Carnauba vs. synthetic-based waxes

[aNoodle]

I think natural waxes like Carauba are a waste of money. They offer very little protection and are purely cosmetic.

I prefer a good silicone based wax as a base. I've used BMW's Carauba liquid wax only as a cosmetic gloss to the top only. But it's gone after two weeks.

I like Rain-X paste wax... http://rainx.com/frame_auto_wax.htm

But I love 3M products... http://www21.3m.com/dr/v2/ec_MAIN.E...7838&xid=28181&DSP=&CUR=840&PGRP=0&CACHE_ID=0

I also think liquid waxes are a waste of money...unless you want to pay for half the product of paste only spread out in a liquid. What do you guys think? (And no, I don't work for rain-x or 3m...I'm a law student.)

 

[Big Daddy]

"I think natural waxes like Carauba are a waste of money." What a strange thing to say! Some pro paint shops say to never use silicone base products on paint, some people say Carnauba wax offers the most protection, etc. My point is that there are many different and varying opinions. Let us who like Carnauba waxes have ours and you can have yours. I will let my cars (which can be seen in the gallery) paint and gloss speak for themselves. (And no I do not work for Zymol, I am retired from the field of law)

 

[aNoodle]

"I think natural waxes like Carauba are a waste of money." What a strange thing to say! Some pro paint shops say to never use silicone base products on paint, some people say Carnauba wax offers the most protection, etc. My point is that there are many different and varying opinions. Let us who like Carnauba waxes have ours and you can have yours. I will let my cars (which can be seen in the gallery) paint and gloss speak for themselves. (And no I do not work for Zymol, I am retired from the field of law)

Well, Big Daddy, I'd love to challenge you to a comparo...but my car sits outside all day :-(

Our manuals recommend "carnauba or a synthetic-based wax." I have Zymol in the garage…McGuire's too. But I moved the carnaubas over to my dad's shelf.

I guess my argument is this: carnauba is to synthetic-based wax as mineral oil is to synthetic motor oil. Technology has evolved. The naturals are no longer competitive.

That's my $0.02.

 

[MrElussive]

Is waxing in general even necessary? I mean, don't get me wrong, I do a full exterior/interior detail every 3 months to my car (using Zaino products), and it makes my car look great! But as far as protection/endurance of the products, are they at all necessary since cars have clear coats on them already? For example, my dad had a 2001 MB E430 4Matic in Silver...he gave it back about a month ago, and after 3 years/45,000 miles of not waxing it at all, it looks as clean as the day he picked it up, provided he washed it once every 1-2 weeks.
All I know is, Zaino makes my baby shine real nice, and since I only have the car for 3 years, I'm not interested in long-term protection...I just want it to look good for as long as I own it.

 

[Ghost]

Everyone makes a good point. aNoodle makes a good point about evolution, (i.e. acid rain, ozone, etc.) but as Big Daddy says everyone is at liberty to have their opinions and make purchases accordingly to your preference and requirements. IMO Zymol is the way to go, my ’89 535 has seen nothing more since the day I purchased her and she looks great. Just as MrE doesn’t find in necessary to wax more than he does because it’s new and he won’t have his car long others may have an older car that will be around for some time so waxing would be considered more necessary. MrE although your car is new, over time the effects of the elements will get imbedded into the paint surface. While some may not feel it necessary, waxing helps when substances get on the surface of the car and you want them removed. Waxing simply provides another barrier for these contaminants to penetrate in addition to leveling the surface of reflection, because in actuality we don’t see anything, we only see the light that is reflected off of it.

 

[Bryan330i]

I am afraid to let anything with silicone near car paint. I always thought this was a sure way to develop problems. My experience has also been that you get what you pay for and in the testing results that I am aware of Zymol carauba is consistently one of the best.

The Rain-X Ultra is certainly a lot cheaper, but when I had this applied to my Expedition at a local detail shop (they talked me into this and were offering a special and it was $20.00 less than others) I was not impressed. Sure, it does have a very slick feel after application just like they claim, but I find that it does not hold up well and attracts significantly more dirt.

The leaders in this industry will remain as far as I can see.

 

[shawnmattar]

I am afraid to let anything with silicone near car paint. I always thought this was a sure way to develop problems. My experience has also been that you get what you pay for and in the testing results that I am aware of Zymol carauba is consistently one of the best.

The Rain-X Ultra is certainly a lot cheaper, but when I had this applied to my Expedition at a local detail shop (they talked me into this and were offering a special and it was $20.00 less than others) I was not impressed. Sure, it does have a very slick feel after application just like they claim, but I find that it does not hold up well and attracts significantly more dirt.

