Wax & Sealant Longevity Chart

VETLAG

VETLAG

New member
Does anybody know of any charts or spreadsheets that list typical longevity of various waxes and sealants?
I do realize that many factors will affect how long they last, but it would give a general guideline of what to typically expect.

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I’m interested in this thread, I’ve never seen charts that list this but I’lll bet there are a lot of opinions. A product’s durability is such a “Your Mileage May Vary” type thing. That said, I’m the last person in the world to give valuable input on how long a product might last. I do have opinions on some products that just don’t seem to have it. Oddly, almost every time I make a comment along these lines someone tells me it’s either a problem with my prep work or lack thereof or how I’ve applied the product incorrectly. These type of comments just annoy me, I believe that I can prep a car with some of the best (it may take me longer) and I can read and follow a product’s instructions as well as anyone. I usually know when I’ve done something incorrectly.

I honestly never wait to see how long a product might last. I still get a sense of satisfacton when completing a full detail and I like doing it often. I find myself putting something on at least monthly and sometimes more frequently. I’ll be interested in seeing others comments in this thread. :ph34r:
 
I`ll tell you how long they last... until I top it the next day, lol

but seriously there are way way way too many variables here to provide anything sufficient

come to think of it I`ve always wondered how the manufacturer figures this out.. I mean where is this data? I want to dig into it

Show Me Tha DAAAAATAAA (jerry Maguire) haha
 
512detail said:
I`ll tell you how long they last... until I top it the next day, lol

but seriously there are way way way too many variables here to provide anything sufficient

come to think of it I`ve always wondered how the manufacturer figures this out.. I mean where is this data? I want to dig into it

Show Me Tha DAAAAATAAA (jerry Maguire) haha
Click to expand...
Lol, daily waxing might indicate an obsession

I know there are many many variables, but I believe you can get a general idea. Example - a carnauba wax that lists 4-6 weeks of protection will NOT be made to last 9 months with even the best care and proper prep.

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GearHead_1 said:
I’m interested in this thread, I’ve never seen charts that list this but I’lll bet there are a lot of opinions. A products durability is such a “Your Mileage May Vary” type thing. That said, I’m the last person in the world to give valuable input on how long a product might last. I do have opinions on some products that just don’t seem to have it. Oddly, almost every time I make a comment along these lines someone tells me it’s either about my prep work or lack thereof or how I’ve applied the product incorrectly. Those type of comments just annoy me, I believe that I can prep a car with some of the best (it may take me longer) and I can read and follow a product’s instructions as well as anyone.

I honestly never wait to see how long a product might last. I still get that sense of satisfacton of completing a full detail. I find myself putting something on at least monthly and sometimes more frequently. I’ll be interested in seeing others comments in this thread. :ph34r:
Click to expand...
I agree, it`s annoying when people go right to bad prep. I think that if it sits in the garage or not, Temps, sun (location), etc. has the most to do with it.

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VETLAG said:
Lol, daily waxing might indicate an obsession
Click to expand...

adce1f30e60d1b5a00f4a391f794fd5d.jpg

I never said I didn`t have a problem :)
 
VETLAG said:
Lol, daily waxing might indicate an obsession..
Click to expand...

Seriously....

I know there are many many variables, but I believe you can get a general idea. Example - a carnauba wax that lists 4-6 weeks of protection will NOT be made to last 9 months with even the best care and proper prep..
Click to expand...

Ya know how I`m always saying how my Souveran needs redone after every other wash? Well, OTOH, with the Jag stored indoors, in relatively climate-controlled conditions (seldom over 90°F), the same Souveran was just fine after years. Doesn`t seem to degrade at all, even if I do usually refresh it anyhow.
 
Accumulator said:
Seriously....



Ya know how I`m always saying how my Souveran needs redone after every other wash? Well, OTOH, with the Jag stored indoors, in relatively climate-controlled conditions (seldom over 90°F), the same Souveran was just fine after years. Doesn`t seem to degrade at all, even if I do usually refresh it anyhow.
Click to expand...

Ok, you got me there... I meant on a daily driver

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Hard to get any real numbers, especially around here. Most Autopians park their car in a garage. If you park in a garage, you can`t give an accurate number. I`ve had stuff last YEARS on cars that were parked in a garage but still driven 5k a year. Then there is environment and washing technique. Prep plays somewhat into it, some stuff just does not bond well to other stuff. I had FK1000P fail on me in less than a month when I applied it over Last Touch QD. I think the best we can really do is compare how long a product lasts relative to another, in your personal situation. For me the longest lasting stuff other than a coating is Collinite*. I`ve had stuff bead water for longer than Collinite, but it was just water beading, no real protection.
 
