How Long Does It Take To Wax a Car?

How long does it take to wax a car? Waxing your car can generally take up to five hours, or at least one hour. It takes this long because there are a lot of things you need to consider, and there are prerequisites that must be in place.

Also, there are different types of car waxes. You may need a specific one to make your car shine brighter. But before we get into details about how long it takes to wax a car, let’s look at the basics steps to take before waxing your car.

What To Do Before Waxing Your Car

Waxing your car is one of the surest ways to prevent the finish from fading away too quickly. Also, car waxes add more glossiness to your car’s finish. It is generally recommended that as a car owner, you wax your car quite regularly.

However, it is not only waxing that prevents your car painting from fading away; there are also other practices you should engage with regularly; this includes washing the car with distilled water.

Before you wax your car, read these tips:

• Wash the car or truck thoroughly and ensure there are no water spots or residues left on the body
• Allow the car to dry completely before you start waxing
• Drive the car into a garage/shade; don’t want under direct sunlight – it would spoil everything
• Polish the car before waxing (optional)
• Ready the gears you need to apply the wax (if you’re doing it yourself)

When you’re done with the preparation step(s), then you can go on with the waxing.

Note: waxing your car can take a long time, so you have to plan ahead for the day. Don’t be in haste to wax your car as hurriedness may lead to you scratching your paint while applying the wax blend.

How Long Does It Take To Wax a Car?

Patience and carefulness are required when waxing a car. You don’t have to be in haste. Else, you may scratch your car’s paint, which you were hoping to protect with a wax.

Waxing is done bit by bit, section by section; thus, it can take up to one (1) or two (2) hours to completely wax a compact SUV.

Trucks, vans, and other big-size vehicles may take a longer time to wax. Also, if you consider the time spent washing the car, waiting for it to dry up, and readying the waxing tools, one could say that waxing a car takes up to 4 or more hours.

Different Types of Car Wax

There are different types of waxes, viz;

• Spray wax
• Liquid wax
• Paste wax
• Synthetic wax (paint sealant)
• Natural carnauba wax

How to Wax a Car?

There are different tools to use in waxing your car. One of the most important tools used in waxing is a polishing/waxing pad or a buffer. Depending on the type of wax you’re applying on your car, the tools you need may vary. Here, our wax application guide is for paste wax.

Step 1: You will need a dampened foam applicator pad, apply the paste wax on the foam applicator pad and rub the pad on your car’s body in a back-and-forth motion.

Step 2: Apply the wax to your car’s body from one section to another. Always pay attention to each section you’re waxing, and don’t be in haste.

Step 3: After applying wax to a section, wipe/buff it off with a clean microfiber towel. Please don’t leave the wax to last long on the car before cleaning it off. After some minutes of rubbing the wax on a section, use a clean microfiber towel to wipe it off immediately.

Reapply the wax if there’s need for that, else, move to another section and continue in this manner until you wax the entire car’s body.

Similarly, if you’re using a spray wax – all you need to do is:

• Spray the wax on a small area and use your waxing pad to rub it on the surface
• Switch to a clean microfiber towel and buff the wax
• Continue in this manner until you apply wax on the entire car’s body.

Applying wax on a car looks so easy, but it’s not actually that easy. Things can go wrong during waxing, and if you buff the wax earlier or later than you should, the result won’t be what you expect.

Recommended Reading:

• Is it Proper to Wash a Car Engine?
• How Long Does Automatic Car Wash Take?
• Should I Wash Car Engine While it’s Hot?

Conclusion

The actual waxing processes don’t take much time (if it’s not your first time). Spray wax seems the better option for most people, while a couple of others still prefer paste/liquid waxes. Do not pour out the wax in big quantity to the application pad – you are only wasting the wax.

Waxes are meant to be applied little by little (poco a poco). A little quantity is enough to shine a reasonable section of your car. More so, ensure that you don’t wax your car under the sun, and wash the car before the wax application.

When next someone asks you, “how long does it take to wax a car,” your simple answer should be two (2) hours. Yea, that’s the average time based on different factors we have analyzed. Finally, after waxing your car, don’t take it out for a drive yet. Wait for some time before taking the car out in the sun or rain.

Regardless of the type of wax you use, the end result should be the same if you applied it carefully.