waterless car wash
Mother nature can be pretty cruel when it comes to your car’s paint. Everything from UV rays to rain and road grime wears down your paint, makes it look dull, and even lowers the value of your vehicle.
People have been using wax to protect the finish of their rides for more than 200 years when wax was first developed for horse-drawn carriages in 1800 in Germany. Today, car, truck, and SUV owners have a choice in how to protect their paint: traditional car wax or ceramic coating. So what’s the difference between the two and which should you choose?
Car Wax
Car wax can be a great option for someone who has a few hours of time each month and doesn’t mind the physical labor of applying and buffing the wax.
What is Car Wax Made Of?
Most automotive waxes combine carnauba wax with solvents and beeswax. Carnauba wax comes from a specific type of palm tree in South America. There are also some synthetic waxes on the market.
How Wax is Applied
Wax is applied by rubbing the wax onto the vehicle’s exterior (usually in a circular pattern), letting it dry, then buffing out the residue until the finish is clean and shiny. You can use clean rags or specially made applicators and buffers.
How Long Car Wax Lasts
Most automotive waxes last four to six weeks.
How Much Protection Wax Provides
Wax will make your car water repellant and offers some UV light protection. However, it does little to protect your paint from scratches, and it can wear off in commercial car washes.
Ceramic Coating
If you tend to keep a busy schedule or don’t like the idea of paying someone to hand wax your car on a monthly basis, consider ceramic coating.
How Ceramic Coating is Made
Ceramic coatings were developed from nanotechnologies used for space shuttles to provide heat insulation and anti-corrosion properties. The word nano refers to the size of the particles in the coating itself. They are very small, ranging from 80-100 nanometers, which allows the particles to seal all the pores in the surface of the vehicle.
How Ceramic Coating is Applied
The surface of the vehicle must be prepped before applying a ceramic coating. This includes a process called paint correction, where the surface of the car is buffed and polished in ordered to remove small abrasions, paint swirls, and other imperfections. The coating should be applied in a clean atmosphere by a professional and needs a few days to cure.
How Long a Ceramic Coat Lasts
Coatings, including the protection and intense shine they provide, can last several years.
How Much Protection Ceramic Coating Provides
The surface of your car, truck, or SUV will be water repellent and able to resist UV light, light abrasions (though it won’t be entirely scratch-proof), chemicals, and extreme heat. A ceramic coating is a heavier layer of protection than vehicle wax.
Protect Your Vehicle’s Value with Ceramic Coating from DeDonna
The team at DeDona Tint and Sound is specially trained in applying ceramic coatings. DeDona is an official installer for Assurance 9H Ceramic Coating from Croftgate. Learn more about our ceramic coating services or request an instant quote with our easy online form.