How do I wax or seal car paintwork?

Protection is a sacrificial layer. It takes the ultraviolet, the acid rain, the bird mess and the road film so the lacquer does not, and it makes the next wash much easier because dirt has less to hold on to.

What you'll need

• Car shampoo and two buckets
• Wax or paint sealant
• Several clean microfibre cloths
• A clay bar and lubricant (optional)

Step by step

1. Wash the car properly first.Any protection applied over grit simply grinds it into the paint. A rinse, then a two-bucket wash with a clean mitt, then a thorough rinse and dry.
2. Feel the paint through a thin plastic bag.The classic test. If it feels gritty rather than glassy, there is bonded contamination that washing will not remove, and wax over it will not stick properly.
3. Clay the paint if it feels rough.A clay bar with plenty of lubricant, worked flat over a small area at a time until it glides. It lifts embedded tar, rail dust and fallout, and it makes a bigger difference than the wax itself.
4. Work in the shade, on cool panels.Wax applied to hot paint in sun flashes off before it can be buffed and leaves streaks that are hard to remove. Early morning, evening or a garage.
5. Choose wax, sealant or a coating deliberately.Carnauba wax gives depth and warmth but lasts weeks to a couple of months. A synthetic sealant lasts several months and shrugs off rain better. Ceramic coatings last far longer but demand meticulous preparation.
6. Apply a thin, even coat.Thin is the whole trick. A heavy coat does not protect better and is much harder to remove. An applicator pad, light pressure, straight overlapping passes.
7. Do one or two panels at a time.Apply, let it haze for the time stated, then buff off before moving on. Doing the whole car before buffing is how people end up scrubbing at cured wax.
8. Buff with clean microfibre, turned often.Two cloths: one to lift the bulk, one to finish. A loaded cloth just moves residue around and leaves streaks.
9. Keep it off plastic trim.Wax dries white in the texture of unpainted black trim and is very tedious to remove. Mask narrow trims, or use a trim-safe product.
10. Do the glass separately.Wax on a windscreen causes smearing under the wipers. Use a dedicated glass sealant on the screen, or leave the screen alone.
11. Top up rather than starting again.A spray sealant used as a drying aid after each wash extends the protection considerably and takes no extra time.

Tips

• Water beading is a useful indicator. When water stops beading and starts sheeting flat, the protection has gone.
• Do the door shuts, the fuel filler and the boot lip. They are the first places to corrode and nobody protects them.
• Two coats a few hours apart lasts noticeably longer than one thick coat.

Common mistakes

• Applying wax in direct sunlight on hot paint — It dries almost instantly and bonds unevenly, leaving streaks and patches that need polishing off rather than buffing.
• Putting it on thickly to make it last longer — Only the layer touching the paint bonds. The rest is waste that has to be removed, and heavy application is the main cause of smearing.

If it doesn't work

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