My Thoughts on Ultimate Liquid Wax

[Andrew C.]

So I tried out ultimate liquid wax today. I washed and waxed my truck, fully knowing that it was about to start raining in about 5 hours. Does that make me crazy or just car crazy?

Anyways, I found Ultimate Wax to be like no other type of wax I have every used. I applied it via the G110 speed 3 on a tan polishing pad. The first thing that I found to be very different than most other waxes was the appearance of the product while on the vehicle. Typically with a wax such as NXT or even M26, you can see the product pretty easily as you are spreading it, but UW seemed lay down much thinner and be more of a clear-ish color as opposed to white. At first I was not used to this, but found that it was actually very nice in allowing a thin application of the product.

One thing I may do in the future is prime the pad with UW, because I felt that there was not much wax on the pad after doing half the hood, so I added more to the pad, then after finishing the other half, added more. At that point, the pad appeared to have been fully covered in all the areas by UW and it lasted much longer and I was able to cover multiple panels.

Not having to worry about staining the trim was AMAZING! I loved not having to tape off or watch how closely I was getting to the edges. UW made my painted cowl look great too! I applied it to my plastic door handles/mirrors, and it didn't seem to do much for them, but it definitely didn't make them worse.

The smell of UW seemed to remind me of arts and crafts as a kid and I think it is maybe the smell of Play-Doh that I am reminded of. IMO the smell is neither delicious nor gross, it just kinda is what it is and doesn't really do anything.

I had no problem removing the product, especially considering how easy it was to lay down a thin layer of UW. Call me crazy but it almost seemed like there was less wax visible on the car when I went to wipe it off compared to when I finished waxing the car. I know others have complained about the product smearing. It was a cloudy rainy and humid day, and I had no smearing issues at all. However, I did let the wax dry for about 45 minutes. I applied the wax, ate lunch, and then wiped it off. Anyways, it wiped off like a breeze and left my paint feeling very slick, shiny, and smooth.

Well unfortunately I didn't get a chance to pull my truck out into the sun to take a look at it because it started raining right after I removed the wax. On the flip side, it looks like I'll be able to see how well the hydrophobic technology works.

Sorry for not having pictures, but they probably wouldn't have done you much good since the truck is covered in rain droplet now, and I only did half the truck since the bed panels and tailgate are freshly painted. I can't wait until I can finally cover my entire truck in Ultimate Wax.

Overall a great product that will probably be my go-to product from now on. I'll keep you guys posted about the durability in a month or two.

I also really liked the packaging that it came it. I didn't want to throw it away so I put the bottle back in the box haha

[Tuck91]

Re: My Thoughts on Ultimate Liquid Wax

Thanks for the review Andrew.

Still have not picked it up yet but most likely will soon.

[wifpd4]

Re: My Thoughts on Ultimate Liquid Wax

Thanks Andrew for your thoughts on UltWax. I did a quick wash, polish and wax of my car Thursday and Friday. I concur with your many points, but wish to add this comment. I waited two hours before wiping off. I usually, no matter which wax, wait an hour before wiping off. At one hour, the swipe test showed the wax was not ready. I was working indoors in a moderately heated space and the temperature was 56 degrees and the humidity was 75%, which I believe contributed to the delay. However as an additional point, there was no streaking.

As an experiment, after a 12 hour cure, I put M26 on the top of UltWax. Need some sunshine to describe it.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.

[Andrew C.]

Re: My Thoughts on Ultimate Liquid Wax

Thanks for your input David. I believe that at some point Mike Stoops said that sometimes Ultimate Wax will not really work with the swipe test, however if you give it proper time to dry, like you did, it should wipe of properly, just like it did for you!

[wifpd4]

Re: My Thoughts on Ultimate Liquid Wax

You're right. He has mentioned the swipe test. I'm like on information overload with the new products, procedures and systems...

Dry time is similar to that of NXT, maybe a bit less. It can still appear to be a bit wet but it will wipe off with ease even then. The polymer load is such that the swipe test may not be 100% accurate here - give it a good 20 minutes or so before wipe off.

So, you've got that thin coat applied - how long do you let it dry? Initially give it 20 minutes or so and then do the swipe test. If it fails the swipe test give it some more time. With the weather we've got now in SoCal you will most likely want to give it 45 minutes or so and then wipe off with a clean microfiber towel. No need to buff vigorously, just wipe it off. You should be fine at that point. But, in the event you do see some streaking, a quick wipe with a very slightly damp towel will take care of it immediately.

Don't know what my experiment is going to look like. It's 36 degrees outside and a torrential downpour.

[Shawn T.]

Re: My Thoughts on Ultimate Liquid Wax

Nice review! I really want to get my hands on this.

