Is Waxing Complete BS..?

I used to wax my car but i stopped cause i got tired or it (plus i'm not fond of her anymore..lol)..

How is waxing a car beneficial to the paint..? My friend says it helps the paint, it even says that on some wax's. HOW is that possible when clear coat is an acrylic i believe, and is MEANT to keep sh*t away from the paint..?

If anything, wouldnt waxing a car be actually bad in a way cause it removes the slightest amount of clear coat everytime you do it..?

Another thing, alot of people say the wax sinks into the paint...in that case wouldn't bird sh*t and rain, and sap, and crap sink in to..? I believe a clear coat is meant to be a protectant..

True wax is a top coat and filler that protects the paint/clearcoat from contaminants. The original idea of clearcoat was to protect the paint(pigment) so you wouln't have to wax(as often). Even clearcoat looks better waxed.

First of all let me clarify a few points about what a clear coat is.

Clear coat is simply clear paint. Now a days paints are applied in two stages. First the color is applied using pigments to create the desired color and then a "clear" topcoat is applied to impart shine and protect the pigment layers which are thin and very fragile. By laying on the pigments first and then over coating with layers of clear, the paint will have a much deeper appearance, since you're looking through a thicker layer of clear. Just like varnish does over a stain on wood. Older lacquer and enamel paints used pigments mixed in with clear so each layer contained color pigment and clear.

Today, all automotive painting must be done using urethanes (acrylic) because of OSHA solvent emission requirements (lacquer and enamels are banned in most all states). Actually, an acrylic is formulated using synthetic (man-made) ingredients as opposed to natural ingredients used to make, say lacquer. Acrylics are generally tougher and are less brittle than lacquers.

So while the clear coat top coat is an acrylic it is still just a paint layer, not some armor-like compound. Clear coat paints are not impervious to harm and in fact may only be a few "mils" thick. But, because clear is just a paint without pigment added in, they are still susceptible to acid rain, oxidation, road grime, hard water deposit spots, etc.

The point of a wax coating is to bring out the ultimate depth of shine in the paint and to add another layer of protection for the things I just mentioned. It's better to let hard water deposits etch into a coat of wax, than into your paint. It's a lot cheaper to re-wax your car than to repaint it after all. And waxing is not bad in any way for paint. It's true that a "polish" removes small amounts of paint, but a wax doesn't. True waxes have no abrasive ingredients. And wax will not "sink" into your paint. They only thing that may penterate your paint is Sillicone. That is why it's important to say away from waxes that contain it.

Hope this helps

Wow, thanks alot for the detailed reply.. :smokin:

Damnit man, you NOW convinced me to spend the next couple hours waxing my car........ :banghead:

Glad I could help. :smile:

I'm of the school of if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If I had a Maseratti, I'd pay to have it waxed. A $10,000 auto?? But I liked your signature. I love Dylan Thomas' poetry but can't help adding this little slice of EA Poe in reply. "And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all." Nice to see someone still reads. "Did you know that Freedom Exists in a schoolbook?" (J Morrison). Peace Out!!!

Glad I could help. :smile:

Les7k, you seem to know your stuff about car detailing. ;)

I just recently had my front & rear bumpers re-painted, and a new driver side door installed and painted. I want to keep the new paint in top notch condition, can you reccomend me the best brand name manufactuer wax to use that doesnt contain Silicone?

Thanks :thumbsup:

Well I guess I know a lot because I am one of the owners of a Stuf Products. And yes, we make wax, wash, polish and other such surface care stuff. (my AF bio (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=440414) )

So when you ask me what is the best stuff, I have to admit I'm bias. I know our Stuf is great (wouldn't make it otherwise). Our wax is 100% carnauba and contains no silicones. But this is not a commercial nor should it be.

Now if your wondering if your favorite wax contains silicones. I would simply contact the manufacture. If it doesn't they'll probably tell you. If not, well then it's up to your discretion whether you'll buy the product or not. There are a lot of good products out there on the market. My advice is to shop around.

Also buy only what you need. You can go broke buying everything out there so if you need to wax, buy a wax. If you need to polish, buy a polish and so forth.

I also, because of the above reason, like to stay away from "one steps" or blends. Things like cleaners waxes. These are usually waxes that contain a polish. And you don't need to polish every time you wax, so why buy this?

They are also (IMO) not as effective as just using the unblended products separately. Like wash 'n shines??? I mean, how much wax do you really think you're getting out of a product like this? Think about how much wax you use when waxing the old fashion way vs how much wash (which you dilute with a gallon of water) you use when washing. Hummmm....

Stay away from "too good to be true" promises, they're probably just that.


BTW: Silicone is not necessarily a harmful substance, it's just not recommend for painted surfaces.

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Silicone wax compounds/auto care products are only a problem when "used" in body shops. It becomes airborn and deters paint adhesion. Carnuba is organic and requires removal and reapplication to maintain a finish properly. Since its organic it breaks down decomposes on its own. I use synthetics on acyrlic based paints ood synthetics last upwards of many months to years when applied properly with sealants/conditioners.