|
Does Washing Really Clean the Paint?
... anonymous, Allentown, PA |
 |
No matter how
clean you think your car looks after
washing, thousands of impossible to see
foreign particles remain on the paint. These
contaminants reduce maximum gloss. Almost
everyone applies wax right on top of this
dirt. Before polishing or waxing, try this
relatively unknown simple test.
Right after washing and drying your car, put
your hand into a plastic Zip-Lok type bag.
With your hand in the bag, rest your fingers
lightly on the surface. Move your hand
sideways over the paint. Your finger tips
will feel little bumps wherever dirt remains
on the paint.
The best way to remove the dirt is with our
Deracer and Neetoo products in combination.
Apply as directed and then repeat the bag
test. You'll be surprised at how clean and
smooth the paint becomes.
In many cases, you can now go right to
waxing. However, if you see fine scratches
or swirl marks use either Malm's Ultra-Fine
Polishing Cleaner or Formula 10 Polish &
Glaze to remove them. This step will further
enhance overall gloss.
For max shine possible, always use the
plastic bag test to determine when shine
reducing elements are present. Don't wax
over dirt!
|
 |
|
|
Why is the wax sometimes hard to remove?
... anonymous,
Reeders, PA |
|
Under certain dry or higher temperature application conditions, our liquid wax may dry and harden rapidly making buffing difficult. If you experience these conditions, apply the wax to smaller areas then buff within minutes. Apply a very thin coating, almost where you can't see any wax going onto the paint. Do only half or a quarter of the hood, or just one door panel. Wait no longer than 1 to 2 minutes and then buff the wax. Buffing should then be very easy.
Under no circumstances should you apply the wax without buffing soon after. Exposing the unbuffed wax to the sun will cause a rapid hardening of the wax and buffing will then be very difficult. If you do make this mistake, it is best to use our Ultra-Fine Polishing Cleaner to remove the hardened wax. Then re-wax and buff properly.
|
|
|
|
What
is the best wax for my car?... anonymous,
Chicago, IL |
|
Our
favorite question. It's sort of like asking
what is the best car? Everyone has different
needs. Some people want long lasting water
beads. They think their wax is lasting. Some
want scratches to be removed. Others want
the most unbelievable gloss they can get.
Some wax every two weeks. They want that freshly
waxed look. Others are happy waxing just once
a year. Some want a wax that will polish off
dirt and leave a protective coating all in
one step. Others want a pure wax that won't
remove paint no matter how hard and long they
rub. Some want to spray wax while others want
to use a paste they'll enjoy rubbing on. Some
are happy when their commercial car wash flashes
a sign, "Hot Spray Wax Now Being Applied".
Some have show cars that hardly see the light
of day. Others, daily drivers that never enter
a garage. Some are very fanatical about the
way their car looks. Others couldn't care
less. There are different waxes for all these
types. In other words, it is our opinion that
there is No One Best Wax that will satisfy
everyone! There are various levels of car
paint care. You've got to decide what level
you want your car in and how much time and
effort you're willing to devote. Experiment
with different waxes. Make side-by-side comparisons.
It's the best way to make an intelligent decision. |
|
|
|
Why
does the hood, roof and trunk of my black
'87 BMW look much duller than the sides of
the car? The car is always left outside...
A. Barr, Miami, FL |
|
The
Ultra-Violet rays of the sun damage the horizontal
surfaces of cars faster than the vertical
surfaces. It's the hood, roof and trunk that
take the strongest and most direct rays of
the overhead sun. It's always these areas
of paint that deteriorate first. |
|
|
|
I've
seen waxes that claim they'll prevent acid
rain damage. Is this possible?... P. Chaggaris,
MA. |
|
Anything
is possible. Make sure you read the guarantee,
if indeed there is one! How are you going
to prove you used their wax in the first place?
If your car's paint is damaged will the maker
of the wax repaint it at your choice of custom
paint shop or will they only pay for a $99
one hour special? Maybe they'll just refund
the purchase price on the wax...some guarantee!
