Most new cars in the past few years come with a transparent protective top coat layer of paint called the clear coat. Does this eliminate the need to use car wax on your car?While car wax probably wont improve the shine of the clear top coat, environmental factors such as rain, sunlight, and road debris will eat at the finish of a car. Adding a coat of wax after washing your car can help to protect the paint on your car.
Car waxes are not all the same. There are liquid car waxes, paste car waxes, and the spray on, wipe off type of car wax. The hardest to apply is liquid car wax and this is also the hardest car wax to buff out after applying. Paste car wax is now the least commonly used car wax. Paste car wax is easy to spread on a car because it comes with a reusable applicator that helps keep the car wax off glass. Spray on, wipe off car wax is the newest kind of car wax. This kind of car wax can be applied to a car that is still wet from washing but the shine does not last very long.
What kind of car wax should you use on your car? You need to consider things like the size and age of your car, how much work you want to put into waxing your car, and how much time you want to take doing it. If your car is only one or two years old, the finish should still be good and you will only need a light spray wax to make it shine. For an older car with a dull finish, using a liquid car wax will clean as well as shine the paint on your car. To save time, using a spray on, wipe off car was is the way to go. Quick touch ups in between waxings can also be done with a spray on, wipe off car wax.
Before you use car wax on your car, you should clean it thoroughly. Do not use car wax on your car when it is in the sun or if the paint is hot because it will cause the wax to scratch the paint.If your car is hot or in the sun, do not apply car wax until it has cooled because the car wax will scratch the hot paint on your car. You should was small portions of the car and buff immediately so the car wax does not have a chance to dry out.