Which Car Wax is Best?
By Timothy Tibbetts |
As a car and motorcycle guy, I've spent countless hours waxing and detailing my vehicles and thought I would tackle a trick question - which wax is the best?
Why am I qualified? Do you know that guy who cleans the back of his wheels? With a toothbrush? Yeah, that's me. For the past 20 years, my vehicle cleaning routine starts with the rims and wheel wells, then the undercarriage, wash, and finally, the detail. My average car cleaning takes 3-4 hours - and I do it a lot!
Buying the perfect wax is a time-consuming, self-doubting process, and it shouldn't be. I became interested in writing this article after reading all the other wax reviews, which mention the same waxes with Amazon affiliate links. Another red flag for me (and I see this frequently) is someone recommending a product, although a year ago, they had a different favorite. That said, most websites that choose a favorite wax aren't wrong.
Why? Because there are so many brands and types of wax, everyone is spending their time arguing which wax is best. Any brand or established name wax will work fine for you. Let everyone else discuss, carnauba or synthetic, liquid, or paste.
Because you wax your vehicle once or twice a year, most of the products you see will add shine, depth, and clarity of color, repel dirt and water and offer UV protection. Many people will say they're waxing their paint, but you're waxing the clearcoat, which is why wax clarity is so important.
General Tips
Keeping your car clean between waxes by washing it and spray detailing will extend the life of your paint as much or more because dirt and grime rubbed into your clearcoat can cause scuffs, scratches, and swirls. However, it all begins with a thorough waxing.
We also use a tiny amount of spray detailer when buffing out the applied wax. We've found that any wax will buff and shine better with a touch of spray detailer.
Another product we love to use is the Griot Garage Random Orbital Buffer. If your clearcoat needs a little extra love, they offer both correcting and polishing pads. I've used this buffer on six cars and never a single swirl.
The Waxes
My top choice, and has been for many years, is the lesser-known Collinite. They are a family business founded in 1936 and are known for their boat and originally airplane waxes. The wax applies and comes off easily. The best part is you can wax everything with Collinite - rubber, plastic, and even glass, but don't wax the windshield. My last vehicle was still beading after nine months. Spread it thin. A little goes a long way.
As a good friend said - if it's good enough for airplanes and boats, it's good enough for me. I've turned on auto detailers and auto supply shops to Collinite. I usually buy it on Amazon, however most marine and some auto stores do carry it.
Stop by most detail shops, and you'll see Meguiars products often being used, and this should tip you off as to who has the most trusted line of wax and detail products. People pay top dollar to have their car detailed, and any excellent detailer will use Meguiar products that make him or her look good. I also keep many of their products, including spray detailer, new car smell, leather cleaner, and more.
If your paint needs love, use the cleaner wax. If your paint looks good, use the NXT. The following Amazon affiliate links are in order left to right depending on the condition of your paint; excellent, good, and needs help.
Everybody Else
Because there are so many great waxes, it wouldn't be fair, not to mention other options in case your shopping at an automotive store while reading this: Griots Garage, Mothers, Chemical Guys, P21s, and Car Guys come to mind.
Speaking of Griot's Garage, they've got the shiniest tire spray I've ever seen. It looks like my tires have lip gloss, as a buddy annoyingly commented. For rubber, plastic, and convertible tops, I use 303 Protectant. 303 also works as a slightly glossy, minimal sling black tire spray. I loved using it on my Wrangler, for example.
As always, we thank you for considering using our Amazon affiliate links which earn us a commission.
Some people love the spray-on waxes, but for me, durability is an issue. A good wax should be relatively easy to put on and off, but without a little elbow grease, the results won't be the same.
Remember, a good wax job is a prequel to keeping your car looking great all year round, so don't take shortcuts. Some products to avoid should be easier to spot, like TopCoat. They're not a wax company; they're a marketing company selling overpriced silicone. Stick with the trusted names, and any wax will work for you.
We're not sure how this article turned out, but we genuinely hope we answered your questions.
