How to apply a Wax or Sealant

Applying Waxes/Sealants

Waxes and Synthetic Sealants are two of the best and affordable ways to maintain your car’s paintwork. It is recommended to wax your car every 2 months, however it may vary from the brand and also level of wax, how much you drive your car,how often do you wash it or how it’s parked on a day to day basis.

To find out whether you prefer a wax or a sealant, check out our paint protection page for more information.

Preparation

Preparation is the key to good results when comes to applying wax. Good preparation allows the wax to bond well with the paintwork, giving the best results and longevity. We recommend going through a 2-bucket wash method, and a decontamination process to ensure your paintwork is free of contaminants before applying wax.

Things you’ll need:
– 2-buckets with Grit Guard (Recommended)
– pH Neutral Car Shampoo (or if you want a fresh layer, you can use a stronger shampoo)
– Clay Bar (Highly recommended)
– Clay lubricant/Quick Detailer
– Wax of choice (Liquid or Paste)
– Foam applicator pads
– Masking Tape

Start by washing your car with the 2-bucket wash method earlier, followed by a clay bar treatment, ensuring the car is completely dry and parked under the shade. You can read our how-to guide on Clay Bar treatment by clicking here.

Using the masking tape, mask any rubber and trims to prevent wax from going over those areas. Some materials and trims might be sensitive to waxes and it may cause damage to those areas.

Applicator Foam Pads

– For a paste wax, “dip” the foam pad in the pot of wax. For a liquid wax, shake the bottle thoroughly and apply it on to the applicator pad.
– Start by applying it onto the car in forward and backward motion, working a small section at a time. We do not advise applying in a swirling motion.
– Apply over the entire car, and wait for it to cure. After it has finished curing, the wax will haze. To check, run your fingers through the applied area and you should see the majority of the wax smudges off.
– Using a microfibre towel, wipe off the remaining wax to a shine. You might use up to 2-3 towels for the entire car.

Pro tip: Applying sealant first, and then carnauba wax on top of sealant gives a amazing gloss and warmth. This will also prolong the lifespan of the product.

Curing Times

With all products, there is a set curing time that must be met. This allows the synthetic sealant or wax to bond to the surface. These times vary wildly depending on the product applied and the ingredients used.

For example, synthetic sealants typically can be wiped off either immediately or just after 5-10 minutes. Typically for waxes, especially quality paste waxes the curing time is much longer. Waxes like Swissvax Crystal Rock can take up to one hour to cure.

The best thing to do as we suggested earlier is a swipe test, if the swipe is clean and does not smudge that means the product has bonded and is ready for removal.

Hand Application

Another option for applying waxes is solely by hand. By taking a small portion of waxes, rubbing and warming it through your hands. The wax is then able to be smoothed out allowing a better coverage and more even layer versus an application bad.

We do not recommend this method unless you are using a high quality carnauba wax otherwise cheaper solvents and other ingredients may be bad for your skin.

We hope this article helped you on how to apply a wax or a sealant. To find out more on how Project Detail can help you detail your vehicle check our other articles from our blog here or to ask us a question or if you have an enquiry be sure to click here.