If you waxed only a couple times a year, what wax would you use?

I've gone many many years without waxing any of my cars by hand. Best I've done for the past 10 years or so is the occasional power wash bay ending in a wax or maybe the fully automated car wash lane.

But I've taken an interest in doing a bit more with my new (used) E. So tonight I washed it in the drive with a bucket of clean water with Dawn, a micro fiber mitt, and then I used Zymol Cleaner wax. Not real sure you if it has left white stains on my plastic yet or not. I finished just before dark and I was trying to not get any Zymol on the plastic. I figure I'll know more tomorrow.

My ultimate goal though is to get a good 'protective' coat of wax or polish (whatever) on the E and reapply it a couple of times a year. Is there a polish, wax, or sealant that might accomplish my goal?

Also searching the forums for others that use Zymol, I found a couple of folks who said they used Zymol prior to applying wax. ??

Advice on this would be appreciated. I realize how hopeless I must sound.

Thanks,

Bear

Would that be Dawn dish washing liquid?
If so, that's kinda old school. Car washing soap is more mild and won't strip wax or harm paint.
For wax, soap, or whatever... people seems to like Meguiars products a lot.

Other tips:
I like to use a telescoping brush.
Bleach White is great for tires.
Armour All is horrible.
I love RainX with Bosch Icon wipers.
Get some good interior glass cleaner... (invisible glass, or something like that)
I typically spent twice the time on the interior than I do on the exterior.

Turttle wax Ice. quite resilient stuff. I like that it does not leave white residue

I've been using NuFinish car polish for the last 20 years. You only need to apply it once a year, and it is very easy to apply. Water will bead up on the finish after a year. The paint on my almost 18 year old truck still looks like new. Very protective coating.

I've been using NuFinish car polish for the last 20 years. You only need to apply it once a year, and it is very easy to apply. Water will bead up on the finish after a year. The paint on my almost 18 year old truck still looks like new. Very protective coating.

And to think I was accused of being old school by using Dawn to wash my care with :-) (kidding) NuFinish is exactly what I had in mind. Well at least what I remember from the commercials back in the day. And I suppose thats the heart of what I'm soliciting here now. Are there products (technology) that improved upon the idea of NuFinish? Or are 'the others' just similar to Nufinish, but in different packages.

Does NuFinish leave white marks on the plastic? I looked this morning, and sure enough, I've got several spots where the Zymol left white on my plastic. And I really like the idea that Turtle Wax Ice does not. If it's easier to do, I might actually wax more often.

Oh, and thanks for the suggestions Big E, I'll definitely have to get a telescoping brush. I'm fairly tall (6'2") but I skipped doing my roof last night, partly due to nightfall, also cuzz I could hardly reach all of it. Oh, and is Dawn "BAD" for the paint? I gave up using laundry detergent (Tide) many many years ago when I learned that there were agents in the soap that scratched the clear coat. But I thought Dawn cut grease, and without dulling the paint.

Thanks,

Bear

Dawn and detergents will remove the wax. You can get a big jug of CAR WASH soap for about $6.00 and it will last about a year and won't strip your wax off.

Yes, it's true...Dawn and other dish soaps are horrible for a car's finish because it strips away the wax, leaving the clearcoat and paint unprotected. Use a real car wash soap and you won't have to worry about stripping all of that wax off that you spent so much time applying! That said, I sometimes DO use dishsoap to wash the car right before I polish and reapply wax...

I usually wax my cars about 3x a year, but for whatever reason, I have never waxed my Element. I purchased it used a few years ago and I suspect that the original owner or dealer may have applied a paint sealant of some sort...until very recently, the paint continued beading with every wash, so I never saw a need to wax. Within the last few months, the summer heat has changed that and I've noticed the hood and roof are not beading like they used to so I think it's time to wax. I've always loved Maguire's products for my other cars, but they DO leave white marks on plastic so I will likely try something else for the E.

Brian

Mother's 3 step is best I have found for any vehicle. Stage 1 is a cleaner and you do that maybe 1 time per year, it doesn't do the job of a clay bar but does clean the paint from normal contaminants (after washing with soap and water, of course). Stage 2 is a glaze and sealant Stage 3 is Carnuba wax. I apply stage 2 and 3 at same time via orbital buffer. I have found it looks better and lasts longer than 1 step cleaner waxes but it is more work....like waxing the car twice (3 times if you do each step individually).