[79elcamino]

Re: My Thoughts on Ultimate Liquid Wax

i was talking to mike stoops about how long to let UW dry and he said to remove the wax after 3-5min after applying.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: My Thoughts on Ultimate Liquid Wax

Let's clear up a bit of potential confusion regarding drying time with Ultimate Wax Liquid - the following does not apply to the paste version.

Some people have noticed some streaking or a patchy appearance with UWL on very well prepared, dark colored paints. If you find this to be the case, then wiping off after just a 3-5 minute dry time should eliminate or at least dramatically reduce this appearance. Any unevenness can then be easily knocked down with a quick follow up using either a very small amount of QD or even plain water on a microfiber towel. And by "very small amount" we mean just a light mist sprayed onto the towel itself, then wipe the panel.

On cars that are not really prepped all that well (like the guy down the street who doesn't wash all that often, never clays, and doesn't know a paint cleaner from a paint brush) then the chances of this uneven appearance are almost nil, even if he treats like any other wax he's ever used.

[Voodoo Blue]

Re: My Thoughts on Ultimate Liquid Wax

Ultimate wax

Ultimate Wax!!
Ultimate Waste (of my time).
Although the finish is deep and rich, I could not go through the hassle again.
This stuff will not dry. I keep going over and over it with the micro fibre cloth, but all I get is streaks and swirls.
What usually takes about 1 1/2 hours with Techwax, has now taken me over 4 hours and I still dont have it looking good.
I joined this site today just to vent my anger about Ultimate wax!
If you follow the instructions and give it 2 coats (recommended for hand work) and then wait till it dries to a haze, your day will be gone. If you wait an hour or two, you will spend the next 3 hours going over and over it trying to get an even finish.
I have never used such a complicated product.
Then I find on this site hints on how to stop streaking..... Maybe they should have been in the instructions. If only I had known to wipe it off after 3-5 minutes, or to put a mist of water on the cloth to help!

Very POOR Mr Meguiar.
Not up to the standard of all the other Meguire's products I use and love.

Looking forward to your reply,
Bill Phillips

[davey g-force]

Re: My Thoughts on Ultimate Liquid Wax

Next time try the "one panel at a a time" method. i.e. wipe on and buff off 3-5 minutes later. That should solve your problem.

In the meantime, go back and try misting some water onto your MF to even the streaks out. That too should sort out your issue.

UW is a bit different to traditional waxes/sealants, but once you get used to it, the results are second-to-none!

[wifpd4]

Re: My Thoughts on Ultimate Liquid Wax

This particular discussion started in what would have been late winter here in Iowa. Now mid fall a year and a half later, I still use Ultimate Liquid Wax on most, if not all, of the cars I detail other than my own. I tend to experiment more on our own cars. The majority of the cars I detail are daily drivers and Ultimate Wax has Meguiar's stamp of approval as being their wax with the best longevity in most cases. Keep in mind a busy month for me is a car or two a week. So when I say cars, it's not that many and when the temperatures were floating around 100, I took a break and enjoyed the air conditioning of home rather than detail cars.

This week I worked on a new, black, Honda CRV and I used Ultimate Liquid Wax. I'm a slow worker and the folks that bring their cars to me know it is a multiple day process. Day one is wash, dry, clay, tape off and establish test areas. Day two is corrective work and at the end of the day, application of the first coat of Ultimate Liquid Wax. I've used some variation of the 3-5 minute wait time method to the different "apply - go to lunch" and return later to buff off the wax method. I understand temperature and humidity influence when the product is wiped off. I know what causes streaking, at least for me, and I can "on purpose", through experimentation, will have the wax streak when 1) apply it too thick and 2) over work it (the majority of my application is via a PC with a 4" pad). Applying too much will nearly always result in streaking and running the buffer over an area repeatedly will result in streaking. In the areas I apply by hand I often will mistakenly apply the product too thick and can have streaking.

As I stated, I apply the first coat of Ultimate Liquid Wax at the end of the second day. The cure time is over night and I usually clean the windows in the morning of the third day first and then apply the second coat of wax after cleaning the glass. Remember the second coat of wax isn't necessarily a "second coat of wax", it is more to insure coverage in areas you may have missed.

I haven't yet need to try the mist water and buff technique. It has not been needed. If I see a streak, I wipe it out. Technically I don't know what is happening, but it feels like I'm just spreading the streak out and it disappears. I work in a poorly lit, mechanics area of an old car dealership. When the owner comes to pick up their car, we often take the car outdoors and review it in the sunlight before the owner drives away. If I see a streak, it simply wipes away.

In my limited experience, "keep it thin to win" is my mantra. I'm sorry you've had difficulties, some folks feel using the paste version of Ultimate Wax is best to avoid streaking. I wouldn't know, as I have always used and will continue to use the liquid version of Ultimate Wax. At least until Meguiar's makes another wax with a professed longer...longevity. Oh and the new wax would need to provide the mirror-like, razor sharp reflections of ULW.