Wash-and-Wax Poetic

If you’re into immediate gratification, just spend a couple hours with your car, a hose and bucket and cleaning materials. This combination can take drab and dull to showroom shine in little time. We could talk about resale value, about the fact that washing and waxing helps preserve your car’s paint job and interior finishes. But the primary advantage of a glossy over a matte finish is a sense of pride, or at least non-shame, when you and your car are identified as a happy couple. Consider, too, that if you want a clean car or truck and don’t want to do it yourself, you can enlist the help of your kids. They’ll learn something, maybe earn something, and gain a sense of accomplishment, too. Let’s get started.


Step 1: Your first step on the road to a mirror finish is an auto parts store or the auto section of your local discount store. But why, you ask, can’t I use a mild dish soap on my car? That’s a thorny question, much debated in the auto community. Good car washes are pH balanced and contain gloss enhancers. That said, you can still use a mild dish soap and get a good result. Anything you use to wash your car will take off a little of the existing wax. Other must-haves include a plastic bucket and car wash mitt or sponge. Whichever you choose, get two: one for the top half of the car, the other for the bottom. The idea here is to avoid transferring grit from the top of the car to the side panels. (And if you accidentally drop either one on the ground, pick up a fresh wipe instead.)


There’s also a debate among car detailing experts about the drying process. A 100-percent cotton towel is fine, but just make sure it’s really all cotton. Others swear by a chamois. Leather chamois contain tannic acid that can strip the wax; synthetic chamois don’t get very high marks for actually drying. Suggestion: save some money and use cotton towels, the ones a bit too ratty to do bathroom duty.


As for wax, again, there’s a bit of controversy among detailers. A carnauba car wax forms a physical barrier that protects the surface, but requires a bit of rubbing for it to lay down properly onto the paint. On the other hand, polishes contain polymers and sometimes include Teflon, so they’re easier to apply, and chemically bond with the clear coat of the paint to provide some UV protection. Which one you choose will likely depend on the color and condition of your paint, and your local climate, but some products actually include both carnauba and polymers, if you want to cover all your bases. Also, don’t forget to include some rubber and/or vinyl cleaner conditioners in your shopping basket.


Step 2: Find a shady area, obviously close to a hose spigot, to do this deed. A carport is great, but under a tree, not so good depending on how much sap drips from it or birds perch on it. The point is to keep the hot sun off your car during the wash-and-wax process. A shady day may work. The test is to simply touch the hood of your car—if it feels hot, look for better shade.


Step 3: Hose the car down, gently. You don’t need high pressure, and some purists don’t even use a spray nozzle. Start at the top and work down.


Step 4: Put a small amount of the car wash detergent into a bucket, add cool water. Hot water can soften the existing wax. Re-hose the roof. Using your mitt or sponge, wash the roof, rinse with the hose and move onto the next section. Repeat ‘til the car is clean then turn your attention to the wheels. If cleaning the wheels with the same detergent you use on the car doesn’t get the result you want, try some wheel cleaners, but make sure they’re the right type for your rims. (Alloys require a different chemical than steel.)