Car wax: recommendations for easy and effective wax

[MtnTravel]

Does anyone have a recommendation for an easy to use and effective car wax?

Are there any spray on waxes work well?

I tried a Griots ceramic wax, and it worked well, but the liquid coagulated after a month of sitting on the shelf, so I had to throw it out. I've read some good things about Chemical Guys waxes.

I would appreciate any recommendations for products that you can get at at the local auto parts store. I don't need anything special, just something to give the paint a little extra protection during the salty winter months.

[anthonyphamy]

Hello! I've been using turtle wax ceramic spray on, and it's super easy! Smells good too interestingly haha

[Catalina25]

Meguir's Ultimate Liquid Wax. Easy on, easy off and with an exceptional shine.

[toomanyquestions]

Meguir's Ultimate Liquid Wax. Easy on, easy off and with an exceptional shine.

And Ultimate Liquid Wax does not leave a white residue on black plastic trim. It's a little on the expensive side, but it goes a long way.

[henry]

I have used NuFinish for years. Inexpensive and easy on and off. Comes in a paste or liquid.

[epictetus]

turtle wax spray wax.

goes on/off easily/quickly. holds up well.

[yeah]

Wolfgang SiO2 Paint Sealant

[cleosdad]

Meguir's Ultimate Liquid Wax. Easy on, easy off and with an exceptional shine.

Meguiars Ultimate Liquid Wax for both my Jeep and 32Roadsre show car.

[Legoman666]

Hello! I've been using turtle wax ceramic spray on, and it's super easy! Smells good too interestingly haha

I use this stuff too. Love the smell.

[foghorn300]

Here are the two waxes with which I have had great luck.

https://www.collinite.com/product/no-845-insulator-wax/

https://www.griotsgarage.com/best-of-show-wax/

The Collinite 845 goes on easy and lasts a long time.

The Griot's Garage Best of Show goes on easy, shines great with great clarity. Does not last quite as long.

In both cases I use a random orbital for application and removal. Getting too old to do it by hand anymore.

[Candor]

Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax. Easy to use and is so slick the car door will slip out of your hand after a good polish.

[mike@jb]

Meguiar’s Gold Paste wax is what I use. I get compliments all the time on my 2011 car that folks think is much newer.

[SaveMor]

I use Hybrid Solutions by Turtle Wax.

Easy to apply and lasts a long time.

Recommended by Project Farm:
https://youtu.be/O2lrXVV9kWU?feature=shared

[GmanJeff]

I like and use Turtle Wax ICE Seal N Shine. It's an inexpensive long-lasting spray wax, very easy to apply.

https://www.turtlewax.com/products/ice- ... ax-16fl-oz

[VinoVita]

P21S Carnauba Wax
Easy on - Easy off
Tried them all…best I’ve found!

[Kenkat]

I use Meguiar’s Cleaner Wax if I want a one step wax product.

[Jeepergeo]

Meguires Ceramic spray on. The blue stuff.

Follow directions explicitly and you'll be happy with the results.

[Big Dog]

Meguir's Ultimate Liquid Wax. Easy on, easy off and with an exceptional shine.

And Ultimate Liquid Wax does not leave a white residue on black plastic trim. It's a little on the expensive side, but it goes a long way.

yup, big fan.

[physics911]

Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic spray. I love this stuff. In fact I'm going to pick up another bottle tomorrow as I used the last of what I had on my car today and am going to do my wife's car tomorrow.

[vfinx]

Count me in as a fan of Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray. The "wet wax" version is also very good, depending on your application preferences.

Unless you find application of traditional paste wax to be therapeutic / fun, there's no point in them anymore in my opinion. That said I do have a can which I use when I just want to go through the experience.

I don't need anything special, just something to give the paint a little extra protection during the salty winter months.

Regarding "protection" though. I find that word to be quite mis-used in auto detailing. None of these products really protect anything in any meaningful fashion. They may help keep it cleaner for longer and make it easier to do washes. But there's no protection from rust or UV for example.

[zlandar]

Another vote for the Turtle hybrid spray.

Easy to apply and wipe off. Lasts for awhile.

[smitcat]

I have likely used more of these than most anyone else by machine and by hand application. The Turtle Hybird is a very good choice when you want bit ease of use and long lasting results. But I also have 'Griots Garage ceramic 3 in 1" spray on the shelf next to the Turtle Hybrid spray and its as easy to use fairly cheap and lasts longer than anything else in the spray and go category.
Griots Garage Ceramic 3-in1 spray (25 oz)

[Wwwdotcom]

Turtle wax ceramic cleaner wax about once a year. Spay wax twice. The cleaner wax is necessary to get gunk off of the paint and allows the spray wax to stick better. There are other brands also but make sure there is sio2 in there.

