greatly simplified by evaluating your paint finish.  Believe it or not, the evaluation is simple and foolproof.  After you wash and dry your car, rub the face of your clean hand across the top surfaces of your car. Your sense of touch will tell you what your eyes cannot see.

If your paint finish is as smooth as glass, your car wax will apply and wipe off like a dream, leaving clear reflections and long lasting protection.  This makes the car waxing experience both fun and rewarding.

When you use your sense of touch to evaluate the paint finish on your car, you will usually feel bonded contaminants that your eyes cannot see.  Don't be surprised if what you feel is more reminiscent of sandpaper than glass.  The roughness that you feel is environmental contaminants that have bonded to your paint finish and are now trying to etch into your paint finish.  No amount of car waxing will remove these contaminants. 

Applying car wax on top of bonded contaminants is a laborious and worthless task.  Even easy-to-use car waxes are difficult to apply and wipe off over bonded contaminants that have roughed up your paint finish.  Furthermore, the mass accumulation of bonded contaminants prevents any possibility of mirror-like reflections.  The paint is left lackluster.  Even worse, bonded contaminants repel the adhesion of car wax, allowing the penetration of moisture and contaminants, even if you have spent four hours applying four coats of car wax.

There is yet another disastrous consequence of not removing bonded contaminants.   All of the contaminants, like dust and grime collect faster in high heat conditions and are far more difficult to remove from cars with rough paint finishes.  Conversely, the adhered grit and grime is far easier to wash off paint finishes that are as slick as glass and well waxed.      

This is important information for everyone who lives in areas of extreme temperatures and truly cares about the appearance of their car.  While it may seem too good to be true, this advice can save you time and effort, dramatically improve the appearance of your car and genuinely protect your car's appearance. 

Assuming that your car is covered with bonded contaminants, let's go through the steps that will provide optimum appearance and protection for your car this winter.

Washing
Unfortunately, more than half of all the people who wash their own car use dishwashing detergents.  While wonderful for dishes, dishwashing detergents strip off all of your protection and then pull the vital oils out of the paint just like too much detergent does to your hands.  This dries your paint out and accelerates the oxidation process.  When you wash your car, only use water or use a car wash shampoo and conditioner, like Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash, that will enhance the appearance of your paint finish while flushing off loose contaminants.

Evaluation
After you wash and dry your car, use the face of your hand to feel the top surfaces of your car.  If your paint finish is rough to your touch, you are feeling bonded contaminants that must be removed before polishing and waxing is of any value. If your paint finish is as smooth as glass, it will amaze you how easy it is to apply a coat of polish and/or wax. .     

Cleaning/Prepping
Most of the time, paint finishes need to be prepped for polishing and waxing.  For removing below surface paint problems like oxidation, stains, blemishes and scratches, it important to only use a non-abrasive clear coat safe paint cleaner like Meguiar's Scratch X.  While amazingly effective, there is a limit to the results that can be obtained by using hand applied paint cleaner.  If you have serious paint problems, professional products, color sanding, and a high speed rotary buffer can produce dramatic results in the hands of a well trained detailing technician.    

Removing above surface bonded contaminants and restoring a glassy smooth surface to your paint finish is easily accomplished by using Meguiar's Quik Clay Detailing System.  Similar in appearance to Silly Putty, this non-abrasive ball of clay instantly removes bonded contaminants as you rub it across the surface of your car using a mist & wipe product, like Meguiar's Quik Detailer, as a lubricant. 

Polishing
A pure polish does not provide cleaning ability or protection.  This is an optional step for car guys with dark-colored (especially black) cars.  If you want an absolutely flawless show car finish, if you polish your car at least once a month and wish to avoid wax build-up, or if you have re-painted your car within the past 90 days and cannot use car wax, a pure polish, like Meguiar's Deep Crystal Polish, is the perfect product for you.    

Waxing
You will be amazed at how much easier it is to apply and wipe off car wax on a glassy smooth paint finish. If you want to optimize both appearance and durability, it makes sense to only use premium car wax products like Meguiar's NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0.  Regardless of which wax you use, applying as much as three coats of wax provides residual protection and each coat becomes increasingly easier to apply and wipe off.  

Maintenance
It is easy to keep your car looking like it was "just detailed" every day by frequently using a mist & wipe product like Meguiar's Quik Detailer.  Regular maintenance removes contaminants before they have time to bond to or etch into your paint finish.  This is the missing link between washing and waxing that dramatically extends the durability of your car wax.      

If you're a car guy, you're probably obsessed with avoiding swirl marks, spider webbing and holograms. These are various terms for microscopic scratches that are most noticeable in direct sunlight. To escape them completely, only use professional quality applicator pads, micro-fiber wiping cloths, and 100% cotton terry cloth towels like those found in Meguiar's line of Gold Class Premium Detailing Tools and Accessories.

By following these simple instructions, you will enjoy a pay off that goes far beyond the immediate, dazzling improvement in the appearance of your car.  It will come when you discover how much easier it is to recapture that appearance and the rave revues from your friends!