Why Do We Offer Hand Waxing in 2025? | Car Detailing Tips
Think back to the golden age of old-school automobiles—the Mustangs, the Plymouths, the Barracudas, and those split-window Corvettes. Whether the owner was making the rounds at car shows, or just trying to keep the car in good shape, one paint sealant controlled the market–the paste wax. Applied by hand, it was easy enough to do in a day, and make the car’s paint shine like nothing else. Now, many years later, paste waxes are still around, but much less common. Yet, they still have their place in auto detailing–as a happy medium between the modern inventions of the spray wax and ceramic coating. But why, as a mobile detailer, do we offer hand waxing to most of our clients? Well, we have our reasons.
Reason One | A Shine Above the Rest
A big reason why we’ve kept hand waxing on our service menu is because of the shine it gives to any paint job. Short of applying a ceramic coating, a hand wax will give a deep, rich shine to the paint that simply cannot be done with a spray wax. Even when compared to a $1000+ ceramic coating service, a quality hand wax can provide an even deeper shine than a ceramic coating, making the color of your car pop just that much more. An added benefit to hand waxing is the inclusion of a light polish, which comes standard in the paste wax that we use on a daily basis. Naturally, any car that has seen the road will have its fair share of scratches, bumps, and bruises. Because of this, a wax that includes a small amount of polish can help level out some of these fine imperfections. And, on top of any polish, a wax will help fill in some small scratches, making them, at least temporarily, much less noticeable.
Reason Two | A Thin Layer of Protection
While a layer of wax won’t stop a rock from chipping your paint (you’ll need PPF for that!), a quality hand wax will provide a hydrophobic layer on the paint that helps repel and bead up water. For the price, getting 3-6 months of hydrophobic protection is quite the deal, even when compared to 3-5 year ceramic coatings that run in the $1000+ range. Plus, that thin layer serves as an extra layer of protection on top of the paint’s clear coat, which isn’t insignificant. And, of course, it doesn’t take too long for us as professionals to apply, which is why our personal vehicles are consistently hand waxed to help deal with whatever the roads have to offer!
While hand waxing might be old-school, it most certainly has its place when it comes to protecting and showing off your car’s paint. That’s why, as a part of our standard Exterior Detail, a hand paste wax is applied, every time. By including this as a part of our core service, we can provide the best results for our clients, while not breaking the bank. So, if you live on the South Shore or Cape Cod in MA, and a hand wax sounds like the right service for you, let us know here, and we’ll be happy to help. And, if you’re hungry for more detailing information, the rest of our blog is jam-packed with all the info you’ll need to keep your car in tip-top shape!
