How often should I wax?

[jw9304]

Hi all
I'm very much a beginner and amateur to all this car care and detailing. I've got my car for a year now and really just started picking up on this "hobby" in the last month.
The other week I did a full wash, clay bar and wax and was pretty impressed and somewhat disgusted by what the clay bar picked up. The car is parked outdoors when I'm at my university and rented house and only gets garage "treatment" when I'm back in my own house.

I have the Ultimate Liquid Wax and was wondering how often do I need to apply it?

I live in the Toronto area, but my university is in St. Catharines so the car does take a beating for the regular long highway trips (~300KM round trip about 2-3 times a month)

And I love winter, but now that I've taken to a slight addiction to keeping my car looking top notch I don't look too forward to it anymore.

Do I need to apply more often once it starts to snow and all the salt and sand gets stuck on the car? Or should I just apply regularly before it gets too cold (mid- late November) and wait until spring?

Thank you in advance

[Murr1525]

Re: How often should I wax?

It would be good to use some kind of cleaning product before waxing.

So either a cleaner/wax like White Wax or ColorX, or a cleaner/polish like SwirlX, or Ult. Polish.

Then use your wax.

Then if you can get in regular washes, use something like Ult. Quick Wax while drying to boost the life of the main wax.

I have had good luck with Ult. Wax as late in the season as possible, then washing and using UQW a few times when possible during the winter.

[jw9304]

Re: How often should I wax?

It would be good to use some kind of cleaning product before waxing.

So either a cleaner/wax like White Wax or ColorX, or a cleaner/polish like SwirlX, or Ult. Polish.

Then use your wax.

Then if you can get in regular washes, use something like Ult. Quick Wax while drying to boost the life of the main wax.

I have had good luck with Ult. Wax as late in the season as possible, then washing and using UQW a few times when possible during the winter.

I just clay bared the car last week using the smooth surface clay kit with the QD, I live in one of the more sparsely populated suburbs of Toronto and park in the garage so in terms of industrial fallout and tar build up I think the surface will be clean for a while. I don't go down town/ Toronto proper unless I have to which is about once a month.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: How often should I wax?

You should be waxing every 2-3 months. Exposure is everything here, and we're not just talking about long drives with the car. Heavy rain is extremely hard on waxes and sealants and will dramatically shorten their lifespan. You may have 3 months of beautiful weather and then a month of persistent, heavy rain. The same wax that lasted through those three months with no problem could very well be challenged by all that rain. Winter months are especially harsh, more so if the roads in your area are salted. While it's often difficult to wax a car in the dead of winter with a traditional liquid or paste wax, it's always easy to apply a good, durable polymer spray wax like our Ultimate Quik Wax or it's pro equivalent, D156 Synthetic Express Spray Wax.