How to Remove Car Wax

There are several reasons why you may need to remove the wax from your car. If you are switching the type of wax, you should remove the old wax first. Applying one wax on top of another manufacturer of wax may not provide the same results or may leave some areas less shinny. Another reason that you may want to remove car wax is if you are going to touch up or completely repaint your cars finish. No matter what the reason, there are a few way ways to remove car wax, some easier than others.

Car wax facts

Before you start one of the methods that are listed below, let’s discuss some car wax facts. First, despite what you may have heard on commercials, car wax does not last for long. Typically car wax wears off within a couple of months, depending on how often the car gets washed and also the weather. Like hand lotion, over time and after each wash, car wax disappears. Weather also plays a role in how long wax will last. Exposure to direct sunlight and hot temperatures will greatly decrease the life span of wax. You can tell if your car has any wax left, by spraying it with water. If the water puddles and does not bead off of the finish, then chances are that the wax is no longer on the finish.

Remove old wax with dish soap

If you are going to apply a new coat of wax, you first want to remove any old wax from the finish; you can do this by washing the car using heavy-duty liquid dish soap. Just about all dish washing soaps will strip the wax and remove it from the cars finish. Using a high pressure washer or a spray nozzle works best to completely rinse the car after using the dish soap.

Although the liquid dish soap will strip car wax from the finish most of the time, you may need to try another method if the dish soap was not effective. Use a spray bottle; fill the bottle with 2 parts water and 1 part isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. This denatures the wax and strips it from the finish.

Use wax remover instead

Most auto parts stores and stores that sell car wax also carry several different types of wax removers. If you decide to go with one of these wax removers, you should read the label carefully to ensure that it will do what you intend to do and not more. Some of these commercial wax removers can actually remove the paint if not used properly or if the paint is older and faded.

When it comes to removing car wax, it is best to start with the liquid dish soap, since in most cases this will strip any wax from your cars finish. Unless you are planning on repainting your car, you should not use commercial solvents or chemicals to remove car wax. If special care isn't given, you could easily remove the paint from the car. Depending on the reason you want to remove the wax, you can decide which method will be the safest.

Photo Credits: ReneS

This post involves:

auto parts stores, car wax, dish washing, hand lotion, high pressure washer, life span, liquid dish soap, puddles, remove car wax, rubbing alcohol, soaps, spray bottle, spray nozzle, sunlight, temperatures, wash car, wax facts, weather

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Car Tips, Wax

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