# is waxing a waste of time?



## poncho power (Nov 28, 2012)

hey guys.....

i was told if i wash my car once a week ( by hand, with a wash mit ), it does no good to wax it. I'm talking about washing it with a good car care wash soap. They claim if you wash it that often, You are keeping all the anti-oxidants off the paint, & therefor, there is no reason to wax it....
What do you guys think, I really don't know what to believe.?


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

Not only do I not wax it, I don't even wash. I only use a detail spray cleaner like Wizard's Mist & Shine with micro towels once or twice a week. If you want it even shiner, use the Wizard's with a clay bar, you can use it on the paint, glass and chrome.


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## poncho power (Nov 28, 2012)

Rukee said:


> Not only do I not wax it, I don't even wash. I only use a detail spray cleaner like Wizard's Mist & Shine with micro towels once or twice a week. If you want it even shiner, use the Wizard's with a clay bar, you can use it on the paint, glass and chrome.


Interesting.....

What about on your everyday work car ? I'm more curious about this.... I wash my wife's car at least once a week, and she's been asking me when I'm going to wax it again, but now I'm wondering if I'm wasting my time waxing it?

I will keep that in mind though about the detail spray for my Lemans....thanks.


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## Steamwalker (Mar 9, 2012)

I wax my car to protect from the elements. Not sure how the paint is on the classic GTOs but once the clear coat is damaged, the paint will deteriorate quickly.


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

I rarely wash my '70 its in the garage, I detail it often with Adams detail spray. Every late winter I will if it needs it ... Clay bar then Adams polish glaze and Americanna wax.

If you drive your car moderately washing alone doesn't get out the contaminates. If you don't get them out and you wax over it you're sealing it in.

CLAY BAR polish then glaze then wax. At very least CLAY BAR polish and wax. The wax protects UV bird droppings sap acid rain. 

I dunno who told you waxing is not needed it you wash it once a week and its a daily driver but I'd have them check the screws in their skull, cause they are loose.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

poncho power said:


> Interesting.....
> 
> What about on your everyday work car ? I'm more curious about this.... I wash my wife's car at least once a week, and she's been asking me when I'm going to wax it again, but now I'm wondering if I'm wasting my time waxing it?
> 
> I will keep that in mind though about the detail spray for my Lemans....thanks.


I just wait for a rain storm.


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## poncho power (Nov 28, 2012)

So how often do you guys wax your cars then? I Live in Wisconsin, so in the past, I would wax once around aApril, then once around July, & once around September.


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## Steamwalker (Mar 9, 2012)

I probably do mine every 3-4 months.


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

2x a year ... Claybar once any way... Some do it very often. Good quality wax is key. 
My '70 once a year over the winter.


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

Waxing not only helps protect it can fill in the microscopic scratches in the clear coat and enhance the shine.


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## skurfan (Sep 19, 2012)

It's a great way to pass the down time hours at a car show. Two or three times. Year, but I am trying to preserve original paint that is not perfect.


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## Dennis1990 (Apr 25, 2013)

Well I also think that washing is not a good thing for your car because it help to get corrosion to cars body soon. So I always prefer to detail my car with some liquid and a cloth because its more good then washing. I just wash my car's tires once in a week.


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## FNG69 (Nov 15, 2009)

is waxing a waste of time? NO Kind of like fore play don't you think!! I know a garaged car does need it allot. But it has a smooth treatment affect on a car guy I think!!


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

Dennis1990 said:


> Well I also think that washing is not a good thing for your car because it help to get corrosion to cars body soon. So I always prefer to detail my car with some liquid and a cloth because its more good then washing. I just wash my car's tires once in a week.


<scratching my skull> & <rolling eyes>


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

Ceramic coat it and you will never need to wash it again. We did my wife's car last year. Dirt and crap barely sticks to it. Its way harder then the OEM clear also.

I'm a true believe in Opti Coat.


