I waxed my 2006 Toyota Corolla for the first time today. The weather was half decent where I live and I decided it was well needed. Anyway, I remember reading the the Toyota manual that Carnauba wax was recommended. So, I went to the auto store and I never realized how many Carnauba based waxes were on the market.
I pondered the selection and finally decided to go with Mother's Carnauba Cleaner wax in the bottle. This wax set me back about $7.00, but it worked GREAT! In fact, I can honestly say this is one of the easiest to apply waxes I have ever used. I am curious to see how long it lasts, especially with the harsh winters and road salt here where I live.
I am curious to know what types and brands of wax other forum members use!
Bikeman982
I waxed my 2006 Toyota Corolla for the first time today. The weather was half decent where I live and I decided it was well needed. Anyway, I remember reading the the Toyota manual that Carnauba wax was recommended. So, I went to the auto store and I never realized how many Carnauba based waxes were on the market.
I pondered the selection and finally decided to go with Mother's Carnauba Cleaner wax in the bottle. This wax set me back about $7.00, but it worked GREAT! In fact, I can honestly say this is one of the easiest to apply waxes I have ever used. I am curious to see how long it lasts, especially with the harsh winters and road salt here where I live.
I am curious to know what types and brands of wax other forum members use!
A lot of us use Meguiar's wax.
Maybe you can post some pictures of your car?
Max
Mothers is excellent, but Bike is right- this is a Meguiar's crowd. A lot of us use NXT Tech Wax by Meguiar's, which is not carnauba. Use the search function to search "wax" and you'll get good info.
Meguiar's NXT wax here. Plus, I'm a satisfied user of the claybar method to clean the surfaces now.
NXT here as well, but next time I'll buy the liquid instead of the paste. It can be a bit of a pain removing the residue from the pinstriping.
I did a forum search for "wax" as you suggested, but the only thing I found was the debate about people waxing the glass and light covers on their vehicles.
K_Watson
I used Mother's on my old Corsica last year combined with a power buffer.
Keep in mind that the car is 12 years old in these pics
Both Mothers and Meguiar's are good. I personally use Mequiar's. I think it's just because I discovered them first and they have not let me down. The most important thing, no matter what brand you use, is to use a paint cleaner before you polish or wax your car. Mothers has the clay bar and Mequiar's has a paint scrub past. I think one reason I like the past better is because I can always use a clean section of cloth. With the clay bar, it just seems like it would get dirty and not work as well. I haven't used it, so I can't say, but that's why I haven't tried it. If it collects what washing the car leaves behind, then how do you keep the rest of crap the the bar collects from fine scratching the clear coat?
Bikeman982
I didn't like the way the plastic looked after I accidentally put Meguiar's wax on it.
Other than that the wax is excellent.
I use Turtle Wax Ultra Gloss. I bought the can a couple of years ago, and never opened it until this past Saturday. I had just washed my Corolla, and since it was a nice day with temps in the 70's, I thought I'd give it a wax job for the first time in a couple of years. The wax, being so old, wasn't in very good shape, it was sort of dehydrated, and quite hard. Actually, it resembled Johnson's Paste Wax, which I had used in the past, so I just went ahead and applied it. Well, it worked great! I used a very wet sponge to apply it, and found that it was somewhat difficult to buff off as it dried to the usual haze, but the shine was great, and it is definitely the hardest wax job I've put on a car! It was raining last night, and the water is beading in the tightest droplet pattern I've ever seen!
I believe the Turtle Wax Ultra Gloss is a carnuba-based wax, I don't remember. All I know is that if you have a can that's a copule of years old, don't throw it away -- use it!
When I get done waxing, I go over the plastic and other black trim around windows and the door/roof creases with some Pledge Orange Glow furniture polish. Gets rid of the white wax marks, and makes the black really stand out. I think it's just as good as Armor All, but cheaper!
