If you regularly buy car supplies online, you are bound to see a lot of ads for car wax. Some people say that waxing is good for car paint, in fact, there are many types of car wax, the role is also different, if it is not right when using it, it may cause harm to the car paint. So today we will talk about car wax, see how car wax protects the paint, and see what is the difference between a car that is often waxed and a car that never waxes a few years later.
What is car wax
Car wax is actually an oily substance, the wax used in the general car wax is palm wax, a wax extracted from plants. You can imagine it as a substance similar to a candle. Wax is an oily substance, so waxing on the surface of some objects will increase gloss. Waxing the car is actually covering the surface of the car paint with a thin layer of wax to make the car paint look brighter and better.
Types of car wax
Car wax can be divided into liquid wax, solid wax and water wax in form. Liquid wax is an emulsion-like substance, generally a wax for polishing in car beauty shops, and we ordinary car owners generally do not need it. Water wax is generally a duster wax, to be used with wax dusters, wax dusters are like a big feather duster, spray water wax on it, and then wipe on the surface of the body to wax the body. Similar to the previous leather coat glazing agent. Because the wax duster waxing effect is not good, and if the body is dusty, the wax duster will hurt the paint, so few people have used it in recent years.
At present, the most used is the solid wax, using a special solvent to dissolve the carnauba wax evenly in it, and then using a coagulant to solidify the product into a substance similar to coagulated lard. Some waxes also have abrasives added to them, which clean up the oxide layer and stubborn stains on the surface of the paint when waxing. Therefore, according to the different abrasive content, the car wax can be divided into fine wax, medium wax and coarse wax.
Fine wax generally does not contain abrasives or the abrasive content is very low, suitable for new cars, waxing only to the car paint, there will be no grinding effect.
The content of the wax abrasive is moderate, generally the car beauty shop to the car paint for polishing use, some old cars can also be used, in the waxing abrasive can clean up some stubborn stains and car paint oxide layer.
Coarse wax abrasive content is the largest, which is mainly used for car paint polishing, and to cooperate with professional polishing machine, now there are many polishing with wax, coarse wax are liquid, because it is more convenient to use, but this wax is not suitable for our own waxing, especially some owners buy their own polishing machine to use more carefully, because this is the amount of wax, polishing techniques and strength requirements are very high, if you do not master well, it is easy to hurt the paint.
The principle of action of car wax
Some people say that car waxing is like human skin care products, but in fact, I think this metaphor is not appropriate. Because human skin is permeable, it can absorb the active ingredients in skin care products to improve skin texture. The surface of the car paint is completely isolated, and the car wax cannot penetrate into the inner layer of the car paint, at best, it forms a layer of wax on the surface of the car paint to improve the brightness.
The role of car wax is mainly divided into four types: glazing, cleaning, repair, polishing.
The glazing effect is well understood, and coating the surface of the car paint with a layer of wax can improve the gloss of the car paint and make the car paint look brighter, more transparent and more textured.
The cleaning effect is mainly because the car wax contains a certain solvent, which can play a certain cleaning role when waxing, and the waxing sponge needs to be wiped repeatedly on the surface of the car paint when waxing, which is larger than when washing the car, and with the role of the solvent, it can clean up the stubborn stains on the surface of the car paint very well.
The repair effect of car wax is actually not as powerful as we think, its essence is that for some fine scratches, car wax can be well filled in the scratches, so that the scratches become inconspicuous. So it is only effective for minor scratches, and if the scratches are too deep, the wax can not do anything. Some merchants sell so-called paint repair agents, and the advertising videos taken are simply too exaggerated, the body scratches are injured to the bottom paint, and they can still be intact after using the repair agent. This kind of bragging does not play the draft of the publicity, everyone look at lele on the line, do not take it seriously.
Polishing is mainly the car beauty shop on the aging of the car paint repair, with the polishing machine so that the car wax in the abrasive evenly and the car paint surface of the oxide film friction, the oxide film to clean up, to achieve the repair of the car paint, improve the surface quality of the effect.
Can car wax protect car paint?
Theoretically, after waxing, the paint will not be in direct contact with the air, so waxing can slow down the oxidation rate of the paint. But in terms of my personal actual experience, this effect is not obvious. Because the main reason for the aging of the paint is the ultraviolet damage in the sun and the high temperature, and it is not the car paint we imagine that the paint will oxidize as soon as it touches the air, after all, this thing is not so fragile.
I used to have two cars, a sedan and an SUV. The body of the car is relatively low, and the car wash is very convenient. So just bought back I often wax. And the SUV is too tall, car wash is too troublesome, let alone waxing. So one of these two cars is bright and beautiful every day, and the other is gray every day.