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## Desire (Apr 2, 2013)

I just use a liquid "wax as you dry" spray after i hand wash my car once a month or so. But please use "spot free" water to rinse. Ill nu finish it once a year also. Daily driver


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Waxing is not a waste of time, IMO. If you value your finish, wax it. My '65 was repainted 29 years ago, used as a daily driver, and not kept in a garage until 1997...and the paint still looks good. Because I kept it waxed. They didn't have clay bars and spray detailers in the the '80's. Wax was the obvious choice. My '67 was re painted in '93, and still looks like a new paint job. Nothing but wax. This car was kept garaged from the moment it was repainted, though. Neither car is clearcoated....they are simple urethane enamel paint jobs. If you value your car's appearance, and plan on keeping it, wax it. Have you priced out a new paint job lately??


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Here's the thing: Why would you put all the time and effort (or money, or all three) into building a really nice car with a good to great paint job, and then start asking questions like "what's the minimum of work I can get by with?"

Is waxing _required?_ Well, that's a topic for debate and opinions are all over the place. I can tell you though that you're sure not going to _hurt_ a paint job by properly waxing it and for me, whatever extra bit of protection and paint life I might get by putting in a little extra work is definitely worth it. Doing that also gives me a good chance to inpect every inch of the surface really closely so that I can spot any developing problems early.

Bear


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## NucciGOAT (Dec 10, 2013)

BearGFR said:


> Here's the thing: Why would you put all the time and effort (or money, or all three) into building a really nice car with a good to great paint job, and then start asking questions like "what's the minimum of work I can get by with?"
> 
> Is waxing _required?_ Well, that's a topic for debate and opinions are all over the place. I can tell you though that you're sure not going to _hurt_ a paint job by properly waxing it and for me, whatever extra bit of protection and paint life I might get by putting in a little extra work is definitely worth it. Doing that also gives me a good chance to inpect every inch of the surface really closely so that I can spot any developing problems early.
> 
> Bear


My thoughts exactly. Any quality automotive wash is meant to not strip wax anyway. So if it's not strong enough to pull the wax off your paint you think it's gna pull out all the oxidants and crap??

I wax my car 2 sometimes 3 times a month. Is it overkill?? Prob, but I enjoy it, and my paint is fantastic.. A good cleaner wax will get off more then your soap ever will.








When I bought the car it looked like that, pretty clean right? Well just look at what I pulled off the paint with a cleaner wax.. These microfiber towels were perfectly clean before. This is just the roof and hood..








Roof








Good.


Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## AlanSr (Jan 4, 2008)

I think it really comes down to how you want your car to look. I find there are many misconceptions out there about waxing or trying to get your car to shine. 
First misconception....I wax my car to make it shine...
Wax protects the paint...Polish makes the car shine

Second misconception....I only need to wax my car x amount of times a year.
That depends on where you live, if you keep your car in a garage, and how many miles you drive each day.
If water is not beading up on your paint...it needs wax.

Third misconception....My car is X years old, it's not supposed to look like it came off the show room floor.
While keep a showroom shine can be very tedious...it can be done.

Getting scratches out....a good rule of thumb is:
If you can feel the scratch with your finger nail...you can't get it out and will will need some touchup paint or repainted. 
If you can not feel it with your nail, you can compound or wetsand the scratch out to bring back a beautiful shine.

Are all waxes the same? 
No
Do you need to pay $50-100 for a good wax? 
No

Clay:
Clay is used to remove top level contaminants from the paint. I always clay before I use compound because it stops the contaminates from breaking loose and scratching the car during any of the following steps. It also helps keep the pad cleaner longer.

Compound:
Remove heavy swirls, oxidation, and light scratches.
Polish/lighter compound:
Clarifies the paint to bring out a brilliant shine.
Glaze:
Fills in scratches and restores old single stage paints.
Sealant:
Very similar to wax. Offers great protection and typically has a "hard candy shell" appearance. 
Wax:
Protects the paint and gives it a warm deep shine.

Can you combine sealant and wax together? 
Yes but in that order. Use the wax as a topper to increase reflectivity.