Easiest product to date (and I have tried almost everyting) - as I said easy to apply and remove, and lasts a long time (2-4 times a year)

Wolfgang deep gloss paint sealant.

Nufinish does work OK but leaves terrible white spots on plastic and is hard to remove.

Easiest product to date (and I have tried almost everyting) - as I said easy to apply and remove, and lasts a long time (2-4 times a year)

Wolfgang deep gloss paint sealant.

Nufinish does work OK but leaves terrible white spots on plastic and is hard to remove.

Thanks, that was going to be my next question, whether or not NuFinish left white marks or not. So I presume that Wolfgang deep gloss paint sealant does note leave any white marks?

Now that I have white marks from using Zymol on the edges of my plastic, any suggestions on how to get them off. I presume that I have to remove the white marks (wax) before I can apply something like 303 or Back to Black? Because I figure that wax will resist these protects.

Thanks,

Bear

use the dawn, then clay your paint. then u want to get a good wax( try detailersdomain.com). apply wax at least four times a year to keep that thing gleaming. get your self a good carwash soap to wash the car with. use dawn only before you clay your vehicle or when your going to start all over again. goodluck

use the dawn, then clay your paint. then u want to get a good wax( try detailersdomain.com). apply wax at least four times a year to keep that thing gleaming. get your self a good carwash soap to wash the car with. use dawn only before you clay your vehicle or when your going to start all over again. goodluck

Last night I picked up Mequiar's Deep Crystal car wash, I hope that qualifies as a "good carwash soap". For the life of me, I cannot discern the difference between all of the different car wash soaps, much less the different waxes and polishes.

What I have latched onto though, is the idea that using a wax, polish, sealant (WHATEVER) that does not leave marks on the plastic means I will use it more often because it will be easier to use. Perhaps even more than "once or twice a year" which was the original question of my post.

Thanks,

Bear

epecially with my car being black, I only use M-Ron Glass by California Custom. You can put it on in direct sunlight, and on a hot car. They even recommend putting it on and letting it bake in the sun for 15 or so minutes. It dusts right off...no hard polishing killing your hands to get it off. Ive used this for years and swear by it. Its not that cheap at $16 for 12oz, but worth every penny.

Depending on how my paint looks with washing scratches etc (horrible on black), Ill machine polish when needed with 3M Finesse-It II. After every wash I use Meguiars quick detail in the black bottle.

Im sure in the next few years the paint will be ready for a good machine buff with 3M light duty rubbing compound followed by Finesse-It and then a good waxing and seal.

Everytime I go to my Honda Dealer for a service the service manager always wants to look at my car to see if Ive done anything else to it, and he always seems to make the comment how you would never know from looking at my car that it has the miles it has on it (almost 52K now).

Oh, and thanks for the suggestions Big E, I'll definitely have to get a telescoping brush. I'm fairly tall (6'2") but I skipped doing my roof last night, partly due to nightfall, also cuzz I could hardly reach all of it.
Bear

Yeah, I'm 6'4" and even with my Ace Frehley boots still come nowhere near being able to wash the roof. The brush lets me hit the outside very quickly. I also have a smaller brush about 3 feet long that I do the delicate and difficult corners first before whipping out the telescoping brush. The outside is a piece of cake... it is the inside that really takes time. The payoff is driving something that looks/feels/smells new.
I used to bust my butt on the outside, you could literally could eat off it... just to have it rain that week. Now I've rejigger my time/effort and make the interior sparkle (where I actually DO eat)... the outside still looks great, just not "edible" great.

Big E: nothing personal but the image of a 6'4" guy wearing Ace Frehly boots and waxing his Element is kind of humorus. Again, nothing personal.

Dang!
And I always thought it was my glittery speedo that was stopping the traffic!

The wofgang does not leave any residue - you will probalby never want to use another product after using it...

Wait!? This thread is about waxing CARS? :shock:
Please disregard my speedo comment.
Never happened.

The wofgang does not leave any residue - you will probalby never want to use another product after using it...

I'm intrigued. Do you use it on your plastic? Personally, I don't care if my plastic is shiny. But the pics I've seen where folks have used Ice on it, the plastic looks a little darker and shiny . . . the plastic looks better.

Thanks,

Bear

Does NuFinish leave white marks on the plastic? I looked this morning, and sure enough, I've got several spots where the Zymol left white on my plastic. And I really like the idea that Turtle Wax Ice does not. If it's easier to do, I might actually wax more often.



