I was over at Target browsing for car waxes as of late and I noticed a product by Dupont called the Teflon Ultra Car Wax. It claims it has some Teflon finish protectors that leave the car with a non-stick coating, leaving it shinier and cleaner longer. Personally for me, I love the feeling of a fresh coat of wax on the car, a smooth silky feeling. I just wanted to know if anyone has used it or knows anyone that has used this before. I've been using Meguiar's Gold Class wax and I'm near the end of the bottle so I'd like to know if anyone has any suggestions for a new type of wax to buy or should I just stick to the Gold Class.

Much thanks.

 

I'm currently using Zaino and I think the stuff rocks. People who use Klasse swear by that as well, so whatever you prefer. You'll find a lot of diehards in here who are loyal (to a fault) to their preferred products. I've purchased many new cars in my life, and I've come to some common sense conclusions on how to keep them looking good.

1) wash frequently with a dedicated CAR WASH SOAP. Don't use dish soap on your ride unless you intentionally want to STRIP the existing wax/polish before putting down a new coat.

2) select a 100% sheepskin/lambskin wash mit and use 2 buckets (one for soap and one to rinse). Clean the tires/wheels/lower body panels first with a lower quality mit if possible.

3) wash the horizontal surfaces (hood, roof, top of trunk) by using left to right/right to left motions. Avoid swirling your mit. Wash the vertical surfaces by using an up/down motion. Light refracts better (less visable hairline scratches) if you use this technique.

4) Take the sprayer off the hose when you're done and rinse your car with the natural flow of the hose water. Less beading and you'll get soap out of the seams better

5) I use a california water blade to dry, but use CAUTION with this. Any debris left on your car will scratch the paint if you're not careful. If you don't mind multiple (very soft/100% cotton microfiber) towels, you can use the same technique to dry that you use to wash. Right/left on the horizontal surfaces and up/down on the vertical surfaces.

Please note that I'm NOT a professional detailer, and I'm sure there are better ways to go about cleaning your ride. Personally, I'm an outside salesman and drive my car 25-30K miles/year. It's simply not logical to go to any more trouble to keep my car looking good. When I'm in the mood, I spring for a $150 detail job once/year to remove any hairline scratches and to buff out any minor dings and such.

Again, opionions will vary but you have to remember that your car will get the occasional bump/bruise if you drive it (DUH!). Rather than obsess about which wax/polish is the "best," focus your energy on keeping your ride clean OFTEN and use only automobile specific products. I like Zaino a lot, but I also know that if I were on a budget I could keep my car looking great by using only cheap turtle wax/eagle products as well. It does you no good whatsoever to buy the top of the line products if you don't keep your car clean and waxed regulary. I like Zaino because I only need to use the stuff 3 times per year.

Good luck and enjoy your ride!

 

Great reply and write up. Very informative! Thank you for your suggestions.

 

FWIW - the teflon advertising on some waxes is marketing only. Do a search over at autopia.org and you'll find a lot of threads on the topic. Dupont uses it on the product because it's a name people know.

 

I agree with the above. Technically, Teflon has to be applied at over 600 degrees for it to actually bond to the paint. Otherwise its just sitting on the surface and will wash right off. Nearly all products with Teflon are complete marketing, just because consumers are familiar with the brand name. They typically don't even offer the durability of a paint sealant. They claim it leaves a "non-stick" coating because it won't stick to your paint either.

What's funny is that DuPont even released a statement a while back saying that Teflon does absolutely nothing when added to a car wax product.

Save your cash for something worthwhile.

If you want a fantastic local product alternative, try Duragloss paint sealants. I use many of their products and find them much better than nearly anything else on store shelves (and I've used them all). Can be found at CarQuest stores, among others.

Mike