Archive for May, 2009

Tips On Applying Car Wax

Friday, May 15th, 2009

Car Wax helps in preventing the exterior of an automobile becoming affected by oxidation and looking faded or damaged. Car wax greatly contributes in increasing the life of a car’s paint finish and makes the exterior of the car look enhanced. Car Wax also helps in concealing any marks that may be present on the surface. When the wax diminishes with time, the marks on the exterior would become visible.

It is true that it takes time and effort to wax a car but the result is worth spending time at as you are able to shield your car from environmental factors which can cause the paint to fade. There are many people who believe that applying car wax to the surface once is enough and it would provide protection for a long time. It is quite contrary because the wax needs to be applied on month’s intervals.

Choosing the right kind of wax for your car is very important to assure the shine for your car. You should choose a wax that does not contain abrasives. The car’s paint can be hazed and there can be scratches left on the surface if the wax contains abrasives.

Carnauba Wax is believed to be of good quality by many people. Carnauba Wax is more expensive but is better than the others because of its ability to stick and being easier to buff. Even if the quality of the Car Wax is good, it still requires hard work while applying. Reading the instructions on the product is important before applying the car wax. Instead of applying the Car wax on the entire surface at once, it should be first tested on a patch.

When applying the Car Wax, it should be assured that the car is not parked in direct sunlight. Surfaces that are cool are better for applying the Car Wax. During applying Car Wax, you should work on one section of the car at a time and then proceed to the other.

You should wash and dry the car properly before applying wax to it. A Car Wax is generally considered good if it is relatively difficult to apply. This is due to the reason that the car waxes which are difficult to apply are effective for a shorter period of time.

You should use a Wax sponge for applying the Car Wax. Use circular motions during the application of the Wax and you should take care that the wax doesn’t get into seams and jambs. If it does, use a toothbrush to remove it. A cloth towel can be used for wiping off the wax. The Car Wax would be more difficult to remove if left for more than two hours.

Car Wax: Natural or Artificial?

Thursday, May 7th, 2009

Car wax makes your car’s “new car” shine last longer and restores shine to older cars, but only if you pick the right wax for your car. Some car waxes will cover your car’s plastic parts with residue; others will actually make your car’s finish less smooth as the wax scratches the finish or forms a haze over it. Here are a few questions you need to ask as you pore over the vast selection of car waxes available at your local auto store.

Do you want shine, or depth of color? Natural car waxes, such as Carnauba wax, give a car’s finish depth, but slightly less shine. Artificial waxes, which include most spray on and liquid waxes, shine beautifully but give a less rich color, and can emphasize minor flaws. Artificial waxes are especially prone to flatten dark colors. Experts suggest that dark cars be waxed only with natural waxes. Lighter cars can take either kind of wax, depending on whether you value color or gleam more highly.

Is there much plastic on your car? Some car waxes react poorly to matte plastic, especially the porous, dark kind so popular on recent models, and deposit a residue that may need extra attention with a special cleaner to remove. If your car has a lot of visible plastic, make sure the wax you choose is compatible with plastic.

How durable do you want the car wax to be, and how long are you willing to spend in applying it? Liquid waxes performed the best in durability and cleaning tests during a Consumer Reports comparison test of waxes. They also took the most time and effort to apply well, largely because spreading them evenly and rubbing out the streaks took considerable extra buffing. Spray on waxes were the least durable and did the worst job at cleaning, but they were also the quickest and easiest to apply. Consumer Reports recommended them mainly for new cars whose finishes were in excellent condition, for owners who were willing to wax frequently, and for stopgap treatments in between treatments with liquid or paste wax. Paste waxes took about as long to apply as liquid waxes, and were about as durable. Although paste waxes used to be notoriously time consuming to apply, Consumer Reports noted that now they are packaged with applicators that have cut their application time significantly, even and made them slightly easier to apply than liquid waxes.

When you choose a car wax, consider what visual qualities are most important to you, whether you need to take the plastic detailing on your car into account, how long you are willing to take to apply wax, and how often you are willing to apply wax. Be honest with yourself, and do not feel pressured to buy a wax that takes a lot of effort and upkeep simply because the experts say you should. Unless the experts are going to come and maintain your car for you, pick the car wax that is right for you and your car.

How to Use Car Polish

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

Car polish is a coating applied to a car’s surface to minimize scratches and give the car a smooth finish. You should only use car polish after you have washed your car. There are different advantages to using either a liquid car polish or a wax car polish.

Applying car polish to the surface of a car can minimize scratches and smooth out the finish of the car. You can have car polish done professionally at a body shop or car wash or do it yourself.

Car polish and car cleaner polish are not the same thing. Car cleaner polish is used to remove bug splatter, bird droppings, and minor scratches. With car polish, the shine of your car is protected for as long as one year.

Car polish should be applied only after you have washed your car. Polish your car in only one spot at time. Apply the polish in a circular motion using a clean microsoft cloth. After the polish has dried, buff the area with a different clean microsoft cloth.

Using either paste car polish or liquid car polish will result in the same shine. Paste car polish is applied by hand.You can polish more cars using liquid car polish because you can use a machine to apply it. Although paste car polish costs more, it lasts much longer than liquid car polish.