Car wax adds longevity and shine to your cars finish, but only if you choose the right wax. Some car waxes will cover your cars plastic parts with residue; others will actually make your cars finish less smooth as the wax scratches the finish or forms a haze over it. Here are a few questions you need to ask as you pore over the vast selection of car waxes available at your local auto store.
Which is more important to you, depth of color or shine? A natural car wax like Carnauba wax will shine slightly less brightly than artificial waxes, but will give the color depth. Artificial waxes, which include most spray on and liquid waxes, shine beautifully but give a less rich color, and can emphasize minor flaws. Dark colors in particular suffer with artificial waxes. Experts suggest that dark cars be waxed only with natural waxes. For lighter cars, either natural or artificial waxes are good, depending on whether you want your cars finish to be shinier or to have more richness of color.
Is there much plastic on your car? Some car waxes react poorly to matte plastic, especially the porous, dark kind so popular on recent models, and deposit a residue that may need extra attention with a special cleaner to remove. If your car has a lot of visible plastic, make sure the wax you choose is compatible with plastic.
How durable do you want the car wax to be, and how long are you willing to spend in applying it? Consumer Reports performed a comparison test and found that liquid waxes were the most durable and the best at cleaning. They also took the longest to apply, mainly because of all the extra buffing needed to spread the wax evenly and reduce streaking. Spray on waxes were the least durable and did the worst job at cleaning, but they were also the quickest and easiest to apply. Consumer Reports recommended them mainly for new cars whose finishes were in excellent condition, for owners who were willing to wax frequently, and for stopgap treatments in between treatments with liquid or paste wax. Paste waxes took about as long to apply as liquid waxes, and were about as durable. Although paste waxes used to be notoriously time consuming to apply, Consumer Reports noted that now they are packaged with applicators that have cut their application time significantly, even and made them slightly easier to apply than liquid waxes.
When you choose a car wax, consider what visual qualities are most important to you, whether you need to take the plastic detailing on your car into account, how long you are willing to take to apply wax, and how often you are willing to apply wax. Be frank with yourself about your goals, and do not feel that you should opt for a high effort, high upkeep wax just because the experts recommend it. Unless the experts are going to come and maintain your car for you, pick the car wax that is right for you and your car. Related content Car wash ... Car washing ... Car wash ... Car polish ...