Which wax is best?
So many waxes! So many claims
of being "the best", "the brightest" or "the longest
lasting". How is one to choose? On one hand, natural carnauba waxes have
been around for over 100 years. They have certainly withstood the test of time.
On the other hand, modern science continues to give us amazing new molecules
with properties not found in nature. Do these new super polymers make carnauba
waxes obsolete?
First, lets restate the
original question.
The question you should be asking is:
"Which wax is best for me?" No single product is
right for everyone.
Factors to consider are:
- How hard are you willing to work? Be candid.
Will you use a separate polish and wax or would you prefer a one-step,
easy-on/easy-off combination product?
- Which do you value most, a great shine,
long lasting protection or ease of application? Are you willing to wax your
car twice a year? Four times a year? Every month?
- Do you have a newer vehicle with excellent
paint or a vehicle with some miles that is starting to show a few swirls and
imperfections? Older vehicles will benefit from polishing prior to waxing or
a "one-step-product" that cleans, polishes and protects in one
application.
- What color is your vehicle? Waxes that produce
a bright shine tend to look best on light color vehicles. Waxes that produce
a deeper, liquid-like shimmer tend to look best on black, red and dark color
vehicles.
All products have different
strengths and weaknesses.
Manufacturing any wax involves
trade-offs and compromises. Some compromises are made for cost considerations. A
chemist may want to use a better ingredient or add more carnauba but can't
because the company has a target market price that must be met. Other
compromises are made for marketing reasons. A chemist may want to make a paste
wax for maximum durability but the marketing department insists on producing a
less durable liquid wax because marketing research has told them a liquid wax
will sell better. Other compromises are imposed by the marketplace.
Multi-national manufacturers, the "Name Brands" that supply Wal-Mart,
Target and K-Mart, must respond to market demand. If the largest selling product
nationwide is a $10.00, liquid, cleaner/wax, guess what these companies are
going to make? A whole range of $10.00 liquid, cleaner/waxes!
Smaller, niche manufacturers
may target the enthusiast market with higher quality products or products
designed for a specific purpose (i.e. just for dark color cars or just for light color
cars). Don't dismiss these products just because you don't recognize the brand
name. Yes, there is some crap out there but it's our job to sort it all out,
select only the best products and present them to you in such a way that you can
decide what's best for you.
"Pure" waxes &
sealants vs one-step, clean-polish-protect, products:
Brand new vehicles do not need
to be polished. The paint is as bright and shiny as it's going to get. All you
need is a wax or sealant to protect the finish. You do not need a product that
cleans or polishes.
As the car ages, the paint
will start to dull and will show signs of aging which usually include some
swirls, spots and minor blemishes. You can continue to wax over these defects
but at some point you should consider polishing the vehicle or switching to a
one-step, cleaner/polish/sealant. Polishing restores surface gloss and visually
reduces spots and swirls. If you're a perfectionist, we recommend using a
separate polish. We offer many fine polishes on our "Compounds,
Polishes & Glazes" page. On the other hand, If you want
your vehicle to look good but don't want to spend hours polishing the finish and
then have to apply a wax or sealant consider a one-step, cleaner/polish/sealant.
These one-step products may not have the ultimate power to remove deeper swirls
or spots but they will make the finish look much better and keep it shiny and
protected for six months or more. Click here to view our selection of One-Step,
Cleaner/Polish/Sealant Products.
Mix brands or stay with one
brand?
Many enthusiasts enjoy
experimenting with different brands. They may use one company's polish and
another company's wax or sealant. 99% of the time this is not a problem but,
every once and awhile, you may run into a product incompatibility problem and
end up with a hazy, cloudy or streaked finish. If you're new to car care, we
recommend staying within one brand to start as we know you will not have any
problems. As you gain more experience, you may wish to experiment with different
brands of products. Click here to view our Paint
Care Products by Brand.
Carnauba waxes vs synthetic
(polymer) waxes:
Both types of products have
advantages and disadvantages. Before you decide on a wax here are some things to
consider:
Carnauba Waxes:
Advantages:
- A darker, deeper, richer shine.
- Best carnauba waxes produce a liquid,
"wet-looking" surface.
- Carnauba waxes tend to hide minor swirls.
- Carnauba waxes bead water (tells user when to
re-wax surface).
Disadvantages:
- Limited durability (Carnauba starts to melt at
180 degrees F).
50% gone in 30 days, 75% gone in 60 days, re-wax in 90 days.
- Some carnauba waxes harder to apply. (Require
more effort to buff off).
- Some carnauba waxes create chalky- white
residues and stain trim moldings.
- Low surface adhesion - can be removed by car
washes and detergents.
- More prone to water spots.
- Usually requires a strong petroleum solvent
base.
- Can cloud and/or streak on dark color cars.
- Can be difficult to apply by machine.
Click here to view our
selection of Carnauba
Waxes.
Polymer Waxes:
Advantages:
- Longer lasting. (Most will last six months or
longer)
- Easy to apply.
- Very bright shine.
- Some synthetic waxes sheet water which reduces
water spots.
- Stronger surface adhesion resists detergents.
- Usually easy to apply by machine.
- Can be water-based or use a mild mineral
spirit.
Disadvantages:
- Bright shine is often referred to as sterile,
lacking emotion.
(it does not allow the paints true pigment to show through)
- Tends to high light or amplify minor swirls
and paint imperfections.
- Sheeting does not give a visual clue of when
to recoat.
- Some products have long cure times between
coats.
Click here to view our
selection of Synthetic
(Polymer) Sealants.
Our wax comparison charts.
We have years and years of
experience in selling and using these products. At the bottom of each wax
product description is a "Comparison Chart". This gives
you a brief summary of the product, a comparison chart you can use to compare
this wax to other waxes and a short list of the waxes pro's and con's. We hope
this will give you the information you need to select the wax that's best for
you. Now when your pesky brother-in-law starts telling you about his latest
"wonder wax" you can print out our comparison chart and ask him how
his wax rates in each category.
We have not rated all our
waxes yet. Please be patient. We're working on it.
Want our recommendations?
If you're still not sure which
products are best for you, click here for Products
that We Recommend.