Despite many wild claims, so far no company
has developed a wax that will prevent all
acid rain damage. Most waxes will resist damage
but none will absolutely prevent it! When
chemists create something that will prevent
all acid rain damage, the paint manufacturers
will want to put it into their paint. After
all, the paint makers are getting the majority
of the complaints as they trickle down from
the car makers. |
|
|
|
My
Volvo's owner manual says the paint is clear
coated and I should never use an abrasive
polish on it. It has gotten quite dull over
the years. Any suggestions?... M. Hearst,
Pittsburgh, PA. |
|
It's
probably dull because of the effects of the
sun's rays, exposure to all kinds of weather
and fine scratches that have developed over
the years. A pure wax with no abrasives may
improve the shine slightly but the paint can
usually be improved even further if you use
the correct steps. The only sure way of removing
scratches is with an abrasive polish. The
trick is to use something that is very fine
so it won't remove much of the clear coat.
Their manual would probably be more accurate
if it said not to use a coarse abrasive on
the clear coat. Many popular one-step waxes
contain fine abrasives even when their labels
claim they don't. These products may help
to restore the finish. You'll need quite a
bit of rubbing to get it looking good. |
|
|
|
Are
colored waxes good for filling paint chips?...
C. Robb, San Antonio, TX |
|
Colored
waxes are usually one-step products. A sealant
is mixed with an abrasive polish. Any of this
residue that does get trapped in the chip
may tend to fill it slightly. But will the
color really match? Will it prevent rusting
of the chipped area? Car wax is a poor substitute
for having the chips professionally repaired.
There are now businesses that specialize in
the air-brush method of filling chips and
deep scratches. Most do excellent work and
they are not as expensive as you might think.
Many can come to you! Fix it the right way.
You'll
be happier with the result. Contact a local
new car dealer. They use these services extensively
to make minor paint repairs to their brand
new autos. Or you can do it yourself with
touch-up paint supplied by your car dealer. |
|
|
|
Does
Malm's Wax need any time to "cure"
or does it contain the silicones that cause
repainting difficulties? |
|
Malm's
does not "cure" on the paint. Only waxes containing
Amino-Functional Silicones need air exposure
to "cure". Those silicones can cause repainting
difficulties if not fully removed. |
|
|
|
What
is Polish & Glaze? When should I use it? |
|
It
is an ultra fine polishing cleaner with special
lubricants and a soft grade of Carnauba wax
added to the formulation. These lubricate
the polishing agent resulting in an extremely
ultra fine polish. The wax adds to the shine,
gives only minimal protection and acts as
a pre-sealant to the final application of
Malm's Carnauba Wax. Formula #10 Polish &
Glaze should be used on newer cars or paint
in excellent condition. Apply it in a circular
motion. Disregard the directions on the bottle
label if it reads "straight back and forth".
If you're a perfectionist use #10. It really
works wonders on dark colored paints! |
|
|
|
Why
is Malm's Wax expensive? |
|
It
only seems expensive. It's concentrated. One
pint of Malm's will wax a mid size car 25
times and more. Other waxes costing less per
bottle may only do the same car 2 to 4 times
at best. If you divide the cost of each bottle
by the total number of applications, you'll
find Malm's to be probably the lowest cost
wax sold today! Many of our customers have
been using the same bottle of wax they bought
10 years ago! |
|
|
|
Why
are shipping and handling costs high? |
|
Sure
the U.S. Post Office is cheaper, but for much
faster service, less lost orders and excellent
package tracing, we ship by UPS. Over the
years we've found them much more reliable
and faster than the Post Office. Also, all
packages are automatically insured and quickly
traced. The post office cannot trace undelivered
packages quickly or anywhere as efficiently
as UPS. Shipments to Canada, Hawaii, Puerto
Rico, Alaska and other countries are shipped
by Post Office and do take longer to arrive. |
|
|
|
The
Polish & Glaze is sometimes hard to remove.
Why is that? |
|
You
may have applied it too thick. Use sparingly.
When buffing for polish removal, use only
a clean cotton towel. No underwear or cheesecloth.
If you have not polished long enough, the
top surface of the paint will still be porous.