[Acechamp]

This is my favorite been using for many years. Wipe on and walk away. Super cheap when you consider how long it lasts. I get 20+ uses from 1 bottle.
I apply the instant detailer from the same company before the opti-seal. Please note this is not a cleaner wax that will remove swirls etc...it is only for shine and protection. What I also love is I can use it on ALL vehicle surfaces such as lights, glass (instead of rain-x), black trim, etc.

https://www.autogeek.net/optimum-opti-seal.html

Opti-Seal is crystal clear in the bottle and on the paint. Applied very thinly, it will not streak or cloud. Simply spray, wipe, and walk away. Opti-Seal leaves absolutely no residue to buff off. It couldn’t be easier!

[Second Round]

I have used Meguiars cleaner wax, and while it smells terrific, it is kind of a mess when it comes to rinsing out the applicator periodically as you apply it. As a result I've generally reverted to plain ol' Turtle Wax, the caranuba wax paste in the green tub container. It's relatively inexpensive and it has always worked well for me.

[anthonyphamy]

Hello! I've been using turtle wax ceramic spray on, and it's super easy! Smells good too interestingly haha

I use this stuff too. Love the smell.

Haha whew glad it's not just me

[upwind]

Sounds like we need comprehensive test.

I have used “Meguiar's Deep Crystal Carnauba Wax” for years. But that means I haven’t compared it to anything recent.

[A440]

Hello! I've been using turtle wax ceramic spray on, and it's super easy! Smells good too interestingly haha

+1
One bottle will do all 4 of our cars.

[molecular]

My routine:
pressure washing
hand wash with microfiber
clay bar surface
Meguiar's Ultimate polish compound to remove clear coat marks with a microfiber
Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray, microfiber

tedious but worth it

[GeMoney]

I've been using Meguairs Gold Class Carnauba Plus Premium Liquid Wax for decades. I always get compliments on my 2005 vehicle. I do plan to try Turtle Wax's Hybrid Solution Ceramic spray coat to see if it lives up to the hype.

[mith]

I tried more waxes and car sealants than I care to admit. Detailing cars is a bit of a hobby for me.

Like several others have mentioned, Turtle Wax Seal N Shine or Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Wax are good options. I find Seal N Shine a easier to apply without hot spots, but the Hybrid one may be slightly more durable. For easy maintenance between coats, Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Wet Car Wax works fairly well and is very easy to use. It's funny to even be saying this because I avoided anything Turtle Wax for years.

Pretty much anything from Gyeon or CarPro will be good. Gyeon CanCoat EVO is worth considering if you want something better than Turtle Wax. It's more expensive, but it lasts longer and works better. However, you need to watch some videos online about applying it. Something like Gyeon MOHS EVO is even better, but application isn't easy (it's not difficult, but it's also not as easy as spray on and wipe off). For maintenance, you could go with Gyeon WetCoat or CarPro Ech2o (it's more of a drying aid than a topper though).

There's plenty of good products out there. There's not a huge difference between most of them. Generally speaking, a true ceramic coat is better than a spray ceramic coat/sealant, and a sealant is better than wax.

[Padlin]

I use Maguire’s deep crystal carnauba wax as I like the shine the best, after their 83 cleaner/polish via polisher. I’ve used some of the synthetic finishes, they do fit the easy part, not as good of a shine but it lasts longer.

[PoorPlumber]

Ounce for ounce, dollar for dollar, effort vs. results, I've never found anything better for a basic liquid wax than Meguiars car cleaner wax in the burgundy bottle.

[renter]

Perhaps someday I will own a car worthy of being waxed.

[B88]

That Meguirs Hybrid ceramic wax. For someone who hasn't used it. You wash the car. Wet the car. Very lightly spray on this liquid (I've found you can dilute it 3 to 1 with no less effective results). I do mean a very light mist. Then you take your hose at a high stream and spray off the car at an angle spreading the liquid wax out. You can see it spread and begin to bead up water. Fine for glass, chrome, rubber and paint. Then you dry the car.

Such has been promised for years and sucked. These new one's really work. You get an excellent shine with very little effort. It last 3-6 months. Do it again. It not only protects the car with a good shine, it also helps the car stay a bit cleaner. Your windows have rain slide off like if you use RainX. To some extent so does the rest of the car. Works so well and is so easy it seems too good to be true.

I've used others the 303 Protectant ceramic sealant works too.

