Durability of the Wax

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spielwurfel

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Hello guys

I consider myself still a noob on car detailing. I've applied wax to my car very few times (3 or 4) and think it always lasted too short on my car.

My product of choice was the Meguiars synthetic liquid wax, and after applying, it never seemed to last much more than 1 week. The water beading properties seemed to fade after that, and always read that it could last around 1 month.

Typically I ride my car a lot, around 300 to 400 miles and in a dirt environment. Not mud or necesarily rainy and etc. but with a lot of pollution, industrial fallout, hard sun and etc.

Should it last just 1 week? Could I been doing something wrong?

A photo from my baby.
adbe9e04533328cc1cf6a1a81581c95e.jpg


Thanks guys!


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First and foremost, NICE car and GREAT question. :dblthumb2:

The durability of a wax, sealant or coating depends on two factors:

1. How the paint was prepped.
2. How the paint is cared for after the vehicle is waxed.

Before applying a wax or sealant, you should use a clay bar to remove above surface contaminants (makes the paint smooth) and a polish or pre-wax cleaner to remove embedded dirt, road film, previously applied layers of wax, etc.

After applying a wax or sealant, you should wash the vehicle using a high-quality car wash soap (NOT Dawn!) on a weekly basis. You can use a spray wax to boost the protection and shine after every wash.

:props:
 
Nick@Autogeek said:
First and foremost, NICE car and GREAT question. :dblthumb2:

The durability of a wax, sealant or coating depends on two factors:

1. How the paint was prepped.
2. How the paint is cared for after the vehicle is waxed.

Before applying a wax or sealant, you should use a clay bar to remove above surface contaminants (makes the paint smooth) and a polish or pre-wax cleaner to remove embedded dirt, road film, previously applied layers of wax, etc.

After applying a wax or sealant, you should wash the vehicle using a high-quality car wash soap (NOT Dawn!) on a weekly basis. You can use a spray wax to boost the protection and shine after every wash.

:props:
Click to expand...


Thanks for the compliments! =)
The first time I applied wax I did everything as you said, clayed my car and a pre wax cleaner. The wax really lasted longer, but not as much as I expected, was only about 2 weeks. No washing done during this period.


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It sounds like it's time to step up to a Wolfgang or Collonite sealant. With proper preparation both of those will give 6 months of protection.
 
Ebg18t said:
It sounds like it's time to step up to a Wolfgang or Collonite sealant. With proper preparation both of those will give 6 months of protection.
Click to expand...

This^

Also, is your vehicle garaged overnight/when not driving?
 
Nice! I think I'll try a better wax or two layers!

My cars stays garaged overnight \o/


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With Meguiar's sealants, and waxes they need to be applied super thin.

If using NXT, it needs to be allowed to dry for at least 15 minutes before wipe off.

A lot of times their sealants and waxed exhibit more of a sheeting effect than beading - depending on the product you're using.

I typically get months of water repellency from Meguiar's sealants.
 
Spielwurful what are you seeing/experiencing leads you to believe the wax isn't holding up for such short periods?

Next time, wash the car thoroughly and then spray down the car with water after the car is clean. Does the water still bead on the clean paint? Curious.

Only under the most extreme conditions would I expect a wax not to last 1-2 weeks. In my 25 years of waxing my own cars, from the cheapest Turtle wax to the nicest Pinnacle waxes, I've always seen a bare minimum of a 1-2 months of water beading. I am not by any means contesting what you are seeing, but wondering if you would see water beading over clean paint?

ScottH
 
dlc95 said:
With Meguiar's sealants, and waxes they need to be applied super thin.

If using NXT, it needs to be allowed to dry for at least 15 minutes before wipe off.

A lot of times their sealants and waxed exhibit more of a sheeting effect than beading - depending on the product you're using.

I typically get months of water repellency from Meguiar's sealants.
Click to expand...


Noob question, what is the difference between sheeting and beading?


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ScottH said:
Spielwurful what are you seeing/experiencing leads you to believe the wax isn't holding up for such short periods?



Next time, wash the car thoroughly and then spray down the car with water after the car is clean. Does the water still bead on the clean paint? Curious.



Only under the most extreme conditions would I expect a wax not to last 1-2 weeks. In my 25 years of waxing my own cars, from the cheapest Turtle wax to the nicest Pinnacle waxes, I've always seen a bare minimum of a 1-2 months of water beading. I am not by any means contesting what you are seeing, but wondering if you would see water beading over clean paint?



