Why is it that wax seams to wear off after a while.

[imz4n]

We detail our cars and get them beautiful. We then protect them with a sealant or wax. In your opinion, which is the best way to go ( which lasts longer ) sealant M21 or one of the waxes. I would like to hear why the product leaves the car and opinions on the longest lasting. Is it the fact that the product gets washed off or does it have to do with the sun and environment we drive in? I use all Meguiar's products to wax and wash.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Why is it that wax seams to wear off after a while.

Well Bob, as we're pretty sure you're aware, Ultimate Wax (a fully synthetic product and therefore, technically, a sealant) is our longest lasting and best protecting product. As a rule, sealants in general will last longer than carnauba waxes will. Obviously some sealants last longer than other sealants and some carnaubas last longer than other carnaubas, but as a group, it's the synthetics that stick around the longest. This is due mostly because of the chemical bonding that occurs with synthetics as opposed to the more generalized laying down of a film with carnaubas. Now, in reality, it isn't quite that simple since many carnauba products contain some polymer "enhancements" that aid in a variety of parameters, but that's a general description of the difference between the two groups.

But waxes/sealants are designed to be sacrificial barriers that are easy to apply and wipe off. All those harmful environmental issues like acid rain, industrial fallout, bird droppings, etc will attack that sacrificial barrier before they get a chance to do their damage to the paint. But of course, this sacrificial barrier isn't is tough as the paint itself (it wouldn't degrade over time if it was) so something that can actually damage paint is going to overwhelm this barrier sooner or later. So there's one element that shortens the life of a wax or sealant, but even simple exposure will do the same thing. High heat (hello, Phoenix!), heavy rain (Houston, how are you?!), road salt (what's up, Detroit?), detergents like dish washing soap or "touchless" car washes, and even mechanical action like the brushes in a conventional car wash will all do their part to start breaking down this sacrificial layer. Some of these are more effective at this stripping action than others, of course.

We are constantly asked "how long does this wax last?" Well, if you're paint is perfectly prepped and the car is stored in a climate controlled museum, a good synthetic sealant may last a year. If you don't bother claying and you're car is heavily contaminated, and you apply a basic carnauba wax to it and then drive it on a wet, salt covered road, that wax may last a couple of days. Everything else is going to be somewhere in between that.

You've probably noticed that the visual aspect of waxes and sealants hasn't been addressed in any of the above, and that's where things get really fuzzy (as if the above is totally crystal clear - HA!). If you're sufficiently Car Crazy you're probably waxing your car often enough that longevity isn't an issue for you anyway. You may have a discerning enough eye to be able to see a difference between a carnauba and a synthetic, or between two different synthetics. Or a carnauba on top of a synthetic. And you likely have a preference among those, and maybe even a different preference depending on whether the paint is a dark or light color, metallic or not, etc. And there's no way anyone can tell you that you're wrong. It's your opinion. A lab can empirically measure the durability of a product (ie, which one lasts longer), but when it comes to how it looks relative to other products (ie, which one looks better) things become very subjective. And subjectivity is generally open to debate.

[imz4n]

Re: Why is it that wax seams to wear off after a while.

Thank you so much for you input. I was asked this question on one of my car forums and was not really sure how to respond. I will take this knowledge back to the other forum. I always put this forumn out to the groups and their unwillingness to come here and ask their own questions makes me wonder sometimes. I guess it is a good thing I feel comfortable here and can and do ask questions for those that are too shy and or lazy. I do not remember who in your group told me " The only stupid question is the one that is not addressed" LOL I love this forum and the people that make it happen.