Question about Cleaner Wax

[Bwiser]

Hey Everyone,

I was wondering where does 'Cleaner Wax' fit into the 5 step detailing process? (when does a person use 'Cleaner Wax' instead of a cleaner/polish or any other process).

Thanks!

[Murr1525]

Well, cleaner/wax is a great one-step way to care for your car, as it contains the clean/polish/wax steps together. Hoever, an all-in-one type product will usualy not give quite as good results as 3 separate products. These are also used a lot by people who want to wax once or twice a year.

They are also great on daily drivers, where show-room quiality isnt practical. This is what I do most often:

1. Wash
2. Clay if needed
3. ColorX
4. 1 coat of Nxt Wax

It makes a nice time saver, compared to a full detail that would include:
1. Wash
2. Clay
3. Clean
4. Polish
5. Wax
6. Wax

Hope that helps some

[Mike Phillips]

Good question, historically, most waxes on the shelves at your local auto parts store will be some type of cleaner/wax even if they are not marketed that way or state that on the label.

For the masses, to even try to talk about different kinds of waxes is over their heads, thus what I wrote above. The typical Joe Consumer, unlike most of the people that hang out on forums like this, wants two do two things to their car so they can get back to whatever it is they find enjoyable, (which is typically not detailing their car). The average Joe or Joanne Consumer wants to,

1) Wash their car
2) Wax their car


Because the average car is a daily driver and exposed to the environment on a daily bases, the paint gets dirty, as in stained, (DIP, Dirt in paint), contaminant build up on the finish and in some cases the paint oxidizes.

Cars that fit the above scenario need a cleaner/wax in order for Joe Consumer to get good results. A polish/wax like Gold Class, or a pure wax like Deep Crystal Carnauba Wax won't clean the paint, thus the wax or protection ingredients will not be able to bite or adhere to the finish and the user will get dismal results.

Car wax, (or paint protectants by any other name), needs to be applied to a clean surface. For people that do not want to put their car's paint through a dedicated paint prep session which usually includes two steps,

1) Claying the finish
2) Cleaning the paint with a paint cleaner or cleaner/polish

Then in order to get good results, and in Meguiar's case, great results, these people need a cleaner/wax. They need a wax that does three things in one step.

1) Cleans the paint
2) Polishes the paint - adds gloss and beauty
30 Leaves behind a protective coating until Joe or Joane Consumer finds the time to repeat the washing and waxing process again.

Meguiar's first automotive wax, (that I know of), was a pure wax and it was introduced in 1951. This would be Meguiar's M16 Professional Paste Wax in the blue tin that has recently been discontinued. When it was first introduced it was called MGH-16 Professional Paste Wax.




Note this is/was a pure wax and could only be applied to a finish in new or perfect condition. It was sold in our Professional Line to Professionals and so it was assumed, it was expected that these folks were pre-cleaning any finish in less than perfect condition as we also offer professionals the tool/product to do this.


Meguiar's entered into the Consumer market in 1973, the Consumer market is a completely different animal than the Professional Market. For 50 plus years Meguiar's had only catered to the Professional side of the industry, so it's interesting to note that when Meguiar's entered the Consumer market in 1973, there first sku, or their first product offering wasn't a pure wax like MGH-16, but a cleaner/wax.





I hope this is now as clear as a bottle of #4




That is... if you were to shake it up!

[Tim Lingor]

Too cool!

I just love the photos of the old Meguiar's products!!!

Tim

[Mike Phillips]

Yeah me too... that's why I collect them. Here's my most recent edition courtesy of Superior Shine...




I've even started an Online Museum on my other website where people can either share their photos or donate their products...

The Car Wax Museum