View Full Version : Tips/tricks/life-hacks for washing & waxing a big truck?
Martinjmpr
07-13-2020, 13:19
I spent about half a day yesterday washing and waxing my new-to-me 2018 F-150. It's a nice truck and I want to keep it looking good, but man, washing and (especially) waxing is such a laborious, time consuming process that it makes it really easy to put off to another day (evidenced by the fact that I bought the truck almost 11 months ago in August of 2019 and this is literally the first time I've waxed it.)
I washed by hand and then used liquid wax (turtle wax.) And although it looks nice from a distance, up close I see streaks and swirls and a kind of "oily" look to the surface.
So does anybody here have an easier way to do this that you like? I'm skeptical of 'spray on' wax from the car wash because it just seems like it wouldn't be that good (and also because I see no reason to put wax on the windows - if anything that seems like a bad idea.)
Is there something that's better/easier to use than liquid wax like turtle wax? I'd probably wax the truck more frequently if it didn't take the better part of a Saturday or Sunday afternoon to do it. If color makes a difference my truck is fire-engine red with a color-matched fiberglass topper.
Thanks in advance!
Turtle Wax Hybrid Ceramic spray.
On a squeaky clean vehicle, spray on, wipe with a microfiber till dry (almost immediate). 2-3 sprays per 2-3 sq ft.
Wait 24 hours and spray it again and no wax needed for 6-12 months. Did mine a week ago so I'll see how that works out.
You can "stack" the ceramic spray with the ice spray wax for more pop. Ice tends to sheet water a bit more than the hybrid which will bead and can spot.
If you've only hand waxed it once, you probably need to strip off all the garbage first before doing anything.
https://i.imgur.com/xrLUmJEh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/XpnJCJ1h.jpg
Timely thread. I don't wax, but I was my cars at my house. I've got a jug Turtle Wax brand soap and it's terrible. I can't remember the brand of the last jug I had. Any recommendations on a decent soap?
I use Meguiars. Works great in the foam cannon.
Wax/buff when it is wet.
I use to use turtle wax to in-store brand. Now, whatever is on sale/clearance at walmart.
We also have 2 polishers.
I treat (now and past) all nice and 20yr old clunkers all same wax/buff.
Only difference is that I wax black cars little more. Black Car Matters on how you buff/wax.
[flamingo]
Maguires liquid is nice. It cleans and waxed well. Last time followed it with carnuba wax on the hood and that popped. I am not up to speed on the new generation of polishes.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I can?t hardly keep two motorcycles clean. My truck gets washed maybe twice a year at the car wash. Next time I clean it up I?ll take some pictures. It stays parked outside year round and has four at least the past seven years or so and the paint is still nice and shiney. I think the constant layer of dirt and dust really protects the finish from the elements and UV rays.
kidicarus13
07-13-2020, 20:14
Meguires liquid wax once every year or two and then Turtle Ice spray after a regular hand soap or auto car wash when you want a shiny truck/car. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200714/09822b43351027dd1645acf32b3f9ecf.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200714/c4f1213cac83b5a688b3ad36017454d7.jpg
BPTactical
07-13-2020, 20:21
I like using boat waxes, they hold up better and offer better oxidation protection than regular automotive waxes. I have used 3M Ultra Performance Boat wax and StarBrite Premium Polish.
Porter Cable variable speed buffer/polisher and HexLogic foam pads.
I still need to wax my truck, I just haven't had time yet but I did wax the trailer with the StarBrite and damn, it be slick!
It's a liquid, a little dribble on the pad and at low speed I do 6-8 feet. Simple wipe with a microfiber towel to finish it off.
Mykidsdad
07-13-2020, 20:28
There is so much information and stuff on this site that your gun habit seem secondary...
http://https://www.detailedimage.com
...then a bird WILL shit on your truck!
Mykidsdad
07-13-2020, 20:32
If ya got swirls...you need "PAINT CORRECTION".
Wash
Decontaminate paint with clay bar
Level paint
Progressive polishes applied with correct pads on RANDOM ORBIT POLISHER
Sealant then Wax or Ceramic coating
Linkless
07-13-2020, 21:14
I have used sealant instead of wax for quite a while now. THe easiest to apply is Adam's H2O gloss guard. Literally spray it on a wet vehicle after washing and rub it in.
https://adamspolishes.com/collections/protection-synthetic-sealants/products/adam-s-h2o-guard-gloss
Does that help dust, dirt, and mud just rinse off as well?
