How to Wax Your Car to Shine

A freshly and regularly waxed car not only looks great but is also much better protected against elements such as weather and bird droppings than a car that rarely gets waxed. Many people are intimidated by how involved and lengthy the process seems but in reality you should be able to have your car shining like new with only a couple hours worth of work. Read on...

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Car wash detergent
• Bucket
• Sponge
• Hose
• Wax or Polish
• Chamois, Microfiber cloth or several terry cloth towels to dry your car
• An orbital polisher or several more terry cloth towels to wipe off the wax
• Toothbrush or small brush the size of a toothbrush

1. When buying wax there is no right or wrong type to buy. Wax usually comes in liquid and paste types and both do the trick. Some waxes are better for certain paint types and some have cleaner and different types of protectants built in. Do a little bit of research before buying if you are unsure of what you'd like to use.

2. You'll first want to wash and dry your car the way you normally would, to get all of the loose dirt off, so that you're not grinding it into the finish when waxing the car. Make sure you use a car wash detergent that is safe for all finishes and stay away from using any type of household detergent as it could eat away at your paint or clearcoat.

3. Now apply the wax according to the directions on the package. Try to find a shady area so that the sun isn't beating down on the car while the wax is being applied. When applying the wax be sure to do small sections at a time. I usually try to do one panel at a time (eg. door, fender, hood). Don't go too heavy on the application as this will only make it harder to remove and be careful to not apply the wax to any unpainted plastic surfaces as this will dull or whiten the surface. When going around emblems, or any other uneven surfaces, such as trim, try to keep as little wax as possible from going into the crevices or else you'll be spending alot of time removing the built up wax with your toothbrush.

4. Once the wax has dried to dull, whitish haze, go ahead and remove the wax with your orbital polisher or with your terry cloth towels. I prefer using an orbital polisher since it'll cut your time down in half, but using towels works just as well. Remove the wax in a circular motion and turn and shake out your towel often.

5. Once all of the panels have been waxed, take your toothbrush or small brush and remove the built up wax from all cracks and crevices. Your car should now have a showroom shine and will be much better protected from the elements!

Tips & Warnings

• Try keeping your car washed and waxed regularly to prolong your finish and to keep rust from forming on your car.

[somuchtodo]

on 7/15/2009 Waxing your car in sections is a good idea. 5*

[edieness]

on 7/14/2009 Great tips on How to Wax Your Car to Shine. 5*

[oxymora]

on 7/9/2009 My car hasn't had a shine in years. lol I'll give this a try. Thanks.