Wax On, Wax Off

When did washing and waxing your car become so complex?This weekend, I decided that I was going to get the car looking spiffy. (Side note, is it sill okay to use the word spiffy? probably not.) It had been awhile since the car had a good cleaning and waxing.

Seems to me, that in the "old days," meaning when I drove something besides a minivan, that you basically washed the vehicle and applied some type of wax to help protect it.

That's certainly not the case, these days. When I went to the store to check out some car care products, I was overwhelmed. Shelf after shelf of waxes, creams and assorted mixtures. I counted five different types of waxes, all claiming to be the best.

So, before I went any further, I went to the source - the internet, for real help. I ended up on one car care site, that made me second guess my "wax on, wax off, method, that I has used for years.  It discussed allowing your paint to breathe and giving it nutrients. Until reading this,  I never realized that the paint was a living thing, which seems a bit unsettling.

In the end, I "drank the kool aid," so to speak, and purchased several car care products.

For the next several hours, I washed (with a special car wash), and  used a clay bar over the entire surface of the vehicle to removed contaminants. What? a clay bar on my vehicle...never heard of that until this weekend. Oh, I was far from done...then I used a special scratch remover, PLUS a polish and finally wax.

I ended up completing five steps in what used to take me two.  I suppose the end result was worth it, I could actually see my reflection in the paint. (scary thought). I'll probably have to see my chiropractor this week, to help get over all of the aches and pains of the various positions I found myself in, while trying to get the car clean and shiny.

Using a clay bar on a car's paint? Just keep in mind, most things aren't as simple as they used to be. :)