Similar:
More Life Hacks & Reviews on MajorGeeks
More Windows How-Tos and Guides on MajorGeeks
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Why am I qualified? Do you know that guy who cleans the back of his wheels? With a toothbrush? Yeah, that's me. For the past 20 years, my vehicle cleaning routine starts with the rims and wheel wells, then the undercarriage, wash, and finally, the detail. My average car cleaning takes 3-4 hours - and I do it a lot!
Buying the perfect wax is a time-consuming, self-doubting process, and it shouldn't be. I became interested in writing this article after reading all the other wax reviews, which mention the same waxes with Amazon affiliate links. Another red flag for me (and I see this frequently) is someone recommending a product, although a year ago, they had a different favorite. That said, most websites that choose a favorite wax aren't wrong.
Why? Because there are so many brands and types of wax, everyone is spending their time arguing which wax is best. Any brand or established name wax will work fine for you. Let everyone else discuss, carnauba or synthetic, liquid, or paste.
Because you wax your vehicle once or twice a year, most of the products you see will add shine, depth, and clarity of color, repel dirt and water and offer UV protection. Many people will say they're waxing their paint, but you're waxing the clearcoat, which is why wax clarity is so important.
Keeping your car clean between waxes by washing it and spray detailing will extend the life of your paint as much or more because dirt and grime rubbed into your clearcoat can cause scuffs, scratches, and swirls. However, it all begins with a thorough waxing.
We also use a tiny amount of spray detailer when buffing out the applied wax. We've found that any wax will buff and shine better with a touch of spray detailer.
Another product we love to use is the Griot Garage Random Orbital Buffer. If your clearcoat needs a little extra love, they offer both correcting and polishing pads. I've used this buffer on six cars and never a single swirl.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a commission if you purchase an item using our affiliate links.
My top choice, and has been for many years, is the lesser-known Collinite. They are a family business founded in 1936 and are known for their boat and originally airplane waxes. The wax applies and comes off easily. The best part is you can wax everything with Collinite - rubber, plastic, and even glass, but don't wax the windshield. My last vehicle was still beading after nine months. Spread it thin. A little goes a long way.
As a good friend said - if it's good enough for airplanes and boats, it's good enough for me. I've turned on auto detailers and auto supply shops to Collinite. I usually buy it on Amazon, however most marine and some auto stores do carry it.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a commission if you purchase an item using our affiliate links.
Stop by most detail shops, and you'll see Meguiars products often being used, and this should tip you off as to who has the most trusted line of wax and detail products. People pay top dollar to have their car detailed, and any excellent detailer will use Meguiar products that make him or her look good. I also keep many of their products, including spray detailer, new car smell, leather cleaner, and more.
If your paint needs love, use the cleaner wax. If your paint looks good, use the NXT. The following Amazon affiliate links are in order left to right depending on the condition of your paint; excellent, good, and needs help.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a commission if you purchase an item using our affiliate links.
Because there are so many great waxes, it wouldn't be fair, not to mention other options in case your shopping at an automotive store while reading this: Griots Garage, Mothers, Chemical Guys, P21s, and Car Guys come to mind.
Speaking of Griot's Garage, they've got the shiniest tire spray I've ever seen. It looks like my tires have lip gloss, as a buddy annoyingly commented. For rubber, plastic, and convertible tops, I use 303 Protectant. 303 also works as a slightly glossy, minimal sling black tire spray. I loved using it on my Wrangler, for example.
As always, we thank you for considering using our Amazon affiliate links which earn us a commission.
Some people love the spray-on waxes, but for me, durability is an issue. A good wax should be relatively easy to put on and off, but without a little elbow grease, the results won't be the same.
Remember, a good wax job is a prequel to keeping your car looking great all year round, so don't take shortcuts. Some products to avoid should be easier to spot, like TopCoat. They're not a wax company; they're a marketing company selling overpriced silicone. Stick with the trusted names, and any wax will work for you.
We're not sure how this article turned out, but we genuinely hope we answered your questions.
Similar:
More Life Hacks & Reviews on MajorGeeks
More Windows How-Tos and Guides on MajorGeeks
comments powered by Disqus