Bikeman982
I use Turtle Wax Ultra Gloss. I bought the can a couple of years ago, and never opened it until this past Saturday. I had just washed my Corolla, and since it was a nice day with temps in the 70's, I thought I'd give it a wax job for the first time in a couple of years. The wax, being so old, wasn't in very good shape, it was sort of dehydrated, and quite hard. Actually, it resembled Johnson's Paste Wax, which I had used in the past, so I just went ahead and applied it. Well, it worked great! I used a very wet sponge to apply it, and found that it was somewhat difficult to buff off as it dried to the usual haze, but the shine was great, and it is definitely the hardest wax job I've put on a car! It was raining last night, and the water is beading in the tightest droplet pattern I've ever seen!
I believe the Turtle Wax Ultra Gloss is a carnuba-based wax, I don't remember. All I know is that if you have a can that's a copule of years old, don't throw it away -- use it!
When I get done waxing, I go over the plastic and other black trim around windows and the door/roof creases with some Pledge Orange Glow furniture polish. Gets rid of the white wax marks, and makes the black really stand out. I think it's just as good as Armor All, but cheaper!
I used to use Turtle Wax, but it was way too hard to get off after it dried.
Good tip on how to get the white marks off the plastic, I will have to give it a try.
I have been using the Meguiars NXT Tech wax, and that stuff really makes the paint shimmer, and red is a hard one to keep from oxidizing lol
I have used a few different waxes here. My favorite wax was the Meguiars gold class paste wax, made the car bling. I use that in the summer its very shiny, but it only seems to last about 2 weeks so I am re-applying it often. Right before fall this year a friend from a car club recomended Nu-Finish and told me that all of his car club buddies use it. So i gave it a try, I used 2 coats of Nu-Finish (You can use it in direct sunlight) and went back and added a third coat to all of the edges and the front of the car. It looked almost as good as the mequiars wax and deffinately held up better. I put the Nu-Finish on in august and the water still beads. Granted, the beads are getting bigger, but I would recomend using this prior to winter time for anyone, it's holding up great.
This is my front left fender some time in the begining of December
In my own opinion, way more people own buffers than know how to use them. For one thing, you should NEVER use a buffer to remove the "haze" after you've applied wax. The buffer should ONLY be used on an ALREADY waxed and "de-hazed" surface, and then only VERY QUICKLY and VERY LIGHTLY. Whenever I see a car with swirl marks, I know another buffer was just sold to some unsuspecting moron who thought the purpose of the machine was to make his life easier. A buffer ADDS a step in the overall process of polishing a car -- it doesn't make less work, it makes MORE!
Whenever I polish my car, I just break out the cotton cloths and that 55-gallon drum of elbow grease. But I have no swirl marks giving away my idiot status.
Bikeman982
In my own opinion, way more people own buffers than know how to use them. For one thing, you should NEVER use a buffer to remove the "haze" after you've applied wax. The buffer should ONLY be used on an ALREADY waxed and "de-hazed" surface, and then only VERY QUICKLY and VERY LIGHTLY. Whenever I see a car with swirl marks, I know another buffer was just sold to some unsuspecting moron who thought the purpose of the machine was to make his life easier. A buffer ADDS a step in the overall process of polishing a car -- it doesn't make less work, it makes MORE!
Whenever I polish my car, I just break out the cotton cloths and that 55-gallon drum of elbow grease. But I have no swirl marks giving away my idiot status.
I thought buffers were to help people get a better look on their cars by saving all the elbow grease and manual labor.
I agree that the swirls don't look good. I think plenty of light buffing should put on a nice shine, without the swirls.
Meguiar's NXT wax here. Muzak turned me onto it
In my own opinion, way more people own buffers than know how to use them. For one thing, you should NEVER use a buffer to remove the "haze" after you've applied wax. The buffer should ONLY be used on an ALREADY waxed and "de-hazed" surface, and then only VERY QUICKLY and VERY LIGHTLY. Whenever I see a car with swirl marks, I know another buffer was just sold to some unsuspecting moron who thought the purpose of the machine was to make his life easier. A buffer ADDS a step in the overall process of polishing a car -- it doesn't make less work, it makes MORE!
