I was wondering if waxing the car with your hand is just as good as waxing it with the DA polisher.

 

You can get equally good results by hand, just takes more time and elbow grease. I wouldn't get a polisher just for waxing, but IMO everyone that wants to do their own car care should invest in a Random Orbit polisher such as a PorterCable. A good clay bar followed by a light compound, then a polish, and finish with a quality wax and you'll be so glad you bought one

 

I have polishers, but I still prefer to do it by hand, up close and detailed. Unfortunately these days, that also means with reading glasses... LOL

 

i have a porter cable and love it. you can out blemishes and light scratches a hell of a lot better with a polisher than by hand

 

I can relate!!!

 

Ahhh, the rise of the Bifocal Nation
Count me in!

 

Yep, by hand with glasses.

 

Depends on what you're doing, for laying down sealant I prefer the polisher because it can give a more even, consistent coat that is typically thinner and easier to remove the excess. For waxes I prefer to apply them by hand, not even with an applicator but literally hand rubbing. I feel it lets you get a better feel for the paint coat and sealant as well as the curves of the car, I also sometimes use different waxes on different parts and doing it by hand gives you a really accurate feel for where the body lines are.

 

After going over the car with claybar, wax just glides on effortlessly, and wipes off with ease... even the harder paste waxes. Mad Oregonian is right about getting a "feel" for the surface of the car, particularly after claybar.

Claybar is your friend. Get to know clay.

 

I've heard about using clay bars before, but have never tried it. How would I use one and what benifits come from using it over just waxing monthly? I may try this wax bar thing. Give me some suggestions here, please.

 

There are a million "how to" videos on youtube. Spend 20 minutes watching a few of them. It's really, really easy. I clay 3 times a year: spring, mid-summer, and just before winter. I use warm soapy water in a spray bottle for the process, although some people use detailing spray... which works great, although its an expensive approach.

Wash. Dry. Clay. Wax. Polish. Admire.

Don't feel self-conscious if you've never learned about clay, or have never tried it before. Everyone is a noob until they aren't anymore. Once you start using clay, you'll kick yourself for not learning about this earlier.

 

Thanks, but what does the clay actually do? Can it remove the little divits and pock marks on the fron bumper from sand and road debris?

 

No. Not at all. What it will do is remove very small particles that are embedded in the clear-coat, as well as those tiny little orange dots... which is brake dust that stuck to the surface of the car and started oxidizing. (If you've ever owned a white car, you'll know what I'm talking about.) After you clay, the surface of your car should feel slippery smooth, like a good quality mirror. And that's without the wax.

Clay does not remove swirls or scratches, it doesn't magically fill in chips or dents. If you have damage to the paint, then you will still have damage to the paint.

Like I said before, I clay 3 times a year, and wax maybe 5+ times. Winter is a b1tch, because that's a 4+ month stretch of zero care, and it kills me, man.

 

I use my PC rarely- only for paint correction. Otherwise I apply my Zaino by hand.

 

When you clay bar, the bar is about the size of a small bar of soap, get a clean exacto knife and cut the clay into 3 equal pieces. Then spread out the first piece (with very clean hands, or use latex gloves) so it's about a 1/4" thick (it'll spread out even more as you work w/ it). Put the other 2 pieces in a ziplock bag w/ some detail spray or the soapy water mix so they don't dry out, this will get the most mileage out of your clay and you'll have more clean clay to work with.