Thanks,

Bear

Yes, like most polishes, NuFinish will leave white marks on the plastic.

I have been very pleased with the NXT 2.0 wax. It's a synthetic wax, but even if I only get to do the waxing once or twice a year, the water beads up for a whole year afterwards. It seems like it goes on smoother and buffs off easier than a straight up carnuba wax, too.

I'm intrigued. Do you use it on your plastic? Personally, I don't care if my plastic is shiny. But the pics I've seen where folks have used Ice on it, the plastic looks a little darker and shiny . . . the plastic looks better.

Thanks,

Bear

I would not say to use it on plastic although it does not leave residue, I would however recommend using something from time to time on the plastic to protect it - maybe 303?

The wolfgang is so easy - apply to the whole car - let it dry a few hrs. and simply wipe off - no buffing at all.

If you waxed only a couple times a year, what wax would you use?

I've taken an interest in doing a bit more with my new (used) E. So tonight I washed it in the drive with a bucket of clean water with Dawn, a micro fiber mitt, and then I used Zymol Cleaner wax. Not real sure you if it has left white stains on my plastic yet or not. I finished just before dark and I was trying to not get any Zymol on the plastic. I figure I'll know more tomorrow.

My ultimate goal though is to get a good 'protective' coat of wax or polish (whatever) on the E and reapply it a couple of times a year. Is there a polish, wax, or sealant that might accomplish my goal?

Also searching the forums for others that use Zymol, I found a couple of folks who said they used Zymol prior to applying wax. ??

Advice on this would be appreciated. I realize how hopeless I must sound.

Thanks,

Bear

Thanks, that was going to be my next question, whether or not NuFinish left white marks or not. So I presume that Wolfgang deep gloss paint sealant does note leave any white marks?

Now that I have white marks from using Zymol on the edges of my plastic, any suggestions on how to get them off. I presume that I have to remove the white marks (wax) before I can apply something like 303 or Back to Black? Because I figure that wax will resist these protects.

Thanks,

Bear

If you're going to only wax your vehicle a couple times a year, it's kind of hard to beat some of these products.

Collinite 845 Liquid insulator wax.
http://www.autogeek.net/collinite-insulator-wax-845.html

Collinite 476s Super Double Coat Detergent proof wax.
http://www.autogeek.net/collinite-super-doublecoat--wax-476.html

As for washing with Dawn/dish detergents, here's the skinny on that. :-)
http://m.carwash.com/detailing/article/the-case-against-dish-detergent-detailing
^^It's best to use a dedicated car wash soap.

As for the white marks, it's always best to prevent them from happening in the first place. Just get yourself a roll of 3M painters tape, the green automotive tape if you can find it, if not the blue med. works fine. I usually keep a 2" and 1" roll on hand. Then spend a little time taping up all those areas you don't want to get wax, or other products on. Also, it's usually the cleaner/all in one products that will leave stains/white marks on plastics.

Here's a few products that do a great job at removing wax from plastics.
http://www.autogeek.net/duragloss-wax-eraser.html

http://www.autogeek.net/griots-garage-wax-remover.html

Oh and as a member suggested, don't forget to clay your vehicle before applying any products to your finish.

Eww-an E,

Thanks for the detailed answers. I'm looking over the autogeek site trying to decide how much the wife will let me spend :-)

Bear

Eww-an E,

Thanks for the detailed answers. I'm looking over the autogeek site trying to decide how much the wife will let me spend :-)

Bear

You're welcome. :-)

I second the recommendation of collinite. I am shocked at how long at lasts.

If you want even longer but with a much longer application time, try zaino, http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Z-2&Category_Code=Zaino&Product_Count=8

I would also recommend UPGP, http://www.autogeek.net/ultima-paint-guard-plus-4.html. It lasts about 4 months, but takes about 5 minutes to apply. This can be hard to apply correctly. You have to use very limited amounts, if you over apply, it will streak and look terrible.

PS, if you order from autogeek before Sunday, use coupon labor15 for 15% off. You can also get free shipping on orders over $95 by joining the AG forums and putting *“PLEASE APPLY FREE SHIPPING FOR FORUM MEMBER” * in the comments box at checkout.

^^Great info/suggestions. Actually last night I sent Bear a PM with that same coupon and free shipping tip. I'm sure by you posting it on here the other members will certainly appreciate it. :-)

I suppose I'm getting old . . . and cranky . . ., but things used to be so much simpler.

