Pollen in the air and waxing

[CaPpedDoG]

I just bought my first nice car, a black '07 Mustang GT. Total newbie to detailing but slowly learning. I purchased the Turtle Wax Black Box but am going to return it and buy separate products (NXT wax, etc.) Right now here in Victoria BC, there is a ton of pollen in the air. Should I wait till pollen season is over before waxing? I'll be doing it outside (no garage :() Also, I bought Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit... should I also wait to clay? Cheers

[rlmccarty2000]

Just wash the pollen off with a good shampoo. Do not wipe the pollen off with a towel. Pollen is actually "sharp" and will scratch your car.

[bwatereagleman]

In my opinion there are 2 answers to your question.

The first answer is you should go ahead and clay and wax your vehicle especially during pollen season. The reason is you get a good sacrificial barrier between the air born particles and your paint's clear coat. This barrier will make a bit easier to remove the pollen with a proper wash.

The second answer is you can wait if you don't like the idea of needing to reapply in a month or two when the pollen is not as heavy. Undoubtedly, pollen will collect on your vehicle's surface and it may look like you have not done a thing to your priceless jewel. So, if you not motivated to doing this twice, then you might hold off.

There are a couple of times during the year that I make sure that I have a good coat of wax or sealant on my vehicles. Pollen season is one of those times. I may not try to work as hard to get a swirl free finish during pollen season, but I do make sure that the pollen cannot stick as easily to my vehicle's paint. If you are thinking about waxing now, make sure your paint is contaminant free by using the clay bar. That will help your waxes and sealants bond better with the clear coat.

Clear as mud?

[CaPpedDoG]

Thanks guys, looks like I'll do it now. Don't mind doing another polish later on.

Quick question... are Simoniz products reliable? I'll need to buy some wax applicators and that's all they have at the store. Couldn't find much about the company.

[trekkeruss]

I haven't had a garage for many years. You don't have to wait for the pollen season to be over; there is always something in the air regardless of the season. I try to do most of my work early in the day, before the sun is too strong. Some people use a canopy to work longer hours. You do not have to work on the paint all in one day. Often I will just do sections, like the hood and roof one day, one side another day, etc.

Since you have bought a new used car, you should do another decontamination step before you clay. This would require an iron remover product such as Iron-X.

[CaPpedDoG]

Haven't heard of Iron-X, thanks for the tip. The car is in great shape and was obviously cared for. It was in the dealership's showroom. Would you still recommend Iron-X?

I was a little concerned when I bought the car, knowing I didn't have a garage. The car is also my DD now. I'm going to look into some sort of tent shelter, like Shelter Logic... or build one myself.


I haven't had a garage for many years. You don't have to wait for the pollen season to be over; there is always something in the air regardless of the season. I try to do most of my work early in the day, before the sun is too strong. Some people use a canopy to work longer hours. You do not have to work on the paint all in one day. Often I will just do sections, like the hood and roof one day, one side another day, etc.

Since you have bought a new used car, you should do another decontamination step before you clay. This would require an iron remover product such as Iron-X.

[trekkeruss]

Thanks guys, looks like I'll do it now. Don't mind doing another polish later on.

Since it sounds like you are going to do this by hand, you can use a cleaner-wax, or all-in-one wax. At the store you can get Meguiar's Black Wax, which is an all-in-one, meaning it will clean the paint, polish it, and leave a wax-type component. I've never used Black Wax. I have used Meguiar's Cleaner Wax (in a red bottle, also available everywhere); it works well.


Quick question... are Simoniz products reliable? I'll need to buy some wax applicators and that's all they have at the store. Couldn't find much about the company.

Many people use generic foam applicators, so a name brand one is probably okay too.

[silverfox]

Waxing attracts everything. There are far better alternatives for non winter use.

[trekkeruss]

Haven't heard of Iron-X, thanks for the tip. The car is in great shape and was obviously cared for. It was in the dealership's showroom. Would you still recommend Iron-X?

Of course, otherwise I wouldn't have mentioned it. Iron contamination is often even found on brand new cars. Here is what the resident guru/expert has to say about using an iron remover: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/87430-what-iron-x-why-should-i-use.html

[Evan.J]

Haven't heard of Iron-X, thanks for the tip. The car is in great shape and was obviously cared for. It was in the dealership's showroom. Would you still recommend Iron-X?

I was a little concerned when I bought the car, knowing I didn't have a garage. The car is also my DD now. I'm going to look into some sort of tent shelter, like Shelter Logic... or build one myself.

Dont be fooled! Think about it this way, the car was transported by truck, train, and boat (possibly) before it arrived at the dealership. That means it has been exposed to the out door elements at some point so a decontamination is always a great idea with clay and IronX.

Now, its been cared for......by who and what? Probably a dirty towel being used for who knows what and on lord knows what along with your car. You never know who has wiped down they car with a towel and spray wax while it was sitting in there on the showroom floor.

Me personally, I'll take the car thats sat outside on the lot with people just looking into it over a showroom car that has been wiped down too many times. :props:

[swanicyouth]

It really isn't a big deal. You can wax in the worse pollen outside. Simply wash the car; then wipe down each panel with ONR before you wax it. Use a wax that is WOWO. That's all you need to do. No need to complicate it.

[CaPpedDoG]

Thanks again guys. I'll order some Iron-X online. In the meantime, should I clay and wax the car or should I wait for the Iron-X?

[trekkeruss]

Wait. No sense duplicating your effort.