It'll hold the fine polishing particles and
make removal harder than normal. On new paints
or paints not damaged from sun and weather,
removal is quite easy. You can prove this
by polishing the inside of the door frames.
The paint in these areas is not exposed to
the extremes of sun and weather. Because the
sun damages horizontal surfaces much more
than vertical ones, polish is usually harder
to remove from the hood, trunk and roof areas
than from doors and vertical surfaces. This
can be rectified with sufficient polishing.
The older the paint the more polishing needed.
The Polish & Glaze can also be removed with
water. Simply flood the surface and agitate
the polish residue with a wet cloth or wash
mitt. This also prevents dust and is a popular
method of removal practiced by many car detailers.
Formula #10 Polish and Glaze contains lubricants
that allow for easier application and removal. |
|
|
|
How
much time should I spend hand polishing with
Polish & Glaze? |
|
If
you have a full size car like a big Cadillac,
it is possible to spend as much as 4 to 6
hours on hand polishing...more if paint is
dull. If you've polished a car of this size
in less than 1 hour, you haven't done much!
Simply wiping-on and wiping-off accomplishes
nothing! You've got to firmly rub it in to
have an effect! |
|
|
|
I've
been waxing with Malm's wax for over two years
and I've never used your polish. The car looks
great. Must I ever use a polish? |
|
You're
just fooling yourself! The car's paint is
constantly being scratched. It oxidizes unless
it is never in sun. No matter how good it
appears, it can't look as great as possible
if you don't remove scratches, all oxidation
and the imperceptible grimy road film that
washing can't get off. Under normal conditions
you should use Polish & Glaze at least once
a year. |
|
|
|
Are
all Malm's products safe for Clear Coated
paint? |
|
Absolutely!
We don't think you can find any products that
are safer. |
|
|
|
Must
I always wash the car before using any of
Malm's products? |
|
Yes!!! |
|
|
|
How
Should I apply Malm's Liquid Carnauba wax? |
|
VERY
SPARINGLY is the secret. Use a damp cellulose
sponge or for fast results and less fatigue
use our Kolinsky Speed Waxer tool. You should
not use more than 1/2 an ounce for an entire
large car! That's about 3 full bottle caps!
The less you apply, the less buffing later.
Don't pour it on. You'll just waste it and
it won't make the car shine any better. Always
buff with a TOWEL. After buffing, you'll always
wind up with a micro thin coating of wax on
your paint. Malm's is concentrated. You need
very little to make your car's paint look
unbelievable! |
|
|
|
After
applying the wax I notice the surface is very
smooth but under certain light I see streaks.
What causes that? |
|
There
are 3 main reasons for streaks. Reason 2.
is the most common cause. 1. The paint surface
was hot and the wax "baked" in before
proper spreading occurred. 2. If the streaks
are more noticeable on the hood, trunk and
roof rather than the doors and vertical surfaces,
the paint has been oxidized. The sun attacks
horizontal areas faster than vertical surfaces.
Probably if you polished first, the polish
was hard to buff off too. Dark paints like
Black, Red and Blue can oxidize with just
a few months exposure to sun. The pores of
the damaged upper surface of paint open and
suck in wax like a sponge. Proper application
is not possible and streak patterns develop
which actually follow the way you applied
the wax! Remove all oxidation by polishing
again and for a longer time than before. Then
apply more wax to this area and check for
streaks. Try this in one small streaked area
first. Remember, if you were not getting streaks
when the car was new and now that it's been
out in the sun for a while you are...you can
bet the paint needs a real good polishing!
3. You may have applied too little wax. |
|
|
|
What
does the Polish & Glaze do exactly? |
|
It
removes dirt that washing can't and smoothes
the paint surface. The smoother it is, the
better light reflects, and the clearer reflected
objects appear. Try this conclusive test.
(works best on dark colors). Using firm hand
pressure, polish a 6" diameter circle
on your car's hood for about 60 seconds. Buff
off any polish residue. Now place your face
about 18" from the polished circle. Observe
your own reflection in the polished area and
the unpolished remainder of the hood. Your
reflection should be more distinct and clear
in the polished area, especially if the paint
was a little dull to begin with. Now apply
a little Malm's wax to the polished circle
and check your reflection again. |
|
|
|
Can
I use the Polish & Glaze on my new car? |
|
Certainly!
