There are lots of experts in the world. Especially when it comes to giving out advice about how to care for your car. For instance, some people will tell you to avoid an automatic car wash at all costs. But, actually, the truth is a drive-through car wash is far safer for your vehicle than the old stiff-bristled brush washes of the past. Wash it yourself, they say. Never mind that you can do more damage to your car’s paint finish by washing it improperly – an easy thing to do – than you ever would driving through the wash tunnel. If you do frequent an automatic car wash, the armchair experts will tell you that the “extras” are not worth the money. But is that true? Are the add-on services at an automatic car wash worth the additional cost?
Let’s take a look at one of those “extras”: Armor All ® Extreme Shine Wax. What is it? What are its benefits? Its limitations? And does it make sense for you to upgrade your automatic car wash experience to include the service?
Backed by an industry leader
Armor All ® Extreme Shine Wax is a premium product upgrade at many automatic car washes across the country. With more than fifty years of commitment to creating quality car care products, Armor All is a brand that stands out from the crowd. Their parent company, Zep Vehicle Care, is the largest provider of car wash products and chemistry to the professional car wash industry. Founded in 1937 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Zep markets products under many of the most recognizable brands in car care. Names such as Armor All, Rain-X, Blue Coral, Black Magic, Zep Professional, and more. Zep is the number one auto appearance brand with products trusted by technicians across the country.
Zep introduced Armor All ® Extreme Shine Wax at the International Carwash Association’s Car Wash Show in Chicago in 2014. Since then, it has proven to be a quality car care product.
What Armor All ® Extreme Shine Wax is (and is not)
Wax is a product made from naturally-occurring materials and is used to coat, protect, and shine a surface. Original versions in the eighteen hundreds were made from animal fat and were initially used to polish carriages. Car wax has come a long way since then.
Today, Carnauba wax is considered by automotive enthusiasts to be the go-to product for protecting their paint. Carnauba wax comes from the leaves of a Brazilian plant where it provides a protective layer that shields the plant from heat, UV rays, and water. When harvested and turned into car wax, it offers the same benefits to your paint.
Armor All ® Extreme Shine Wax features Carnauba wax and is applied to the surface of your car, truck, or SUV when you opt for the upgraded service. It is no secret that a carefully-applied coat or two of Carnauba wax done by hand will offer longer-lasting protection than what can be done in an automatic car wash. And yet, as many drivers are unable (or uninterested) to wax their cars themselves, an application of Armor All ® Extreme Shine Wax in the wash tunnel is an excellent option.
If you want to seriously protect the paint on your car, you will want to get it washed every two weeks or so. Armor All ® Extreme Shine Wax gives you peace of mind between washes that your paint will be protected from the elements. While it will not last as long as a hand-applied wax – it is not meant to do so – it is available when you are not able to wax your car regularly. For most folks, that is all the time. It also helps to fill in any gaps in the wax you already have on your vehicle. And whereas improperly applied wax can cause problems if it gets on surfaces other than the paint, Armor All ® Extreme Shine Wax is safe for all surfaces.
Wax vs. Sealant
Another protective coating that is often thrown into the discussion about wax is polymer sealant. Where wax comes from natural sources, paint sealant is a fully synthetic product comprised of polymers that chemically bond with the paint surface. When they dry or cure, paint sealants provide a thinner yet stronger layer than do waxes. And they bond better. Paint sealants do not usually function as a sacrificial surface the way waxes do, but they excel at causing water (and contaminants) to bead up and runoff. And they give added UV protection to boot.
Many car buffs insist on laying down a layer of polymer paint sealant before applying Carnauba wax in order to get the best of both worlds.
Armor All ® Extreme Shine Wax is blended with polymers and can be bundled with Rain-X Complete Surface Protectant to provide you with the best possible protection between car washes.
You can listen to the well-meaning but misinformed “experts,” or you can trust the leaders of the car wash industry. Sure, coatings applied in a car wash are not the same as those meticulously applied by hand. They are not meant to be. But for protection during your daily drive and added security between washes, Armor All ® Extreme Shine Wax is an excellent option.
And we should know – our car wash customers demand it.
Columbia Auto Care & Car Wash | Author: Mike Ales | Copyright January 2020
This article is intended only as a general guidance document and relying on its material is at your sole risk. By using this general guidance document, you agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Columbia Auto Care & Car Wash and its affiliates from and against any and all claims, damages, costs, and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, arising from or related to your use of this guidance document. To the extent fully permissible under applicable law, Columbia Auto Care & Car Wash makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the information, content, or materials included in this document. This reservation of rights is intended to be only as broad and inclusive as is permitted by the laws of your State of residence.
