How many hours does waxing generally take?
3 Answers
Waxing generally takes about three hours. Choosing car wax for your vehicle: There are many types of car wax. When selecting a car wax, you need to choose different types based on the quality of the car. If you are not very knowledgeable, you can consult relevant personnel at a 4S shop to avoid unnecessary losses caused by incorrect selection. Do not wax your car too frequently: Although waxing can make the car shinier, excessive waxing can have the opposite effect, especially since new cars come with protective films applied before leaving the factory. Waxing the car too early can damage the protective film and fail to effectively protect the vehicle, leading to unnecessary losses if waxed prematurely. Depending on the waxing method, the time required for waxing may vary.
As a car enthusiast, I find that waxing my beloved car takes about 1.5 to 2 hours, which includes pre-washing and thoroughly cleaning the surface. For larger vehicles like SUVs or pickup trucks, it might stretch to 2.5 hours because you need to slowly spread the wax evenly and carefully polish it to avoid watermarks. Nowadays, synthetic wax is much better—it dries faster, cutting the time in half, unlike old-fashioned natural wax that requires half an hour to air-dry. The key is not to rush—if it's rainy and humid, I have to wait longer for it to dry, or the results won’t be as good. Personally, I think waxing once a week is too time-consuming, so I’ve switched to monthly maintenance and even bought an electric waxing machine to help, reducing the time to about an hour. In short, it’s a task that requires patience, but with proper preparation, it can be done efficiently.
I just bought a new car last month and spent a whole 2.5 hours waxing it myself for the first time, nearly exhausting myself. The cleaning process alone took an hour because the car body was covered in dust, requiring repeated wiping. I also used the wrong type of wax—a liquid wax that dried slowly, forcing me to wait over half an hour before polishing. Later, I learned that using a quick-dry wax or spray wax could have gotten the job done in under an hour, especially for a compact car. Now, I don’t aim for a perfect shine anymore; 1.5 hours is enough—quick wash, immediate wax application, and polish, skipping the waiting time. I recommend starting with simpler tools to avoid unnecessarily dragging out the process like I did.
