Can you wax your car too much?
Can you wax your car too much is a common question asked and the answers vary from:
"No, only stop if your arm falls off!"
"Too much of a bad thing is no good, unless its waxing!"
These quotes usually come from old school detailers who will happily wax all day every day!
But are they really doing any good?
Lets take a look.
How often to wax a car in general?
If we take a 12 month period, divided up into the four seasons your best times to wax your car are at the beginning of Summer and Fall.
Reasons being are that a protective wax coat applied and the beginning of Summer will give maximum protection from the suns paint fading UV rays throughout the Summer.
Then at the start of fall you apply another coat to protect against the harsh Winter conditions.
This is of course if you live in a seasonal climate!
So can you wax your car too much?
As a general guide a coat of good quality wax will provide a protective layer for 4- 6 months, therefore a minimum frequency for waxing would be twice a year.
If the car is stored indoors then you will be looking at the 6 months of protection due to the lesser exposure to the elements. With a car parked outside possibly needing attention more towards the four month time frame.
If the above guidelines are used but longevity is a problem which it can be with come Carnauba Waxes. Then using a spray wax in between the seasonal waxes can increase the longevity of that deep, wet showroom look.
Using this liquid form of wax as a "top up" wax in between is generally accepted amongst enthusiasts.
Its gives the two month old wax coat some much needed assistance in the heat of the Summer sun and the challenges of Fall and Winter weather.
Beware of abrasive waxes
When considering the question can you wax your car too much the "Type" of wax must be considered.
Frequent application of paint cutting abrasive style waxes are the main cause of concern to consider when applying more than one coat of wax.
If you are doing a two layer wax coat then you have to 100% be sure that the second coat applied is not a cleaner, abrasive type of wax.
Applying one of theses types of waxes will certainly cut into your initial wax coat.
Therefore weakening its protectiveness as many of these types of waxes contain chemicals and sometime abrasives to clean and remove oxidation.
However if applied to a cured coat of wax then it will be doing its best to remove your protective coat!
This will then definitely be a case of... can you wax your car too much !
Applying two coats of wax
If you do decide to apply a second coat of wax then your should leave a minimum of twelve hours between coats.
This will allow the original coat to "Cure", so enabling it to accept the second layer more readily.
It has been scientifically proven that layers of wax certainly apply well and stick to the paint better than a single layer.
Mention should also be made of wax being a dust magnet. This is mainly caused by static electricity produced by all the buffing, rubbing and polishing.
These create a charged surface which attracts opposing charged particles of dust and debris.
This can be somewhat avoided by using a final light spray of instant detail spray, which should then be buffed off as lightly as possible to leave a slick, dust free surface!
The purpose of this final "light" brush over is to remove much of the static held in the wax surface.
Conclusion
You really cannot over wax your car but you can over apply the wax. All waxing should be done in as thin a coat as possible. By using a light application on the pad and ensuring an even layer over the whole car.
Two coats of wax with a 12 hour time difference between them seems to be the preferred option for the two major waxes in Spring and fall. Then use of the top up liquid spray waxes in between to enhance and maintain the gloss shine.
With any type of waxing it is important to ensure the preparation is done well exactly or you are shown how to wax your car by a skilled detailer or a guide as trial and error can become expensive.
In final conclusion to can you wax you car too much then we say n o as long as the application is planned and executed correctly.