There's a right and wrong way to wax. For example, it's not recommended that you use show car wax on a car with neglected paint. Instead, you should get your hands on a carnauba cleaner wax in order to clean your car and protect it at the same time.
Now, you might think that a cleaner wax for properly maintained cars is a redundant waste of time because you already clean your car anyway before waxing it with something like KevianClean Quick Wax.
However, certain situations call for it, like needing to wax your car on short notice or double-cleaning and polishing your car to err on the side of caution. At any rate, once your paint is in better condition after proper detailing then you can switch to a show car wax.
Technique Tips to Take Note Of
- Use the Center Edge of Your Applicator Pad: You should use the center instead of the edges of your applicator pad because the edge of the pad moves faster, creates more friction, and brings in less polish. This can lead to scratches or what's known as a burned finish. Therefore, you should be extra careful when using the pad on intricate trim areas, since those are hit by the edge of the pad. Ditto when it comes to complex bumper contours, emblems, mirrors, and washer nozzles.
- Orbital Sander Wax Application: You can apply wax through an orbital sander with a soft foam pad on it. Use a mix of paste wax and finishing polish mixture with a 60:40 ratio respectively. The sander should be used as medium speed to spread the wax unto the car in an even manner. Make sure you use a back-and-forth motion with your hand while applying a steady but light pressure over the vehicle. Leave enough waxy haze to be visible when it's dried out. That's what you should buffer later.
- Invest in Microfiber Towels: Unlike cloth towels that have lint on them and can turn into sandpaper with enough grime and grit, you can depend on microfiber towels to absorb water effectively, easily buff away applied wax, and prevent gritty dirty from ending up on its surface, leading to scratches all over your finish when push comes to shove. Specifically purchase the paint-safe variety of topnotch towels when push comes to shove.
- When Finished, Wash Again: Once your car is waxed, then you should wash and polish it by hand again for good measure. This includes the hood, trunk, and door jambs. Dry everything thoroughly. From there, apply another wax coat to the paint in order to mask any swirl marks that have developed and cover up the imperfections on the surface. This is specifically true of waxes that have the same color as your car.