Car wax is useful, but sometimes it needs to be removed. Learn how to remove car wax before polishing, coating or applying fresh wax.
Introduction
Car wax is useful, but sometimes it needs to be removed. Learn how to remove car wax before polishing, coating or applying fresh wax.
Car wax is great for improving the shine and resilience of vehicle paint, but there are some situations where removing it makes sense. Vehicle polishing, touch-up painting, ceramic coating, or even switching to a different type of wax all require a clean, bare paint surface. That’s why knowing how to properly remove that wax is important if you’ve waxed your vehicle.
Car wax can be tricky to remove because it’s hard to see and doesn’t look hugely different from new, untreated paint. It’s also easy to make the mistake of assuming car wash soap will remove it.
Instead, you’ll want to use a detergent or soap that removes oil, says Chris “Moose” Pyle, an automotive expert with JustAnswer.com. “Dawn, Dawn, Dawn will get it done,” he says. “It may take using warm water or two washings, but it will remove the wax.”
If you know there’s wax on your car and you know you need to get rid of it, here’s what to do.
Tools Required
- Bucket
- Car sponge
- Car washing brush with hose connection
- Garden hose
Materials Required
- Dish soap
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Water
- Wax remover (optional)
Project step-by-step (4)
Step 1
Test your vehicle for wax
- Wet your vehicle’s surface thoroughly before beginning wax removal.
- Look closely at the water as it flows over your car’s paint. If there’s a substantial wax coating, the water will flow quickly off the paint, or bead up rather than flatly coat the surface.
- If you don’t notice these things, there could still be some residual wax, but you’ll need less elbow grease to clean it off.
Step 2
Wash the vehicle thoroughly
- While the car is still wet, add a dollop of plain dish soap to your bucket.
- Add some water to form a nice bed of foamy suds.
- Dip your car sponge in the bucket, then scrub the vehicle vigorously in two- or three-foot sections.
- Let the soap sit on each section for a couple of minutes, then rinse and scrub it off with your hose-attached car washing brush.
- Continue over the entire vehicle this way, washing and rinsing one section at a time.
Step 3
Do a final wax test and clean more if needed
- Spray each section of your car with water when you think everything’s clean.
- Look closely at the water as it flows over the paint. It should behave differently than during the pre-washing test. If all the wax is gone, the water won’t bead up or flow off the paint as easily.
- If you notice water beading and think there might still be wax on the paint, wash that spot again, or rub it down with some isopropyl alcohol diluted down to 70 percent concentration. Then give it a final rinse.
- If you’ve followed all the steps, your car should now be clean and completely free of wax.
Step 4
FAQ
Why should I remove wax from my car?
If you’re getting ready to do any paint touch-ups or bodywork on your car, you’ll need to remove the wax. Also, if you have wax buildup on your car or are planning on polishing it or switching to a different type of wax, you may want to remove the old wax before applying the new wax.
Can I remove wax with soap and water?
Yes, but you’ll need to use soap like Dawn, which is designed to remove oil, as car wash soap is typically too mild. “That’s why hand washing sometimes is a long process,” says Pyle. “Just a heads-up, some car washes can remove oil, but they use a more aggressive soap and then hide the damage it did to your waxed car by applying wax at the end of the car wash. That wax is a product that lasts maybe 10 days.”
About the Expert
- Chris “Moose” Pyle is a master-certified technician with 20-plus years of automotive experience. He has also worked as an expert for JustAnswer.com since 2006