ScottH
Click to expand...


I tipically look at the beading effect while removing the car shampoo (surface already cleaned). After this period of about 1 week, I can see some beading effect on the most "vertical" surfaces of the car, but on those more "horizontal" like the hood, the effect is basically null.

To keep the post running, some dew over the waxed hood
5cc129e14b97480cf2b5641ca9fe2145.jpg



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Beading is water droplets formed on the surface of a water soaked panel. Sheeting, the water rolls off in sheets, not individual beads
 
Nick@Autogeek said:
The durability of a wax, sealant or coating depends on two factors:

1. How the paint was prepped.
2. How the paint is cared for after the vehicle is waxed.
Click to expand...


I 100% agree with Nick. Besides the importance of the prep work to ensure a perfect surface for which to apply the wax, the next most important thing is how the paint is "touched" after the initial detailing session.

I teach two styles of car washing,

The aggressive method - This is the washing step BEFORE a major detailing session.

The gentle method - This is the washing approach AFTER a major detailing session.


The act of touching a waxed surface micro-abrades off the wax so the most important factor as to how long a wax will last after application and removal of the wax comes down to how the wax surface is touched.


Here's a tip....

When you wash the car and by the word "wash" I mean the way you move a wash mitt over the surface. Don't scrub the paint. Don't make a million back and forth passes over the same section of paint.

Make a few passes over each section and then rinse.

Here's why.... if the car has a good or fresh coat of wax, any fresh dirt won't have a strong bond to start with so it won't take much to loosen the dirt's grip on the surface. So that's why only a pass or two over each section of paint.

If there is dirt and you do loosen it - if you then continue to move the wash mitt over the surface (scrubbing), you will grind the dirt into the paint as well as inflict swirls and scratches. You will also abrade off the layer of wax.

I actually wrote the concept for NXT Tech Wax back in 2003 when I worked for Meguiar's. It was a part of the Zaino Case Study report I wrote for Meguiar's management to explain to them two things,

1. What a discussion forum is?

2. Why a product out of nowhere (Zaino) was stealing their market share away from hardcore car enthusiasts.
​

The product was supposed to bead water like a son-of-a-gun but the first release and the second release have a forum consensus that most agree the water beading doesn't last too long.

The protection ingredients may still be present and protecting the surface but the high surface tension initially created lessens.

I have not used the product for at least a year and even when I do use it I don't let any of my vehicles go very long without a fresh coat of wax so I would never know if the last coat was l-a-s-t-i-n-g or not.


:)
 
When I worked in an area of heavy industrial pollution, I found a regular application of D156 (UQW) after my weekly wash would keep the shine, slickness and beading lasting for months.
 
Thanks for the teaching Mike! Haha

Maybe I'm doing something wrong with the surface preparation. I remembered now that with my previous car, I paid for a detailer to clean, prep and wax it. After that I went on a long trip (about 600 miles) and the car stood the entire week in a farm area, with a lot of sun and lot of dust. After that week, I washed my car and I remember how easily the dirt came out only with the hose water, and I remember it still had a beading effect. If I'm not mistaken the detailer used Meguiars NXT.

So I think I'm not preparing the surface properly.


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jfelbab said:
When I worked in an area of heavy industrial pollution, I found a regular application of D156 (UQW) after my weekly wash would keep the shine, slickness and beading lasting for months.
Click to expand...


Only this specific wax?


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jfelbab said:
When I worked in an area of heavy industrial pollution, I found a regular application of D156 (UQW) after my weekly wash would keep the shine, slickness and beading lasting for months.
Click to expand...


I do pretty similar - Meg's Ult Wax (the newer version of NXT) & D156 / UQW after the wash. As Mike P points out, gentle wash. I foam gun it to get it loosened, as well. LOTS of soapy water on a MF mitt, 2 bucket wash, etc.

My car is overdue for a wax but you couldn't tell - it's SO slick! My car usually looks almost dry if I am driving in the rain. Yes, it's slick! (BTW, it's a DD, garaged when not in use, 240k miles!) Similar technique & results on our other car (Elantra with 150k mi, paint looking better than many at the fancy-schmancy car show this past Saturday. LOL!)

But to the orig question, at least a couple of months durability. I wax about 2x / yr.
 
About the amount of wax, I put a pea sized wax drop on a foam pad and spread it until I start to feel a little bit of drag. Is it correct?


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I like what MP said " Find a product you like and use it often". Or for most of us "products":dblthumb2:
 
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