i just washed and waxed the car today, and man i am tired and worn out. i do not feel like waxing it very often. how often is recommended?

 

Depends on what type of wax you used. But i say at least three times a year but it depends on if its garage kept or a DD

 

my car is a DD and it is garage kept...in fact, it stays in a garage all day because i park in a garage at work. today, i used Mothers California Gold Carnauba Wax.

 

not an expert, but you can feel the wax wearing off, run your finger nail across your paint and it should feel smooth not like a chalk board

 

Mine gets parked out side at home and at work, so It gets waxed about once a month.
This is more than most people need to, but I live on the coast and Its always exposed to the elements.
If your always garaged I would say probibly around 4 times a year is good for you.

-Dan

 

thanks. sounds good. i think i can handle that.

i also like the hand test mentioned above. i did notice that after the wax, my car is very very smooth. this is the first time i've waxed it since i got it in may.

 

sorry. replied twice.

 

If you want to wax it fewer times look for a wax with longer life. They are not all the same.

I wax mine about every three months top to bottom but hit the surfaces exposed to the sun, hood-top-trunk, about once a month.

 

I think you can answer your own question if you educate yourself about polish versus wax versus cleaner wax versus sealant.

Lots of great info at meguiarsonline.com forum

Basically re-apply if the wax is wearing off, which should be obvious when you get the car wet.

 

thanks all! i'm learnin more and more as i go

 

meh.. I do a touch less wash twice a month (it's black) and only hand wash it when it's going to be polished and waxed which is done once a month. You can't really beat a clean, detailed and shiny car, looks so damn gooooood.

 

I always went by wheather water beads up on the finish or not. When it stops beading, I wax it.

 

It depends on what you use and how good you want your car to look. I've only polished my car 4 times this year with Zaino. Water still beads like crazy and it still shines like glass.

 

Agree. The top of the car should bead tiny droplets of water.

 

When I bought my Z, I Zainoed it twice a week, for 6 month straight, lol
Then I only applied it once or twice a month after that.

 

Oh, the joys of having a black car.

If they didn't look so good when clean, you would probably be disheartened.

 

i used liquid wax daily....smooth like a baby's butt.

 

Try Collinite 845 Insulator Wax. Easy to apply and easy to buff off. The 'wax' lasts quite a long time and beads water like the best. You'll probably only need to wax your car about 3-4 times per year with this stuff.

And from autogeek.net you can pick up a bottle that will last you a long time for ~$13.

 

Caraunba - every 3 months max.
Poly - annually max.

Caranuba will give you depth. Best on red, black, and other dark colors. Poly will give you shine. Best on white, silver, and other light colors. Check http://www.properautocare.com for a huge selection of all kinds of auto detailing products. They are very good at telling you about each product in detail and even how to do it.

You can even do some mixing of poly base and carnauba top, but you have to use the right combo of prodcuts or it will look horrid. Again, check Proper Auto Care.

Yz

 

good insight. will look into this.