Wax "life" on car

[AFdefender]

Ive been readin people saying it lasted blank months. Hows Exactly do you know how long hte wax lasted? What do you look for that tells you that the wax has gone bye bye and its time to reapply? I know that when i first wax the car it looks great shiny smooth and water sheets off of it. All i know is that when the water dosent bead up its time for more wax can anyone make this a little more "scientific" right now i pretty much go out and say ehhh i guess i sould wax her again. Thanks for your help

~ Mike The Air Fuel Defender :thumbs:

[playastyle92ga]

im not sure of the exact life but of course the conditions outside are gonna affect it. i wax my car every chance i get during spring and summer. last year i ended up with atleast 10 coats of wax on my car before winter. i know it seems crazy but it really helped during the winter! the car didnt show signs of needing waxed until the very end of winter!

[Molson]

I guess the usual way to tell is the water sheeting/beading off, and when it starts to get a dull look, and a not so smooth feel to it. And it all depends on what product you use. A Wax will not last as long as a polish, or a multi-step polish/wax finish.
Enviromental conditions will greatly affect the finish, road salt, industrial fallout (acid rain, apparently especially from Philly, I think my paint peeled off driving to Seth's house)

[OneQuickGT1]

Here are a few things in regard to wax life and other terms in this thread....

First of all, the rule of thumb on non-synthetic wax is that the life is around 90-120 days. The wax actually evaporates as soon as the surface temps of paint start to rise. A wax will last longer than a multi-step because it has a dedicated purpose. A polish is strictly for removing inperfections and improving gloss. DO NOT confuse a polish with a synthetic sealant. They are very different. A synthetic sealant will last between 6 months and a year depending on the brand. Again, a polish is a pre-wax product.

Order of durability...
Synthetic Sealant
Wax
Multi-Step
Polish
Hand Glaze

Hope this helps...
Brett

[pdltodamtl]

This is simple and works well with a wax (carnuba) type finish, it may or may not work with a synthetic (zaino) type of product.

Before you wax your car take a folded cotton bath towel and put it on your hood. Shove it across from one sider to the other. Notice how much effort it takes. After your done waxing do the same thing. You should notice that the towel flies across with less effort, almost like on ice. When you notice more friction after some time then you will know its time for another waxing.

[Panacea]

Polish's have abrasives in them that help with imperfections, yes! However, Zaino has absolutly positively no abrasives whatsoever. The reason it is considered a polish is because it's not a wax. Wax is just that, Wax!

There isn't anything else you could classify zaino as, so yeah... Just clearing up the confusion. Zaino is a polish, lasts longer, looks better, and won't damage your paint like a wax will.

:thumbs:

[AFdefender]

Originally posted by pdltodamtl
Before you wax your car take a folded cotton bath towel and put it on your hood. Shove it across from one sider to the other. Notice how much effort it takes. After your done waxing do the same thing. You should notice that the towel flies across with less effort, almost like on ice. When you notice more friction after some time then you will know its time for another waxing.

Ive always noticed that but never thought to use it as a test. Good idea :thumbs:

[OneQuickGT1]

and won't damage your paint like a wax will.

I don't want to start a war here or anything, but wax WILL NOT damage your paint. Wax will not last as long, but it won't harm the paint. As far as classifying Zaino, I am at a loss too. I will have to say that a really good quality wax will give you more depth than Zaino, but again, it will not last as long. I have tried almost everything on the market and I have recently switched from Zaino to another product. Zaino is a little too "plasticy" for me. To each his own, as Zaino is a great product!

Just my two pennies!
Brett

[Panacea]

"most polishes and waxes contain abrasives, they remove some swirl marks but create new swirls. Kinda of catch-22."

Like I said the reason Zaino is not considered a wax is because Zaino contains no Wax! Would you call a Pinto a Ferrari just because they do the same thing, get you from point a to point b? No. Same thing with Zaino.

There is Wax and there is Polish, if Zaino isn't a wax then why not call it a polish? Most polish's contain abrasives that help remove swirl marks and whatnot, but zaino does it without the abrasives. Does this make a little more sense now?

[OneQuickGT1]

It does make sense....In some ways. I am kind of on the fence on what to call Zaino. While it is true that most polishes contain abrasives, many waxes do not. There are certain multi-purpose products for that application. Even some polishes just have fillers and oil. I know exactly HOW Zaino works, as I detail cars for a living. I don't want to get in a fight over this, but there are so many myths in the care care industry. If you buy a wax, you are buying just that, wax. However, if you buy a multi-purpose product, it will contain abrasives. I guess everyone has their own opinions, though I will say I have a good understanding of these products as a result of the business I own. Good luck in using whatever you use!

Brett :)

[Panacea]

Yeah, I think the waxes that contain abrasives that they are talking about are the ones with swirl reducers. I had misread it initially. My bad.

So what is the product you switched over to?

[pdltodamtl]

pure carnauba was is non-abrasive. Its only abrasive if a company adds something to it as a added feature, such as removing swirl marks or a silicone additive for a slippery finish.

[OneQuickGT1]

I am now using Poorboy's products. It is a small company, but the products are really great, and the owner is a great guy as well!

Brett

[Panacea]

Never heard of it, though I wonder if they own the Pizza place down the street? Haha So you think it's much better than zaino 'eh? Mind if I ask how come?

[Gramp's GT]

So when it is all said and done it would be ok to do what I do....First I wax the car with Eagle One or somthing similar and then (maybe a week or so later) put on a coat of Zymol ( which I think is more of a polish) Seems to work for me. Wouldn't this give you the best of both worlds ...a wax and a polish??

[ND4SPDIII]

i wax my car 3 times a week minumum due to the changes of the weather. but the more i wax it, the longer the shine stays.

[oldsskool]

the last couple of weeks ive been getting atleast 1 coat on a week... its amazing how you can watch the paint get more and more depth.. im not using a great wax just Turtle Wax Colour cure but i really like what it does and its really easy to apply and get off.

[AFdefender]

thats what I use. I have a black GT and I had it in Vegas with me when I was stationed out there, the sandstorms did a number on my car and there are thousands of tiny white spots all over the hood and front of the car. The color cure takes out all those little specks and makes the car look great.