But you should wait at least 6 weeks from
the day car was painted before you apply anything,
including car wash! Soft fresh paint needs
time to "air dry" and harden. After
6 weeks you may only need washing and waxing.
Polish is usually not needed yet unless the
dealer prep caused swirl marks and scratches
you'd like to remove. The manufactured date
should be stamped on a small plate located
on the driver's side door frame. |
|
|
|
Should
I use Polish & Glaze before each application
of wax? |
|
Not
necessarily. First wash and dry the car. If
it's perfectly clean and smooth and there
are no scratches you wish to remove, don't
polish. However, if you aren't satisfied with
the shine after washing, the paint may still
be coated with dirt or oxidation that's not
detectable by eye. At that point try polish
in a small area. If you can now see and `feel'
an improvement, do the whole car. If you always
keep the car clean and free of new scratches
and garaged when not being driven, polish
won't be needed often. Since there are so
many varied ways a car is used, you'll have
to examine the paint carefully, and use your
own judgment. |
|
|
|
How
long will Malm's Carnauba Wax last? |
|
Two
months to a year! Too many variables affect
the wax and how long it lasts! Make this simple
test. Wash the hood well and dry it. Wax a
12" diameter circle and buff lightly.
Now spray a fine mist of water on it until
beads start forming. If the beads are much
more circular where you just waxed, then it's
time to re-wax the whole car. If you always
leave your car outside, you should wax it
once a month, weather permitting. If it's
garaged, once every 3 months should be fine. |
|
|
|
No
matter what I do, I keep getting those fine
scratches on my dark colored car. What causes
them? |
|
This
is probably one of the most asked questions
we get. Actually, You cause those scratches!
It happens when you try removing dirt from
the paint by washing and drying the car. It
can also happen when polishing or waxing or
anytime you touch the car! Dirt is constantly
falling on the paint. Some gets thrown on
when driving on wet roads. Dirt is composed
primarily of tiny particles of sand. When
you wash the car, that sand gets into your
sponge, rag, brush or wash mitt. As you rub
the paint surface, the sand cuts into the
paint and scratches it. The harder you rub,
the more scratches you'll get. After you wash
the car you think it's clean. Have you forgotten
the sandy dust that's constantly falling on
the paint as you polish and wax? Now you know
why you should not try rubbing off dirt with
a dry cloth! In the future, try washing outdoors
on days with Zero wind and move the car indoors
to dry it. Spray water on the floor to keep
flying dust down. Do all polishing and waxing
indoors. Despite all your best intentions,
it's virtually impossible to eliminate all
scratches! |
|
|
|
Can
I use Malm's products over a `Poly' treatment
applied by my car dealer? |
|
Yes.
Our products are compatible with previously
applied `poly' coatings. |
|
|
|
What's
the shelf life of the wax and polish? |
|
To
avoid rust, our products are packaged in plastic
containers. If kept tightly closed the products
should last many years. Do not wax or polish
a car that is cooler than 35 degrees F. Store
wax in cool areas but do not allow product
to freeze. |
|
|
|
I
applied the wax to my dark colored car, then
drove it for a while. The next morning I saw
a haze or cloudy appearance only on the hood
area. What causes that? |
|
Extreme
engine heat on some cars will cause the hood
and sometimes the front fender sheet metal
to become very hot. This occurs after the
engine is turned off. This heat may cause
some of the natural oils in the Carnauba Wax
to migrate to the surface. Usually some additional
buffing with a slightly damp TOWEL, or passage
of time including a wash or two, eliminates
this phenomenon. |
|
|
|
Why
is there about 1" of air space at the
top of the container? Am I getting less product
than I ordered? |
|
The
air space allows proper mixing of ingredients
when shaking the container. You are not being
"short-changed". The container has
the proper amount of product you ordered! |
|
|
|
Can
I use Malm's products on things other than
cars? |
|
Certainly!