Just to show how different experiences can be, I have ~4 month old FK on my car topped with a light coat of Mckees Extender spray wax about 2-3 weeks ago. Beading was still good on the FK, and the car blew itself dry on the way to work this morning after exhibiting great beading behavior after the rain washed the dust/dirt off. Then that begs the question... was it really the FK? or was it the 2-3 week old spray wax? or a combo of the two?

However, FK on my wife`s car wouldn`t last a month. Having better luck with McKees Hydro Blue on that one.

No easy answers.

Dan said:
Hard to get any real numbers, especially around here. Most Autopians park their car in a garage. If you park in a garage, you can`t give an accurate number. I`ve had stuff last YEARS on cars that were parked in a garage but still driven 5k a year. Then there is environment and washing technique. Prep plays somewhat into it, some stuff just does not bond well to other stuff. I had FK1000P fail on me in less than a month when I applied it over Last Touch QD. I think the best we can really do is compare how long a product lasts relative to another, in your personal situation. For me the longest lasting stuff other than a coating is Collinite*. I`ve had stuff bead water for longer than Collinite, but it was just water beading, no real protection.
Click to expand...
 
In your case I`d say the extender, but you bring up a great point, some people post durations while using an extending product on top. I can get a couple of months out of OCW by itself. Same thing irks me about coatings and the "extender" sprays. Sorry, not interested in your coating if you require that.
 
Dan, just to clarify - I was responding to the OP while quoting your post as a counter-point. I re-read my post and it sounded like I was maybe trying to debate you. No such thing - I was really trying to prove your point on a million different factors being involved in longevity.

Sorry if it came off different.
 
I agree, I think the extender spray waxes/sealants we use play a huge role. That`s actually why I`m watching the Sealant and AOI tests that Cruz and RippyD have going, I`m curious how long they last with no added sprays.

Again, I know that there`s no guarantee that 1 person will achieve exactly the same length of time as another. I just started this looking for a "general" guideline like "xxx wax typically only lasts 1 - 2 months but produces a deep gloss" and "zzz sealant typically lasts 6 - 9 months but doesn`t have as deep of a gloss/wet look" etc...

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Since we`re discussing it, I`ve been using some kind of leaves-stuff-behind Drying Aid for the last few years, so to some extent that undoubtedly factors in to *some of* my durability claims for certain products (I never used Drying Aids with KSG and did not initially use them with FK1000P, used them for maybe 5% of the times I used Collinite).

But those Drying Aids, used by themselves, don`t last long, and with LSPs that I`ve used both with/without the Drying Aids, I`ve often thought that the *look* benefited more than the durability or other characteristics.

No Drying Aid (or other LSP) I`ve ever used can resist etching like FK1000P/KSGx6 so I don`t consider the Drying Aids as contributing to any real protection as I define it.
 
nickclark08 said:
Dan, just to clarify - I was responding to the OP while quoting your post as a counter-point. I re-read my post and it sounded like I was maybe trying to debate you. No such thing - I was really trying to prove your point on a million different factors being involved in longevity.

Sorry if it came off different.
Click to expand...

Not at all, I was just piling on to my frustration with some people`s tests. You`re absolutely right, there are so many factors involved and few controls.
 
When I lived at 7,000 feet had to park my truck outside due to lack of garage space. I tried just about every wax on the market and none lasted more than 3 months. But one of my cars that spent time in the garage when it was not being driven still beaded water a year later.
IMO the sun (UV rays), or lack of it, is the most important factor to wax longevity.
 
Yes, there are way too many variables to give exact numbers ... but also realize there is a difference between a wax`s shine vs it`s protection.

Waxes will vary as to their content and of what "makes" the shine .. the natural oils in the carnauba will fade and can hasten depending on the

environment the vehicle is parked or driven under.

You will lose your "look" but the protection will remain quite a bit longer until you wash it many times or polish it off .. it does not evaporate into thin air.

years ago i waxed my grandfather`s Buick , he became ill and stopped driving ... the car sat outside under tree for over a year and when washed it looked as good as it did initially.

Washing , maintenance with drying aids , or QD`s .. are ALL abrasive to the LSP. and will reduce longevity.
 
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