Do car wash waxes at auto car washes really do anything?

They do a fine job of sealing in your not-totally-clean paint and leaving a nice haze, but it's better than not being washed at all.

I really wish the wax option and undercarriage wash option were not always combined in pretty much every automatic car was out there.
 
Maybe a little....I'm thinking nowadays with the soap/ceramic based spray off blends it may get better.
 
Beads pretty darn good at my regular place ... figure it might help bugs come off next time ...
 
Originally Posted by Bottom_Feeder
They do a fine job of sealing in your not-totally-clean paint and leaving a nice haze, but it's better than not being washed at all.

I really wish the wax option and undercarriage wash option were not always combined in pretty much every automatic car was out there.


This is exactly my feeling. Thankfully the "silver" tier at my local car wash includes undercarriage wash and no wax/sealant. I would probably spring for the longer undercarriage wash time on the "gold" tier if I could opt out of the wax.
 
I have always wondered if they recycle so much of their water that you get some of the wax/sealant applied anyway. Even when I only buy the el-cheapo suds and rinse wash my car still seems to bead water for a little while afterwards.
 
It's been my experience that if I have a nice wax job on my car, then the car was wax helps bring it out and make it shine. But if my car is in need of a wax job, then the car wash wax does nothing.
 
I pony up for the Diamond wash with Turtle was at my local car wash and my car looks nice and shiny. Don't think you can lump all car washes together. My local car wash is awesome so I trust that they keep product in the wax machine.
 
Originally Posted by fsdork
Originally Posted by Bottom_Feeder
They do a fine job of sealing in your not-totally-clean paint and leaving a nice haze, but it's better than not being washed at all.

I really wish the wax option and undercarriage wash option were not always combined in pretty much every automatic car was out there.


This is exactly my feeling. Thankfully the "silver" tier at my local car wash includes undercarriage wash and no wax/sealant. I would probably spring for the longer undercarriage wash time on the "gold" tier if I could opt out of the wax.


Here in the rust belt with a vehicle treated with one of the many rust prev. products (Krown, FF, Carwell, NH Coatings) we are told to avoid the undercarriage wash, except on the way to get my vehicle treated.
 
I know someone that owned a car wash and he said you only get about a teaspoon of liquid wax. Seemed to last a few weeks in rainy season for beading but not really that much.
 
Yes, the wax does bead, but they do not last long at all. The other problem you may encountered is that unscrupulous operator may try to make additional money by dilution. I prefer to wax it myself so I can tell what's being put on the car.

Paul
 
Originally Posted by ZZman
Just wondered if they actually put any protection on a car or if are "snake wax"?

It is mainly a surfactant that is designed to help water bead and sheet during the air dry process. The product may contain gloss enhancers as well. Together, these mimic the characteristics of a "wax."

The spray on/rinse off sealants such as Hydro2 are built off of the same premise but the product is more concentrated.
 
I'd say about as good as car soap which includes some wax in it. The wax lasts about two days, but at least the cleaning part usually works.
 
They haze your windshield a bit...

As noted above, they are not a true wax, they are a surfactant (some are silicone based) that will provide a gloss, bead water and provide some measure of protection to the paint by making it harder for contaminants to stick, but they aren't anywhere near what a true coat of wax will do. Another interesting fact is that touchless car washes use more aggressive cleaning chemicals to clean and a good, well maintained touch type car wash is best. I was also told (see below) that modern car finishes don't need waxing like they used to and automatic washes are certainly good enough if you don't care for anything else.

How I know this is a funny story; Company I worked for was acquired and I was visiting the new HQ. I intentionally booked a Marriott quite a ways away from the facility so as to be able to have an unwind drink at the bar without running into anyone from work. The bar is packed and I wound up sitting next to someone who owned a chain of car washes in the Southwest...major car wash trade show was in town; owners, vendors, you name it.. Nice guy and also a car guy, so I managed to get every car wash question i ever had answered, and the vendors bought drinks
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I do maintenance at a local car wash, and the biggest benefit I see to the so called wax is, that it really makes the spot-free rinse water bead up so the blower can blow it off. On a un-waxed car like my beater without the wax the water just sheets up, and won't blow off. My $800 02 Camry gets lots of "test washes", and looks great.

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