Wax and drying wax for car washes

What is in this category

Four items, all liquid products diluted with water and applied to wet bodywork immediately after washing. There are no hard pastes or polishes in this category: car wax here is a wash-bay consumable, not a consumer spray can.

SAHARA WAX 43 from SmartOpen is a cherry-scented drying wax. According to the manufacturer, it speeds up body drying and leaves a protective film against new dirt. Pack size: 20 L.

Complex has two drying waxes with the same application but different fragrances: cherry and bubble gum, both in 20 L packs. According to the manufacturer, both speed up drying and protect the body against renewed soiling.

UniversalWax from Shine Systems is a wax for automatic and manual washes in a 750 mL pack; price on request.

How it is applied

Car-body wax in this category works on wet surfaces. Do not dry the body after washing: spray the product onto the wet surface and rinse with water. The SmartOpen data sheet explicitly says to apply to wet bodywork after washing and rinse with plenty of water. Complex adds another requirement: mix before use, spray onto wet bodywork and rinse with a pressure washer.

Here dilution is measured in millilitres per litre of water, not a 1:N ratio. SAHARA WAX 43 uses 200–500 mL per 1 L in a foam lance, 20–50 mL per 1 L in a trigger sprayer and 2–5% in dosing systems. Complex waxes use the same 200–500 mL per 1 L in a foam lance, 20–50 mL per 1 L in a hand sprayer and 2.5–5% in dosing systems. The wide range has a reason: the lower end is for a light setting, the upper end for applying wax over the whole body through a foam lance.

Mistakes that cost money

• Applying to dry bodywork. Both manufacturers' data sheets require a wet surface; on a dry surface, the product does not spread as intended.
• Not mixing before use. For Complex waxes, this is the first instruction.
• Diluting in advance. Complex explicitly says to store the working solution for no more than 24 hours. A tank prepared for a whole week will no longer hold the same solution by the end of that week.
• Using more than the upper limit. The data-sheet range is the working setting, not a minimum: excess concentrate does not improve the result.
• Treating wax as a replacement for drying. Manufacturers describe it as speeding up drying, but water on windows, mirrors, handles and sills still needs a cloth.
• Storing in the cold or sun. Complex waxes require +5…+25 °C; SmartOpen and Complex waxes have a shelf life of 3 years from the manufacturing date.

Where wax fits in the wash cycle

Wax is the last of the three products at the bay. First, active foam softens the film of road dirt, then touchless shampoo finishes cleaning the body, and wax follows only after rinsing. The article explains the stage order and why they are not interchangeable Active foam or touchless shampoo.

Drying remains after wax. Even when the product speeds up drying, water stays in gaps, on mirrors and under handles; it is removed with microfibre — an absorbent cloth, not a rag from the workshop.

Hard water is another reason to include wax in the cycle. Whitish deposits left by dried droplets are most visible on dark paint. Address them from two sides: a first-phase product that rinses without streaks, and a wax that speeds up drying.

Questions and answers