Will Washing Your Car Remove Wax?

Washing your car frequently is very important to keep your car clean and shiny. Along with washing, many people wax their car to give it the ultimate shine.

Waxing your car takes a lot of work, so it important to know if washing your car will remove the wax.

Washing your car will not remove wax if you’re using a car wash soap. Although, frequent washing could cause your wax to fade quicker than normal.

On the other hand, if you’re using a soap that isn’t designed for cars, such as dish soap, it will probably remove wax 

What Is Car Wash Soap?

Almost every soap you use is designed for a specific purpose. Hand soap is for your hands, while dish soap is for your dishes, and laundry detergent is for your laundry.

All these soaps are made up of different chemicals for their specific use and some of harsher than others. You probably wouldn’t want to use strong laundry detergent on your skin.

Car wash soap is the same idea. It is designed with the proper chemicals and strength to clean your car without any negative effects.

Therefore, a normal car wash soap won’t remove wax from your car because it has been designed to have the perfect strength to effectively clean your car without stripping the wax.

Best Car Wash Soap

There are many different car wash soaps on the market, but many of them are cheap and poorly designed.

For car wash soap, I use and recommend Meguiar’s Gold Class Car Wash.

Meguiar’s is a trusted name in auto detailing and this product effectively removes dirt and grime without stripping wax. It is a high-quality product at an affordable price.

Soaps that Remove Car Wax

There are many different soaps that will remove wax from your car. Although sometimes you want to strip wax from your car, it can often happen by accident when using the wrong type of soap.

Here are two types of soaps that will remove wax from your car.

Household Soaps

Household soaps, such as dishwashing liquid and laundry detergent, will remove wax from your car.

These soaps contain harsh chemicals that are intended to clean grease and other types of tough dirt. Therefore, they will easily remove wax from your car.

You should avoid using these soaps even if you intend to strip wax, as they can have other harmful effects.

Car Wax Remover

If you’re trying to remove wax, you should use a wax removing car soap. These car wash soaps will help you remove the wax from your car if you want to start fresh.

They are safe to use on your car, unlike household soaps, but will still remove the wax.

Clean Slate Surface Cleanser by Chemical Guys is a great car wax remover that is safe to use and removes all the wax from your car.

How Long Does Car Wax Last?

Determining how long car wax lasts depends on many different variables, such as weather and driving conditions.

This also depends on the type of wax you are using.

In general, you can expect a carnauba wax to last anywhere from 1-4 months, while a synthetic wax can be expected to last for 4-12 months.

Remember, this depends on the conditions the car is exposed to. Use your best judgement to determine if your wax will last on the lower or higher end of those ranges.

How Often Should You Wax Your Car?

Waxing your car provides essential protection to your car’s paint, so it’s important to keep it properly waxed.

For minimum protection, you should wax your car at least 2 times per year for any type of car wax.

You should wax more frequently if you are using a carnauba wax or your car frequently experiences tough conditions, such as sunlight or road salt.

To determine if your car needs waxed, check to see if water is still beading up on the surface. If it isn’t, your car needs re-waxed.

Differences Between Carnauba and Synthetic Car Wax

There are two main categories of car wax available on the market.

Carnauba wax is the most popular type of car wax. It is natural and provides an intense shine and warmth to a car’s paint.

Synthetic wax, also known as paint sealant, is less popular but still used by many people. Although it doesn’t provide the best shine, it lasts much longer.

While carnauba wax provides the best shine, it does not last as long as synthetic wax. Although synthetic wax lasts longer, it won’t give you the same level of shine as a carnauba wax offers. Both types of waxes prove the same amount of protection.

Recommended Article: Carnauba Wax vs. Synthetic Wax

Benefits of Waxing Your Car

There are many benefits of waxing your car often. Car wax not only improves the visual appearance of your car, but also prevents your car’s paint from becoming damage.

This is a short list of car wax benefits, but you can read the entire list in the article: 11 Benefits of Waxing Your Car.

Protects Against Sun Damage

One of the greatest benefits of waxing your car is protection against sun damage.

Older cars often have flaking and faded paint due to the clear coat layer becoming damaged by the sun.

Car wax helps prevent this by protecting against ultraviolet rays from the sun. This keeps your paint in great condition for many years, which can have a positive impact on the value of your car.

Makes Your Car Shiny

Everyone knows that waxing your car will make it look glossy and clean.

Natural oils in the wax help add shine to the paint, giving it a fantastic, new appearance.

Car wax also fills in some imperfections in your paint, leaving a more uniform and glass-like appearance on the surface of your car

Shields Dirt from Your Paint

Waxing your car helps shield dirt from sticking to the paint by making the surface smooth and uniform.

It fills in some imperfections and rough surface on your paint, making it more difficult for dirt to grab onto the surface.

IT also helps prevent dirt from becoming embedding in your paint, which will need to be removed using a clay bar system.