In addition to cars, boats and planes, Polish
& Glaze works very well on gold, silver,
brass and copper objects such as jewelry and
household decorative items. The polish will
also remove the fine scratches and restore
shine to painted furniture. Works especially
well on the darker colors. Malm's Carnauba
wax can also be used on fine wood furniture.
It gives a satiny smooth finish without the
smears and stickiness associated with many
over-the-counter furniture polishes. Always
remember to apply Malm's wax after polishing. |
|
|
|
What
should I use to apply the polishes and how
shall I use it? |
|
Use
a piece of clean cotton towel, small cellulose
sponge or the Kolinsky Speed Waxer Tool. Dampen
applicator with distilled water. Now make
a test application to determine exactly how
much time you must rub the polish into a specified
area for best results. This will always vary
and is dependent on the condition of the paint.
Shake the bottle for 30 seconds. Put about
1/2 a teaspoonful of polish on the cloth or
sponge. Firmly rub in 6" circles for
60 seconds and limit the application area
to about 1' by 2'. Now buff off the polish
residue with a dry TOWEL. Examine the paint
carefully. If it has reached a high gloss,
scratches and dirt were removed, feels real
smooth and you're happy with the appearance,
polish the rest of the car similarly. If not
satisfied, repeat the test for another 60
seconds. Continue these tests until you see
no further improvement. The total polishing
time needed in the test area should be recorded
and used as a guide when polishing the rest
of the vehicle. |
|
|
|
I
bought a car that was neglected. The paint
is oxidized and chalky. Can Malm's products
restore the finish? |
|
There
is hope. With proper care we've seen many
cars in this shape look new again! First you'll
need to use a heavy duty polishing compound
to remove all the "dead" paint.
Then a milder polish to improve the shine
and follow with Malm's Formula #10 Polish
and Glaze. Be sure to finish with a coat of
Malm's Carnauba Wax! |
|
|
|
Can
I use a power polisher to apply Malm's Polish
& Glaze and wax? |
|
Polish
& Glaze can be applied with a motorized
polishing machine. We suggest units that use
an orbital motion that resembles hand polishing.
These machines are usually easier and safer
to use than high speed rotary buffers.
Polishes
tend to dry rapidly when using machines. Dry
polish will simply blow off the paint and
you must keep applying more. To avoid wasting
polish, simply keep a spray bottle filled
with distilled water handy. Spray the paint
often so the polish stays damp. The dry polish
residue should be buffed off with a clean
TOWEL or simply wash and dry the car after
polishing. Do not use a machine to apply or
remove our wax. Do that by hand. It'll actually
be faster and you won't waste the wax. |
|
|
|
I
enter my car in shows. Any tips for maximum
shine for the event? |
|
Wax
the car the night before or the morning of
the show. If visible dust falls on the car,
try blowing it off with a power blower held
at an angle to the paint surface. If you must
use a cloth to remove dust, dampen it with
distilled water. Then move it very lightly
across the surface to avoid scratching the
wax. |
|
|
|
Should
I use Malm's products on areas that are painted
with a dull flat finish? |
|
No.
These areas are meant to be dull in appearance. |
|
|
|
Can
I use Malm's Carnauba wax on painted plastic
and rubber parts, chrome trim and a fiberglass
boat? |
|
Malm's
wax can be used on these surfaces in most
cases. However, some surfaces may be very
absorbent and you should test in a small area
first. You can use our polish on fiberglass
and chrome with excellent results. |
|
|
|
Any
other tips on getting the highest gloss possible? |
|
When
using our polishes, lighten up your hand pressure
on the last 10 to 20 strokes. This will give
a better gloss and more control when trying
to prevent those tiny scratches. |
|
|
|
How
come I never see your products tested in Consumer's
Magazines? |
|
Only
products that can be purchased in stores are
tested. |
|
|
|
What
is this new Malm's Extreme Paste Wax? Is it
better than Malm's Liquid? |
|
Visit
this link for a complete explanation of
this special paste that will last the average
person at least 10 years of waxing! |
|
|
