How Long Does Car Wax Last? (Answered)
Your car deals with a lot, from rain, snow, mud and dirt. Sometimes it’s a good idea to protect your car by applying a coat of wax. However you may have wondered how long that coat of wax will last on your car or how often you should be reapplying the wax. Therefore, this article will answer all of your questions and will discover how long does car wax last.
How long do car waxes last?
This does hugly depend on the type of wax that you are using. As a result, car waxes can last between four weeks to five/six months. Therefore it is important to know what type of wax you are using on your car as this will determine how long the wax will last.
Natural carnauba wax has a shorter life compared to synthetic waxes. Hence natural carnauba waxes only last between four weeks to possibly four months. Compared to synthetic waxes that are a lot more durable so they will last a lot longer. Therefore, synthetic waxes can last up to five or six months.
However, there are some other factors apart from the type of wax, that can affect how long the car wax will last for.
Factors that can affect car wax
Car wax is a great way to protect your car and its paint. You want it to last for a while after applying and apart from the type of wax that you are using there are some other factors that you need to consider.
- Climate – Where you live can affect the duration of your car wax. If you live somewhere where you constantly have bad weather, this can shorten your car wax longevity. Therefore, you will have to wax your car a lot more often.
- Keeping your car outside – When you aren’t driving, you should try to keep your car covered, ideally in a garage. You want to shield your car away from any external forces like the weather or dirt. By keeping your car covered or in a garage you will increase the lifespan of your car wax dramatically.
- Quality – You want to buy a quality car wax that will last you a long time. Sometimes some of the cheapest products don’t have great durability. You need to check reviews of the wax that you are buying, because you only want to buy a good quality wax that you know will last.
When should you wax your car
Ideally you don’t want to be waxing your car every month, so buying a wax that will last is a good starting point. You should be waxing your car minimum at least twice a year. This could result in waxing your car once in the spring and once just before the colder months to protect your car against rain, snow, hail and salt. To really keep your car protected, you should try to wax your car four times a year.
It can be difficult to know when you should wax your car. This is because the protective layer and shine that car wax gives off will reduce over time but really slowly. Thus it can be difficult just by looking to tell if your car needs to be rewaxed. Here are some factors to look out to know when it is time to wax your car.
- Age of your car – How well you look after your car and how new it is will determine how often it needs to be waxed. The newer the car, the less wax they need as the paintwork should be in perfect condition. Hence wax will be applied just to keep you protected.
However, if your car is used or older and has not been well looked after, then regular waxing and even polishing will help bring life back into your car’s paintwork.
- Time of the year – The time or season of the year will play a huge part in deciding when you should wax your car. Warmer months such as summer means your wax has a longer lifespan, due to the weather. The temperature and less chance of rain means that your wax will last much longer. As a result, you don’t need to wax your car as often.
Compared to colder months, where the temperature drops and there is a lot more chance of rain and snow being more frequent. The weather will hugely affect the wax and thus you will find that you need to wax your car a lot more often during the colder months, especially during winter.
Harsher conditions are being thrown at your car on a daily basis, which then means that the wax has a lot more to deal with, so its durability weakens.
Therefore, the seasons play a big part in your wax routine. During the warmer months like summer, you apply your wax a lot less frequently. However, once the weather starts to get worse and colder, you will have to up your waxing routine to become a lot more frequent.
Tips for waxing your car
When it comes to waxing your car, you want to make sure that you do it right. You should take your time, so you know you are doing the right thing. You only need to apply a thin layer of wax to your car. By applying thick layers of wax, you will make the whole process a lot more difficult and a lot more work.
Also you don’t want thick amounts of wax making its way into any cracks into your car. When applying the wax, park your car in a shaded area. This will give you more time to apply the wax, otherwise the wax will dry far too quickly.
Therefore, you need to take your time, apply a thin layer of wax in a shaded area so the wax doesn’t dry out. Also using a horizontal or vertical applying method while waxing will prevent swirls forming, which then makes your car look more attractive.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to waxing your car, the life of the wax depends on many factors such as the quality of the wax you are using, the type of wax that you are using and how you look after your car. Overall, car wax can last anywhere between four weeks to six months, depending on all the variables that we have mentioned above.
You want to be aiming to wax your car four times a year, but depending on your car and where you live this goal can increase or decrease. Now you can wax your car knowing how long it will last for and how often you should be waxing your car.