But after three years, if you look closely, there is no difference in the paint of the two cars, and the paint of the SUV has not been oxidized as the legend says. At the New Year, I pulled it out and washed it, and then I hit the wax for the first time, and the result was that after waxing, it was just as bright and beautiful, very textured. But to tell the truth, when waxing, I obviously feel that the surface of the car paint is a little grainy, I think it should be the dirt caused by not washing the car for many years, after waxing, it will be gone, and I use a fine wax, which does not contain a little abrasive ingredient.
So from my own actual experience, I think there is a certain difference between waxing and not waxing, car paint, but this difference is not as big as we think. I think so: cars that are waxed frequently, the paint surface is often kept clean, so it looks healthier. And usually rarely wash the car and rarely wax the car, the surface of the car paint will inevitably have more stains, after a long time the stain becomes a stubborn stain, the car paint looks dull. But as long as you take care of it carefully, the effect is still very good, which means that there is no qualitative change in the surface of the car paint.
There is no need to wax frequently？
I think this depends on the demand, if you usually have high requirements for the cleanliness of your car, three days of two-end car washing, then do not wax it will lose. The car has just been washed and is particularly new, because the surface of the paint has a layer of water film, which can play a certain reflective role, so the paint appears to be updated. But when the water dries, the effect is less obvious. And after waxing, the effect of the car paint is really good-looking, bright and moist, there is a sense of transparency, and the texture is particularly good, in my own sense of saying that the texture can make you addicted. When the car goes out, the clear-eyed people know that this is a well-paid owner.
And good car wax if the construction quality is good, then after the wax paint is particularly smooth, such as a wax I have been using before, after the engine cover can not put things, put on the slide. And waxing the windshield can also clean the oil film, in addition to making the windshield have a certain degree of hydrophobicity, rainy days are not easy to get raindrops.
But if you don't have the time and don't have this need, like me, you can't wash your car several times a year, then there is no need to wax. Because car waxing is particularly time-consuming, and after waxing, I am most afraid of rain, and it is particularly difficult to clean up after waxing mud splashing on the body. Because the surface of the body is a layer of varnish when not waxed, the hardness is very high, and the mud dot does not have much adhesion on it, and the car wash towel is gently wiped off. After waxing, the surface of the body is a layer of wax, which is a soft thing, and it is difficult to clean up after the mud spots are splashed on. I've experienced it too many times, and the mud spots that have just been splashed on can't be washed away with water immediately, because the wax is waterproof. After the mud dot is dry, it will penetrate into the inside of the car wax, and when wiping, you must use a little force, otherwise it will not be clean. So when I first started waxing the car, I was most afraid of rainy days, and sometimes it rained just after waxing, and I would rather not go out than let the muddy water splash on the paint, so I simply didn't hit it later.
How to choose the car wax
The new car has nothing to say, it is necessary to choose a fine wax without abrasives. Because the new car paint is the most perfect state, what do you do with abrasives? Spoil this perfect car paint? Unfortunately, many fine waxes now contain a certain amount of abrasive. Therefore, everyone must be optimistic about the introduction of the product when purchasing, but do not buy it when it is a fine wax.
Old cars can choose wax with a certain abrasive, but I personally feel that wax without abrasive works just as well.
How to wax your car
Car waxing is actually very simple, first wash the car clean, and then fully dry the water, because the wax is insoluble in water, if the body has water, there will be a lot of small water droplets when waxing, affecting the car wax attached to the paint. Special attention should be paid to wiping the seams of the body clean, because it is the easiest to hide water here.
After the body is wiped clean, the wax sponge is dipped in the car wax first to wax the body, that is, the car wax is first applied to the surface of the car paint. The general standard practice is to wax evenly, just like the picture above. But to be honest, it's too much trouble and too slow to do so. I usually directly shake off the shoulder to wipe, wipe the gaze to find a good angle, because the car wax is almost no color, sometimes you can't see it, easy to lead to uneven waxing. At this time, you can change the angle to observe the paint, and when the angle is right, you can clearly distinguish where the wax is and where it is not.
Waxing begins after waxing, which is the most laborious step. You have to use a wax sponge to fully wipe the wax of the car, wipe evenly, let the car wax evenly adhere to the surface of the car paint, but also to wipe the excess wax clean, otherwise the wax body will be spent, it is like you smear the treasure on the face, and then you have to use your hands to completely rub it open is a reason. This process is the most laborious, so it is not only necessary to be patient, but also to have physical strength. However, if you are in trouble, you can also directly put on the towel, which is faster, and the actual effect is not much worse than if you use a wax sponge.
When you've applied all the wax to the body and removed the excess wax, it's done. However, I suggest that you wipe the body again with a clean, dry towel. Because the towel has a large contact area, it is easier to wipe some wax that is not evenly wiped. After this step, the body has achieved a very good effect, and it is no exaggeration to say that your car is a walking mirror.