The leaders in this industry will remain as far as I can see.

I'll have to agree with Bryan - haven't read too many good things about polymer/synthetic waxes.

I know from what I've read that P21S & Trade Secret are among the best. Meguiars and Mother's from personal experience is not bad either. Try to stay with pure carnauba and not the cleaner carnauba waxes - cleaners and waxes were designed for 2 different things and seem strange in the same bottle. Here's something I got from http://www.properautocare.com/whichwaxisbest.html

Carnauba Waxes:

Advantages:

A darker, deeper, richer shine.
Best carnauba waxes produce a liquid, "wet-looking" surface.
Carnauba waxes tend to hide minor swirls.
Carnauba waxes bead water (tells user when to re-wax surface).
Disadvantages:

Limited durability (Carnauba starts to melt at 180 degrees F).
50% gone in 30 days, 75% gone in 60 days, re-wax in 90 days.
Some carnauba waxes harder to apply. (Require more effort to buff off).
Some carnauba waxes create chalky- white residues and stain trim moldings.
Low surface adhesion - can be removed by car washes and detergents.
More prone to water spots.
Usually requires a strong petroleum solvent base.
Can cloud and/or streak on dark color cars.
Can be difficult to apply by machine.
Polymer Waxes:

Advantages:

Longer lasting. (Most will last six months or longer)
Easy to apply.
Very bright shine.
Some synthetic waxes sheet water which reduces water spots.
Stronger surface adhesion resists detergents.
Usually easy to apply by machine.
Can be water-based or use a mild mineral spirit.
Disadvantages:

Bright shine is often referred to as sterile, lacking emotion.
(it does not allow the paints true pigment to show through)
Tends to high light or amplify minor swirls and paint imperfections.
Sheeting does not give a visual clue of when to recoat.
Some products have long cure times between coats.

 

[MrElussive]

THE_GHOST, one thing I did not mention. Zaino recommends that you only re-apply every 6 months at a time...they say that you can re-apply every 3 months for a continuous "show car finish", but Zaino is an auto polish, and auto polishes typically last for 6 months to a year, depending on vehicle and care (and if you park it in a garage or not, etc.). I was using myself as an example of a "good" car keeper in that I wax and detail my car on a strict 3-month schedule even though I don't own my car. My side-point (which I really didn't mention) is that when I use my Zaino products, I'm not really in it for the protection...I use Zaino because it makes my car look the best (based on previous products I have tried) and its maintenance is not so bad...every 3 months I re-apply as opposed to every 4-6 weeks like typical carnauba waxes.

 

[Georgelas]

I would not mess with silicone, it is far too volatile as a substance to be putting on your car. You are asking for a rash chemical reactionl. Carmuba, at the least has a strong history.. and how much is your paint worth to you?

 

[Dutch]

Pfff,

try Zaino first! What about too volatile? I haven't seen white stains on my bumper (I know, if you're really careful you'll never have stains on your bumpers) while using zaino. I've tried 2 different carnauba waxes (mothers and mcguires) and they do give white stains. Furthermore, if you live in downtown Alabama where the love bugs start hitting your car around september, zaino gives real good protection! You can wipe everything off your car with ONE stroke when you wash your lady. Thanks to Mr mcguires I got two stains that will never go away because I let a set of lovebugs eat my paint (washed the car EACH week) although I had waxed it 2-3 weeks ago (did I forget to mention that the sun shines in september). And yeah it shines nice but I will believe that a lot of carnabau waxes also provide a nice look. For me I don't see a single reason not to use synthetics (in my case zaino, have heard a lot of good stories about blackfly also) except for the fact that it takes longer to apply, especially the first time.

Just my 2 euro cents

 

[vlad]

OK, I'll chime in.....

Natural or Synthetic, each has their benefits and drawbacks. What it really comes down to is which one you prefer. Personally, (having a Jet Black car), I prefer the looks of a good carnauba wax. Yes, I have to apply the wax mor often than a synthetic, but the appearance on a dark colored car cannot be beat. If you're more comfortable with a synthetic, and you're happy with it's appearance, then . And if some folks are happy with a natural wax, then again!

I have discovered that most folks prefer what they can work with better. I really think that it's a 50/50 ratio of preferences of natural versus synthetic. I have tried a lot of different waxes, and really there is not a lot of differences in protection, EXCEPT for the life span of the product. Considering that a synthetic wax lasts 33% longer than that of a carnauba, (real, wash tested, beading, type of tests), I prefer to wax more often to achieve the depth of shine, rather than wax less frequently for less of a visual impact.

What I am most interested in trying is Meguiar's new NXT tech wax.