How to Restore Your Car's Shine

Pick a nice shady place and crank up the tunes. Before you know it your car will be as shiny as new.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Car Wax
• Car Wax
• Cheesecloth Or Cloth Diaper
• Sponge
• Terry-cloth Towel
• Soft Toothbrush

1. Purchase a nonabrasive car wax at the auto-parts store.

2. Choose a shady place to wash and wax your car. Otherwise, the sun will roast the wax onto your car and could damage your paint job.

3. Wash and dry your car (see How to Clean the Outside of Your Car).

4. Apply the wax to the car using a damp sponge. Make small circles with your sponge when applying the wax. Use care around seams and creases to avoid getting wax in the cracks. You can remove any built-up wax with a soft toothbrush.

5. Wipe off the wax with a terry-cloth towel after you have applied it to the entire car. Start with the section where you first applied the wax.

6. Buff the entire car with cheesecloth or an old cloth diaper to make it shine.

Tips & Warnings

• Letting car wax sit on your car for more than 2 hours makes it extremely difficult to remove and polish.

[jaxwaxofaz]

on 6/2/2009 I haven't heard of this way of waxing in ages. Carnuba is best with a cotton applicator. You wipe on with straight lines, no swirling (it can actually create swirl marks) If you use a professional grade wax you can leave it on for as long as you want and it will not streak, will not powder, and no toothbrush is necessary as it does not powder. Microfiber towels can be deceptive. Remember to check for cotton threads and no tags (the tags can scratch your finish) They should have a distinctive fluffy side and the other side should be not as fluffy for polishing.

[Cafa]

on 8/12/2007 Wax is bad, gives a short-term shine but does long-term damage. Use car polish. No one in their right mind uses car wax. Ever.

on 7/30/2006 I also prefer carnauba over synthetic waxes because they look better. If you get a carnauba wax, apply two layers of wax. The wax looks much deeper with two layers, as opposed to one.

on 7/30/2006 Stick to a paste, not a liquid. The finish looks a lot deeper, and lasts longer. The paste is also cheaper.

on 12/28/2005 Rub the paint with an automotive clay bar and some quick detailer for lubricant prior to waxing. It will remove contaminants and make the surface smooth like glass.