Waxing or Sealing

Waxing/sealing the paint is one of the most important parts of the detailing process. After spending countless hours polishing your car’s paint, you’ll definitely want to protect it with a wax or sealant. Not only is the LSP a layer of protection for your paint, but it also provides the “lens” through which you see your paint. So, it will affect the look of the paint.

Choosing your LSP like many detailing decisions is a matter of personal preference. Your options for this decision are wax, sealant, or both.

A wax will typically give your paint a very warm appearance. It will also make metal flake in the paint really “pop” and give the paint an extremely wet, deep shine. Waxes also have filling capability. So, using a wax can help to hide paint imperfections. However, depending on climate waxes do not typically last more than 1-3 months.


Most sealants will give your paint an almost lacquered look. Sealants like waxes will give your paint a very wet look and typically leave the paint surface feeling ultra smooth. Another property of sealants is that they make the paint surface ultra-reflective. However, these reflections typically lack depth. Also, most sealants do not fill well. So, some paint imperfections may stand out more after a sealant is applied. Sealants are also much more durable than wax. Many brands of sealant will last up to 5 months or more.

Using a layer of sealant topped by a layer of wax is a common practice and makes for a good compromise between the two LSPs. Using both a wax and a sealant gives the durability of the sealant combined with additional depth of shine from the wax.

What you’ll need . . .

• Shade – Most waxes/sealants are not designed to be used in direct sunlight. Therefore, it is important to find a shady spot to apply your LSP. This can be under a car port, a canopy, or in a garage. It is not recommended that you detail under a tree as sap, leaves, pollen, or other debris could fall on your car during the detail.

• Wax/Sealant – your choice of wax or sealant. There really are quite a few excellent waxes & sealants available either at your local auto parts store or on-line. Just to mention a few there is Meguiar’s #26 Yellow Wax, Detailer’s Pride Max Wax, Pinnacle Souveran, Zyml Concours, Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant, and Menzerna Full Molecular Jacket (FMJ).

• Applicator – your choice of applicator. There are many tools which can be used for wax/sealant application. Application can be done using a foam wax applicator, a microfiber applicator, or a folded microfiber towel. Paste wax is typically easiest to apply using a foam applicator and liquids are easiest to apply with the other types of applicator mentioned.

• Microfiber towels – high quality microfiber towels are critical for wax residue removal. After a long day detailing you don’t want to use a cheap towel which will undo all of your hard work by instilling scratches in your paint. To test the “softness” of a microfiber simply rub it gently on a blank CD making sure to use both the center of the towel and the edging. If the towel leaves scratches then it could possibly scratch your paint. Always be sure before testing a new towel or using it on your paint that it is clean and that any tags have been removed. One last item to note is that microfiber towels with a shorter knap will remove wax or sealant residue faster than towels with a deeper knap, but will also clog with residue faster.

How to get it done . . .

1. Make sure the car is completely clean and dry before beginning. Always wash or QD a car immediately before waxing. If the car was washed and then polished there is no need to wash again before waxing. The car cannot be driven in between waxing/sealing and washing.

2. Apply some of the LSP to your applicator. Using the applicator spread the LSP thinly across the paint of one panel or half of a large panel.

3. Consult the product’s directions for how much time the LSP needs to setup. Then allow the LSP to set for the prescribed amount of time.

4. Using a microfiber towel folded in half twice and minimal pressure wipe away the excess LSP from the paint. Any wax that is difficult to remove should be sprayed with QD or distilled water rather than using extra pressure to remove it.

5. If you desire to add more than one layer of LSP wait 12-24 hours before doing so. Follow steps 1-4 to add additional layers. If you are using both a sealant and a wax always be sure to apply the sealant first, then wait 12-24 hours for the sealant to cure, and then apply the wax.

Source : The Detailing Hand Book