[StAug1967]

I've used Meguiar's Quik Wax (in the maroon spray bottle) for several years and have found it to be easy to apply and long-lasting.

[BiggerSaver]

Do ceramics coatings work better (protect longer) better the wax?

[Sandtrap]

Do ceramics coatings work better (protect longer) better the wax?

"If" ceramic coatings are professionally done by a reputable shop...it will last "years" if taken care of properly.
It is expensive.
No mechanical car washes. "No Touch" car washes that have just sprays are okay but the chemicals they use will degrade the ceramic coating quicker.
Neutral car wash soap with a power washer as well for hand washing is safe.
There are sprays that the ceramic coating company can give you that will be good for the car, also others on th emarket that are neutral to upkeep the car surface.
Many car ceramic coating comnpanies will offer a large discount for "renewing" the ceramic coating every several years. IT works great adn the car looks like it has juct been coated.
It is very easy to keep clean. Bug splatter (the worse) and also road oil/tar comes off easily.

My wife's still new Toyota 4Runner is ceramic coated and she had kept it up well. The car looks new.
My Toyota Tundra truck, 2012, was ceramic coated 3 years ago and looks new.
I decided not to ceramic coat my new Honda Odyssey van because it is too hard to upkeep properly. I don't drive much and the car is in our enclosed garage out of the elements. I occasionally take it to a brand new car wash that seems to take good care of the scrubber things.

j

[Sandtrap]

1
How long do car "wax", sprays, coatings by spray, etc, last if the car goes through a new mechanical inline car wash?
2
Are there excellent car wash spray coatings/wax per se, that do not smell (fragrance free)?

j

[BiggerSaver]

Do ceramics coatings work better (protect longer) better the wax?

"If" ceramic coatings are professionally done by a reputable shop...it will last "years" if taken care of properly.
It is expensive.
No mechanical car washes. "No Touch" car washes that have just sprays are okay but the chemicals they use will degrade the ceramic coating quicker.
Neutral car wash soap with a power washer as well for hand washing is safe.
There are sprays that the ceramic coating company can give you that will be good for the car, also others on th emarket that are neutral to upkeep the car surface.
Many car ceramic coating comnpanies will offer a large discount for "renewing" the ceramic coating every several years. IT works great adn the car looks like it has juct been coated.
It is very easy to keep clean. Bug splatter (the worse) and also road oil/tar comes off easily.

My wife's still new Toyota 4Runner is ceramic coated and she had kept it up well. The car looks new.
My Toyota Tundra truck, 2012, was ceramic coated 3 years ago and looks new.
I decided not to ceramic coat my new Honda Odyssey van because it is too hard to upkeep properly. I don't drive much and the car is in our enclosed garage out of the elements. I occasionally take it to a brand new car wash that seems to take good care of the scrubber things.

j

Thank you.

I am not sure how to ask the question without it sounding dumb. But here I go. Does the ceramic coating help your car be less dirty? I guess, does the surface of the car become less likely to attract "dirt"?

[Sandtrap]

"If" ceramic coatings are professionally done by a reputable shop...it will last "years" if taken care of properly.
It is expensive.
No mechanical car washes. "No Touch" car washes that have just sprays are okay but the chemicals they use will degrade the ceramic coating quicker.
Neutral car wash soap with a power washer as well for hand washing is safe.
There are sprays that the ceramic coating company can give you that will be good for the car, also others on th emarket that are neutral to upkeep the car surface.
Many car ceramic coating comnpanies will offer a large discount for "renewing" the ceramic coating every several years. IT works great adn the car looks like it has juct been coated.
It is very easy to keep clean. Bug splatter (the worse) and also road oil/tar comes off easily.

My wife's still new Toyota 4Runner is ceramic coated and she had kept it up well. The car looks new.
My Toyota Tundra truck, 2012, was ceramic coated 3 years ago and looks new.
I decided not to ceramic coat my new Honda Odyssey van because it is too hard to upkeep properly. I don't drive much and the car is in our enclosed garage out of the elements. I occasionally take it to a brand new car wash that seems to take good care of the scrubber things.

j

Thank you.

I am not sure how to ask the question without it sounding dumb. But here I go. Does the ceramic coating help your car be less dirty? I guess, does the surface of the car become less likely to attract "dirt"?

A well done professional shop ceramic coating goes through many steps from proper prep to many coats of ceramic and finishing. It is very very hard and very slick. Bug splatters, large bug splatters, that can be really tough to get off even a newly waxed car come off easily with spray.
And, the coating lasts for years and when clean always looks new.
j