The most reliable way to tell if any wax was still on your cars surface was by careful observation of the water beads after a rain. If the beads were high and small, the wax coating was either fresh or most of it was still there. Large flatter beads meant the wax coating was wearing off and no beading meant the wax was gone.

Most people are under the false impression that if they see any water beading on their car, their wax is still creating the same gloss it did when first applied. Actually, shine diminishes each time a car is washed, driven, or exposed to rain, snow or ice. Simply drying the paint with a cloth after washing can reduce gloss.

If you want to keep your car really glossy with that just waxed look, you should reapply whatever product you use when gloss diminishes. Never depend on water beading to indicate the condition of the shine.

Here’s a simple way to determine the condition of gloss on your vehicle. Just wash and dry the hood. Apply wax to one small section of the hood. Now compare gloss in the waxed and the unwaxed areas by looking at your faces reflection. If you can see your face more clearly in the waxed section and it looks better overall, then only waxing the entire car will restore maximum gloss.

The telltale sign of a good wax is when the color of your car appears so vivid and deep that the paint actually looks wet. Such is the look many car-show aficionados aim for with their own vehicles.

Carnauba If you see " Apply in a cool shady area " that wax will contain canauba. Carnauba is rock hard in its natural form. Car Wax makers have to blend the wax with oils, petroleum distillates, or a solvent called naptha (commonly used to thin wood varnishes and paints) in order to make the wax workable. The very best carnauba-based car wax is only about 1/3 natural carnauba. When a product advertises “pure carnauba car wax” or “100% carnauba car wax”, they are referring to the purity of the carnauba that is in the product, not the product as a whole

Polymers A paint sealant is made of polymers, which are composed of tens of thousands of synthetic particles that are linked together. When a sealant bonds to your vehicle’s paint or clearcoat it forms a rigid shell. Paint sealants sit on top of the paint like a transparent chair armor metal suit. It leaves a glass like finish with total protection.

Carnauba •Under the best of conditions, a carnauba wax will only have retained about 50 percent of its shine after 30 days, and will be effectively gone in 60 days. A carnauba car wax finish will wear off in approximately 6 to 8 weeks. It depends heavily on the climate in which you live and whether or not your vehicle is garaged.

Polymers waxes will last as long as six months, give you the wet look you desire. Paint sealants have gotten progressively more popular as time goes on. Some people really love the hard-as-glass look. In an industry that is driven by technology, it seems appropriate that an engineered paint protector is the new favorite among many detailers. However, the real selling point of a paint sealant is the durability. A premium paint sealant can last 4 to 6 months, sometimes longer. Water will continue to bead and the paint will remain protected from UV rays and contamination. Paint sealants are extremely easy to apply. They are always in liquid form and they spread easily by hand or with a polisher. This time-saving feature makes paint sealants an attractive choice for a deep wet look shine with no effort and great protection.

•Carnauba wax will begin to melt and cloud over at around 180 degrees Fahrenheit, which is perilously close to the surface temperature of a dark car in the sun.

Polymer or Synthetic waxes have a much higher melting temperature, and will never cloud over. It can be applied in direct sunlight with ease and instant results and longer protection.

Microfiber towels should be washed after EVERY use. Since microfiber towels can trap small particles of dirt when used , those same particles will be trapped in the towel on your second use. If you should drop your towel on the ground, I would recommend not using the towel until you wash it. You never know what the towel might have picked up and you don't want to transfer that to your car. If the towel was used for light cleaning , a rinse in the sink with water and mild detirgent will be fine. For a towel that was used several time or heavy cleaning machine wash.

Cleaning Microfiber Towels

Keep your dirty microfiber towels separate from your other kitchen laundry to make it easy to wash these towels. The microfiber towels tend to attract lint and when you wash them with other types of fabric, their fibers will attract the lint, making them less effective for your next cleaning job.

Add the right amount of detergent to your washer, then add the microfiber towels. Let the cycle run its course.

Give the wet microfiber towels a shake once the cycle is done and either line dry them, or put them somewhere in your home where they will air dry. Microfiber towels should not be put in the dryer because the heat breaks down their delicate microfibers.

Using a clay bar on your paint finish is the best way to remove contaminates from your paint such as bugs, tree sap, water spots, brake dust and even paint overspray. There are also different grades ( light cut, medium cut and heavy cut) and different sizes of clay bars from 20 gram bar ( about the size of those small hotel bars of soap) to 8 ounces bar ( like a small brownie). Clay will not remove scratches from your paint.

So do you need to clay your car?

First wash your car with a good car soap nice and foamy then dry well. Next rub your fingers over the surface of your cars hood or the front fascia where most contaminates will bombard you paint finish. You can also the plastic bag and a credit card to feel the contaminates place a credit card in side a plastic sandwich bag and lightly drag NOT push over the surface. If you feel small ridges or bumps you should use a clay bar.

If you use your car for car shows and some cruise night a light cut will do fine. For the daily driver a medium cut will be fine, for the road worrier a heavier cut. For a lot of over spray and very bad finish use a professional detailer.

When using a clay bar you need a lubricate to help the bar slide across the surface and pick up all the crap ( yes the technical word for contaminates = crap) A good detail spray is best but I have also seen some just use water in a spray bottle. I usually place the clay bar in a small tray of Bead X detail to saturate the bar first. Work in a small area about a 2 foot by 2 foot area. Spray your detail on the surface and place 3 fingers on top of the bar and let the clay bar glide across with a light pressure in up and down motion. I have seen a plastic applicator where the clay attaches to but I would be afraid of it slipping off and gouging the paint, so I am more of a "hands on" kind of guy. Ok so you did your 2 foot section now rub your fingers over the surface feels nice right? Remember to fold over the clay every once in a while to always have a clean section of the clay. If you should drop the clay bar on the floor I would use a different bar, you do not want to have any dirt or sand on the bar which could cause scratches to the paint. Move to another section and repeat the process.

Claying your car can take some time but most car guys will only have to clay once a year. When the car is done a nice polymer wax to fill in those spots where the crap was will give you that glass like finish and an award winning shine. Of course I recommend Formula "113" One Step wax after you clay and Bead X detail as your clay lubricate.

When using a brand new wax applicator pad, slightly moisten the pad with either our Bead X detail spray or first application place a quarter size amount of 113 wax in to pad (terry cloth over sponge applicator gives you the softness of terry cloth while the sponge holds more product) Apply in a circular motion to break up so called oxidized or "dead paint" or a straight side to side pass for new or well maintained paint. Be sure to cover the entire area. Formula 113 can be applied in direct sun light to a section or the whole car before removing with the same easy. Use a terry cloth towel or microfiber to remove wax periodicly flipping the towel. The more you buff the more the shine!

Simple - Easy - Truley One Step  

Spray a liberal amount of spray wax on the pad and work in by squeezing the pad. (Spraying the wax pad will give you the same results using less product and avoiding overspray to unwanted areas) Apply to the surface , cover all areas and remove with a terry cloth towel or microfiber to remove wax periodicly flipping the towel. Made from the same formula as the original one step wax it has all the advantages in less time.

Mist an area of your car and wipe with cotton terry or microfiber towel. Thats it ! No streaks !!! Bead X can be used on a wet or dry car. After washing your car remove most of the water then use Bead X on the damp car to dry and add a just waxed look while increasing the beading action. Also add a few ounces to your windshiels washer fluid for a streak free windshield. Many customers add a few ounces to their car wash bucket for a quick wash and bead shine. Also many other household uses.