How to Wax a Car

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The right conditions for waxing

The temperature should be higher than 55 degrees and lower than 85 degrees to keep the wax from drying too much before you can spread it. For the same reason, you should do the job in a covered location, out of the sun. If you can’t get the vehicle into a garage or at least in some shade, then wax it early or late enough in the day that the temperature is cooler, and the sun isn’t high and hot.

Choosing the right car wax

All the best waxes use carnauba oil, pure and simple, so make sure this is the base oil in the wax you buy. These are available in spray, liquid and wax form. Your choice among these depends on what you prefer to work with, but tests have shown that spray waxes don’t last as long as the other types. In these instructions, we’ll assume you’ll be using either liquid or paste.

You’ll also need a microfiber cloth and waxing pads.

Let’s get started!

Put a poker-chip-sized dollup of wax on the pad and apply it in overlapping circles, over about a two by two foot area. The main thing is to spread it as thin as possible and work in small sections. Let the wax get nearly dry but not crusty (3-4 minutes), then polish it off with the microfiber cloth, again working in overlapping circles. Wipe nearly all the wax away, leaving only a thin, protective shine.

Use the microfiber cloth to clean up residues around edges, and you’re done! Unless you want to add a second coat, which is a great way to improve the protective shell and increase the life of the shine.

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