Whenever I polish my car, I just break out the cotton cloths and that 55-gallon drum of elbow grease. But I have no swirl marks giving away my idiot status.
I thought buffers were to help people get a better look on their cars by saving all the elbow grease and manual labor.
I agree that the swirls don't look good. I think plenty of light buffing should put on a nice shine, without the swirls.
The problem with buffers is that people wax up their cars, then haul out the buffer and start grinding away on that dried-up wax. It creates a great amount of friction, which becomes heat, and swirl marks can be burned into the paint surface -- and usually are.
The procedure should be -- apply wax to a small area -- maybe a square foot or so, and allow it to dry to a haze. Use a soft cotton cloth and light pressure to remove the haze, leaving a waxy surface, Continue until the car is thoroughly waxed. Then, and only then, get out the buffer, install a clean buffing pad, and then lightly go over the whole car ONCE, using the lightest pressure possible. However, it would be just as good to go over the car with another clean, soft cotton cloth.
Bikeman982
In my own opinion, way more people own buffers than know how to use them. For one thing, you should NEVER use a buffer to remove the "haze" after you've applied wax. The buffer should ONLY be used on an ALREADY waxed and "de-hazed" surface, and then only VERY QUICKLY and VERY LIGHTLY. Whenever I see a car with swirl marks, I know another buffer was just sold to some unsuspecting moron who thought the purpose of the machine was to make his life easier. A buffer ADDS a step in the overall process of polishing a car -- it doesn't make less work, it makes MORE!
Whenever I polish my car, I just break out the cotton cloths and that 55-gallon drum of elbow grease. But I have no swirl marks giving away my idiot status.
I thought buffers were to help people get a better look on their cars by saving all the elbow grease and manual labor.
I agree that the swirls don't look good. I think plenty of light buffing should put on a nice shine, without the swirls.
The problem with buffers is that people wax up their cars, then haul out the buffer and start grinding away on that dried-up wax. It creates a great amount of friction, which becomes heat, and swirl marks can be burned into the paint surface -- and usually are.
The procedure should be -- apply wax to a small area -- maybe a square foot or so, and allow it to dry to a haze. Use a soft cotton cloth and light pressure to remove the haze, leaving a waxy surface, Continue until the car is thoroughly waxed. Then, and only then, get out the buffer, install a clean buffing pad, and then lightly go over the whole car ONCE, using the lightest pressure possible. However, it would be just as good to go over the car with another clean, soft cotton cloth.
Isn't it possible to use a gentle buffer?
That depends on what you mean by "gentle." Any decent buffer can be used gently. However, it is my experience that few are. And as I said earlier, they are usually used on freshly applied wax, which is a mistake. That wax haze needs to be rubbed off by hand BEFORE buffing, but most people who own buffers don't know that. They assume the buffer is there to do the hard work for them, but in reality, they are just doing damage to the car's finish when they use the buffer on the wax "haze."
People who have show cars with fine finishes generally don't own or use mechanical buffers. They just use good quality, clean, soft cotton cloths and elbow grease. Buffers are for the lazy and ignorant fools who are being what the British would call "Too clever by half."
HOw many times you guys wax your car..? I wax my car at least once every 2 months or is that not enough?
I remember my mother getting down on her hands and knees and stripping the wax off the kitchen floor when I was a kid. I'm glad we don't have to do that now. If any baby boomers out there...why did they do that?? Why didn't they just buff it up if the wax was so tough in those days?
As for how often....well, personally, I would wax my car everyday if I had the time and right climate. Actually..maybe we should use "Johnson's Paste Wax" as it lasted so long on floors.
Bikeman982
HOw many times you guys wax your car..? I wax my car at least once every 2 months or is that not enough?
It is recommended a car be waxed at least every six months.
If you do it more frequently, that is up to you (also more work).
Ya, but if you wax it too much in a year doesn't it make the paint fade faster..??
Oh no! My Meguiars NXT liquid froze in the garage! I have to take it indoors.
Has anyone encountered this?
Strangely my Turtle 2-layer wash 'n wax stuff didn't freeze.
I have to take it indoors.
