To wax or not to wax

[Meg]

I have a 2 year-old 4S.
I only hand wash, but wonder if I should be waxing occasionally.
If I should, what is the best product, hopefully easy to use.

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[Vercingetorix]

Griots 3 in 1 for ease of use.

 

[Mr.Smith]

Have you thought about ceramic coating instead?
A more permanent solution

 

[mander2129]

Buttery Wax from Adam’s is easy. I reverted back to it instead of using a ceramic coat over my PPF. Just seem to get a much slicker surface albeit more temporary. I use a Milwaukee cordless polisher with a microfiber pad. Still like ceramic on paint, or my plastics, but just didn’t like it on the PPF.

 

[RAHRCR]

I am deep into this hobby. Wax makes sense if you want to spend extra time maintaining your car and really enjoy the warm glow it provides. If not, there are better options for efficiency and durability. It’s really a matter of taste and preference. If you are going to do it yourself, choose a product that offers excellent online instruction (YT).

 

[BeeEmm]

The problem with wax and it is a problem, is that it is pretty useless on the lower half of the car where the heavy muck and dirt gathers. Wax is good on flat surfaces like bonnet roof and boot lid (trunk). If you really want to protect your car and ensure easy washing, then ceramic coating is the way to go. It does vary in cost (as does champagne) but you get what you pay for.

 

[snstevens]

@Meg - If you love a clean car then I suggest checking out a modern luxury car wash with brushless washing, and a "belt conveyor" system that pulls the car through the wash (no rails, so no wheel damage). Often these high-end car washes offer ceramic finish AND a membership plan for a monthly or discounted annual fee (wash as often as you want) AND microfiber towels to finish the wash off.

I saw you are in CA, and although no idea where, so I checked with Perplexity with this query and found a number of this type of "luxury" car washes --

Query -- "High-end car washes in Los Angeles with belt conveyor systems"

I use a wash like this in the Redmond, WA area and wash my car probably 2-3 times a week on the annual membership plan.

P.S. Before everyone goes nuts on me for suggesting a "car wash" let me say that I have PPF on the front-end, and don't see any damage or issues anywhere on the car. YMMV of course...

 

[Stash182]

Is it possible to determine if a car already has ceramic coating? I bought my CT used and am unsure. It appears to have some sort of PPF on the front.

 

[Wakesurfer]

I have a 2 year-old 4S.
I only hand wash, but wonder if I should be waxing occasionally.
If I should, what is the best product, hopefully easy to use.

I am old, old, school................remembering washing and waxing the family Olds 88 (1955 or so) in front of the house. Probably put a bunch of scratches in the paint during the process. Today...................I use a foam cannon with microfiber towels to dry. And about every other month, while the wife is still asleep, I use Griot's Best in Show Wax with the Griot's applicator, towels, etc. Pretty much the same process that I used in the 1950's, just upgraded to today's tools. I find it relaxing and especially satisfying. Ironically, I washed the Yukon XL yesterday and applied the wax this morning with a couple of cups of coffee. Told the wife when we went into the garage to put her sunglasses on as the glare may be too bright for her delicate eyes...............

 

[Fish Fingers]

I like to keep my car washing as fast as possible (as it needs to be done often here with rain/dirt).

So when its washed I just spray some of that 'Wax it wet' or simila, before drying with the chamoix leather.

Adds about 20 seconds to the process.

 

[Slyevo]

I use spray detailer daily and spray wax every few days to keep the shine. Then ceramic wax spray every few weeks for extra shine

 

[j.w.s]

I have a 2 year-old 4S.
I only hand wash, but wonder if I should be waxing occasionally.
If I should, what is the best product, hopefully easy to use.

I am finding that the Porsche paint is very good, yes. But wax or ceramic coat is definitely required, and I prefer the ceramic.

 

[AutoX]

DIY rinseless wash followed by Turtle wax ceramic wet wax. Takes 15 minutes, 30 max if you're super slow. Keeps your car protected, shiny and new looking year round.

 

[Voltaire]

I found this comparison interesting. The presentation takes a little getting used to, but I like the thorough testing.

 

[AutoX]

I found this comparison interesting. The presentation takes a little getting used to, but I like the thorough testing.

If you use a ceramic wet wax as a drying aid, then longevity doesn't matter, because you're applying new ceramic coating every wash.

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