Back in the day, you just put a little laundry soap (powder) in a buck of water, used a sponge, and washed your car hosing it all down with the garden hose after.

Then you parked under a shade tree and started rubbing paste wax on . . . then off DONE.

Now there are all these special car wash cleaners, clay bars, polishes, sealants, details sprays, oh and waxes and don't forget about the spot free rinses. And we're really only talking about the outside of the car here. As others in the detailing business will point out, it's the inside that often requires more work (though I'm not sure about the chemicals for the inside, I"m just not ready to go there).

Perhaps, I made a mistake getting an Element. Perhaps I shouldn't have traded in my old pick up truck. No need to wax it or wash it, EVER. I recall coming out of the store and finding a shopping cart parked against the side of my truck. It had hit the front quarter panel and scratched it's way across both front and rear doors finally stopping at the rear quarter panel. I was parked at the bottom of a hill at a local mall.

Gods honest truth, I took my daughter to the same mall last week, and could NOT let myself park in the same spot (it was open). Because I didn't want another car to roll down that hill and scratch the E. Instead I parked at the top of the hill and we walked. :-)

Yes I am kidding about regret for trading my truck. But like I said, things used to be sooooo much simpler before I bought a car that I actually care about.

Bear

My main reason for waxing (usually two or three times a year) is to prevent the paint from oxidizing. The UV here in Florida is intense. I used basic Turtle wax (can) on my previous car and the paint was still very good when I traded it on my E. It was 14 years old.

I decided to go with Zymol after reading most of the recommendations in this section, and it is good, but the water does not bead as tightly after a couple of weeks, so I may go with Nu finish next.

""""i suppose I'm getting old . . . and cranky . . ., but things used to be so much simpler.

Back in the day, you just put a little laundry soap (powder) in a buck of water, used a sponge, and washed your car hosing it all down with the garden hose after.

Then you parked under a shade tree and started rubbing paste wax on . . . then off DONE.

Now there are all these special car wash cleaners, clay bars, polishes, sealants, details sprays, oh and waxes and don't forget about the spot free rinses. And we're really only talking about the outside of the car here. As others in the detailing business will point out, it's the inside that often requires more work (though I'm not sure about the chemicals for the inside, I"m just not ready to go there).""""

lol....i agree, but some of the changes are good when it comes time to wax....i think the hood of a 4 door 74 ford, grand torino had more metal on it than most modern vehicles have total!
as others have pointed out, there are plenty of good options, find what you like and don't worry about the rest.
i find the turtle wax ice very, very easy to use, especially with the plastic panels. it can be wiped on and off in a very short period of time, several times during the summer. a good paste wax for the midwest winters in the fall.

a jug of "car wash" detergent lasts a long time and saves me trips to the kitchen for dawn (like i did 35 years ago) !

as for the interior, once again, many good choices, i have stuck with megiuars natural shine for years. 8 year old vehicle and the plastic looks pretty much brand new.

detailing the vehicles is some "me and a beer" time, i enjoy it and the better half leaves me alone about her honey do list while i am out in the garage !!

I decided to go with Zymol after reading most of the recommendations in this section, and it is good, but the water does not bead as tightly after a couple of weeks, so I may go with Nu finish next.
you do know nowadays beading is bad right?

it makes it easy to tell how the wax etc is holding up but now its all in the sheeting action (you used to use dish soap now you can use dish washer soap with jet dry ^.^) jk

but yea beading leads to water spots if you dont dry and blow dry the seams

you do know nowadays beading is bad right?

but yea beading leads to water spots if you dont dry and blow dry the seams

Beading is not bad... however if you let it dry on the car it will spot up. It is all in your wash/drying procedure and if you have hard water that you are washing your car with when you can get spots. I personally use the pooling or sheeting method after I am done rinsing the car which helps remove most of the water off the car, then I dry windows and flat panels first as these are the areas that mostly get water spots. I then use a leaf blower to get the water out of the seams, mirrors, door handles and hinges along with a microfiber towel drying any water that come outs of these areas. I go to these extremes because the E is a dark metallic color and my wife's car is black any defect or spot show up like an eye sore. The best car wax (well they claim it to be and at $1500 for 200ml it better be) Swissvax Crystal Rock carnauba wax beads like crazy... check out the youtube video.