What to do between sealing or wax again?

[navyute]

First I wan't to apologize if this is specifically addressed somewhere on the forum but I've spent the last couple hours searching and reading and haven't really found the answer. I've found every way to detail a car from start to finish but not just wash and ____ until the the next time I have to use paint sealant or wax.

I have just spent the last two days removing swirl marks from my 2007 Metallic Blue Tahoe. I used the Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover 3.0 'system' and followed the guidelines & techniques taught by Mike Phillip in his 'how to' videos using the PC7424XP. Thank you Mike!!:dblthumb2: The Tahoe looks better than new. All my neighbors have commented on it and co-workers want to do the same to their cars.

So now that I have my car looking better than new. How do I keep it that way? The last thing I want to do is take a whole day looking like this guy -->:buffing: every time I wash the car. I'm taking all the necessary precautions to prevent putting swirl marks back in the paint. From what I've read about sealant I've used (Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0) should provide me a some time of protection, but really how long? Are there products anyone recommends to extend the life of the sealant or use before I have to break out the polisher again?
Thanks! Navyute

 

[Kevin Cullen]

Proper washing, drying aid of your choice on the wipe down and spray wax once a month, twice a month max.

 

[navyute]

Sounds like a good plan, thanks for the advice. Any idea how long I can expect the sealant to last before I need to reapply? Any good tips on how to tell if it needs sealant?
-Navyute

 

[dorkiedoode]

if you keep up with the spray wax once a month, your sealant should last up to 6 months + depending where you park. if you park outside maybe between 3-6 months. im going on 3 month with my bf sealant and wax. aqua wax spray 3 times now. i notice the top of my trunk has no more sealant cause the water stop beading and it just create a pool of water on one half of the trunk while the other side beads. i have no clue how that happen but i just toss on another layer of sealant on the dying half and call it a day. the whole car is still beading strong. also, i park outside 24/7, rain, storm, dust, tornado...etc all outside. im hoping to get 6 months out of the sealant. after that it's Opti Coat time.

 

[inDetail]

The less the surface is touched by anything it the longer it will stay looking swirl free. Make sure you have your wash technique down and treat it like a baby. Park far away from everyone else.
You can stretch protection with spray wax between washes. When you start to see the sealant and wax fail. Wash and seal it again.
You will at some point have to breakout the machine again a spot here and there.

 

[lineman]

Proper washing, drying aid of your choice on the wipe down and spray wax once a month, twice a month max.

Kevin....At my age I am a big fan of spray wax and am curious why the recommendation of "Twice a month max" use of spray wax. I usually wipe the car down after a wash with a spray wax instead of a detail spray. Seems to me that If I am going to spend the time using one or the other I might as well use the spray wax. I am talking about a car in excellent shape, polished, two coats of sealant and two coats of Souveran spray wax. Asked myself this question after washing the car this week-end and had Blackfire polymer spray and some more of the Souveran spray wax and would like to understand...why not use the Souveran?

 

[Kevin Cullen]

Kevin....At my age I am a big fan of spray wax and am curious why the recommendation of "Twice a month max" use of spray wax. I usually wipe the car down after a wash with a spray wax instead of a detail spray. Seems to me that If I am going to spend the time using one or the other I might as well use the spray wax. I am talking about a car in excellent shape, polished, two coats of sealant and two coats of Souveran spray wax. Asked myself this question after washing the car this week-end and had Blackfire polymer spray and some more of the Souveran spray wax and would like to understand...why not use the Souveran?

Lineman, I am.a believer that there can be, as the saying goes, too much of a good thing. If a spray wax/ spray sealant cannot last more than a week (assuming the vehicle is washed once per week) than it is not worth the money that is spent on it. Most waxes/ sealants advertise there longevity and by applying more than needed IMO is somewhat a waste of product.

Now don't get me wrong and think that applying wax at every wash is bad. I just question to whether a person is actually getting more protection. I just prefer to use a dilutable/ cheaper product in between sealant applications.

 

[navyute]

I appreciate all your comments, very informative/helpful. I'm all about keeping my paint in it's best possible condition though there is also a trade-off between spending an extra hour or two babying my car or spending that time with the kids/family. It saddened me to have my three year old keep asking me to play with him while I was trying to polish the car for two days. Granted, that was due to several years of improper maintenance. Nothing is free, especially TIME (most valuable in my humble opinion). I'm all about the 'quick' but effective technique. Love to hear all the techniques...keep 'em coming!