Spray wax or in the detailing world "LSP" Last step product
Helps clear up an finger prints you might have accidentally put on the vehicle and helps remove any dust left over. 
Most importantly the right ones do offer more shine.

If you guys are interested here is my Facebook page for my detailing business.
"if it has paint...it will shine".
https://www.facebook.com/show.timedetailing.353/photos_albums


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## NucciGOAT (Dec 10, 2013)

AlanSr said:


> I think it really comes down to how you want your car to look. I find there are many misconceptions out there about waxing or trying to get your car to shine.
> First misconception....I wax my car to make it shine...
> Wax protects the paint...Polish makes the car shine
> 
> ...


Awesome write up!


Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## AlanSr (Jan 4, 2008)

Thanks I really appreciate it. There are something's I forgot to mention but it's a good start. 
If you guys have any questions you can post them my detailing Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/show.timedetailing.353/photos_albums


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## torrid red sap (Sep 27, 2014)

*IMO, not a good idea to wash a car too often, water causes corrosion and constantly rubbing the clear coat away, the key to keeping paint looking like new is to use a clear coat cleaner initially, followed by a quality wax and then ocassionally spray waxing and dusting,of course garage kept vehicles will always look better and last longer.
*


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## OMG_WTF_Bernard (Mar 16, 2013)

no, you should only wax once or twice a year.... or when you use strong cleaners and strip the wax off.


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## AlanSr (Jan 4, 2008)

Updated Albums
https://www.facebook.com/showtimedetaling/photos_stream?tab=photos_albums


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

torrid red sap said:


> *IMO, not a good idea to wash a car too often, water causes corrosion and constantly rubbing the clear coat away, the key to keeping paint looking like new is to use a clear coat cleaner initially, followed by a quality wax and then ocassionally spray waxing and dusting,of course garage kept vehicles will always look better and last longer.
> *


UH? :willy::willy::icon_bs:


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## House of Wax (Aug 27, 2015)

If you rub clear coat away when you're washing, you're doing it wrong lol


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## pjw1967 (Mar 10, 2014)

I bought my '67 in 1994. Washed it occasionally and waxed it once or twice. Seller told me that it was painted in 1993 with 2 base coats and 4 clear coats. When I moved to Hou in 1995 I went to Autorama. A guy was demonstrating "Dri-Wash". I bought some and have never used anything else since. I use it on the Goat like Endust. Instead of spraying it directly on the paint, I spray it onto a microfiber cloth. I do appox a 2' x 3' section at a time, using another microfiber cloth to wipe off the haze. I do the Goat once or twice a month like this. It takes 15 mins +/-. Dri-Wash claims that it fills in the swirls and I believe it. It is not a wax. I use it twice a year on the family cars, and take them to the $4.00 car wash about twice a month. All 3 cars sparkle. BTW I tried Meguiar's detailing spray once. At a parking lot show in late fall one year, I noticed that the high humidity was causing condensate to appear on my Goat while most of the cars around me were dry. It was the Meguiar's. It has some sort of oil in in that gives the finish a temporary liquid look, but also caused the condensation. You can go all over the internet and find people who love it or hate Dri-Wash. But if you are inherently lazy like me and want a quick good looking clean up, this stuff is for you.


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## AlanSr (Jan 4, 2008)

That is funny....I've never heard of someone washing their clear coat off...

Although a clear coat can be ruined by a rotary buffer if the person doesn't know what they are doing. However, that was one of the driving factors behind the design of a dual action (DA) buffer. 

One of my customers comes to me 2x a year, spring and fall, and has me compound and seal their car. They are happy with how it looks so I guess for them waxing/sealing 2x a year works. 
I personally wax/seal my cars monthly. The old misconception of over waxing your car is not true. Now, I only compound/polish my car 1 or 2x a year if it needs it. Compound and polish are completely different and can eat away your clear coat if used to often.

Here is my new Facebook page if you are interested in some of my work.
https://www.facebook.com/Showtimeautomobile


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