As to wax on the windows, if it helps bead the water off, I'd think it'd be fine. I once went an entire summer without windshield wipers just by applying Rain-X to the windshield.
Mykidsdad
07-13-2020, 22:16
Adams is located in Thornton....good stuff.
Key is to remember that waxes only make scratches and swirls vanish temporarily. Polishes will remover the imperfection.
Meguires liquid wax once every year or two and then Turtle Ice spray after a regular hand soap or auto car wash when you want a shiny truck/car. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200714/09822b43351027dd1645acf32b3f9ecf.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200714/c4f1213cac83b5a688b3ad36017454d7.jpg
That's a good solution/combo.
When I was using wax, I used the Nu-finish polymer which I believe is pretty much the same stuff. $8.49/bottle at wallyworld and it lasts 6-12 months unless sandblasted.
I vote on applying a ceramic coat. You have to make sure the initial paint surface is properly decontaminated and error free on the correction before applying.
I spent a full-day last year working on my then new 19 RAM to make it right.
Some of the ceramic products are fairly easy to use. Apply/Wipe on a 2'x2' area and microfiber towel off. However, you need to take your time and do it correctly.
You no longer need to wax and most of the retail products ($40-100) will last a year or more. Maintenance is usually just drying it off while utilizing a detailing spray.
Google "obsessed garage." You will learn more than you want to know about vehicle cleanliness.
Bailey Guns
07-14-2020, 08:09
I did that routine for years. What a PITA, especially on a big truck. I watch for detailing specials now. Or, when I take the truck in for service and the dealer screws something up, I bitch enough til they usually offer up a discount of one sort or another. Then I ask for a detailing and they almost always jump on that.
Even when I have to pay for detailing it's probably no more than buying all that cleaning crap year after year.
Martinjmpr
07-14-2020, 08:17
I did that routine for years. What a PITA, especially on a big truck. I watch for detailing specials now. Or, when I take the truck in for service and the dealer screws something up, I bitch enough til they usually offer up a discount of one sort or another. Then I ask for a detailing and they almost always jump on that.
Even when I have to pay for detailing it's probably no more than buying all that cleaning crap year after year.
I'm very much leaning towards this.
I used to roll my eyes at people who paid someone else to do mundane but relatively simple tasks like changing oil or washing and waxing a car, but as I get older I find that I value my TIME more and more and the prospect of having to dedicate most of a Saturday or Sunday to washing and waxing appeals to me less and less.
If it's a nice Saturday or Sunday I'd rather spend time with the family or go on a motorcycle ride than wash and wax my truck.
Ditto with oil changes on a car, which I like to think of as "10 minutes of prep and 5 minutes of work - followed by an hour of cleanup."
beast556
07-14-2020, 08:24
I have never waxed any vehicle that I have owned. Having a shiny vehicle is one of those things that doesn't matter to me. Every time I get one of our vehicles washed it alwys rains or I drive on a country road pretty regularly so they never stay clean for more than a day anyway.
Buy those long wash brushes.
I learned this from watching truck wash place like Blue Beacons.
It made my washing time much shorter.
Here's what my dad did.
Have kids.
Buy a wax.
Tell kids to follow directions on the bottle.
Sit in a lawn chair with a beer.
I have never waxed any vehicle that I have owned. Having a shiny vehicle is one of those things that doesn't matter to me. Every time I get one of our vehicles washed it alwys rains or I drive on a country road pretty regularly so they never stay clean for more than a day anyway.
I prefer to buy hail damaged vehicles. Something that's been hit while it's in the dealer lot is AWESOME. I'm married, not trying to impress anybody, no purpose for cosmetics at this point. And yeah, I don't spend a weekend waxing it.
Note, I'm not ripping on the people who do, different strokes for different folks. Sometimes it may be useful to ask yourself what's the real motivation behind some of the things we do though.
cableguy11
07-14-2020, 14:51
I take it to a place near my FIL's in Texas when we visit...for 50.00 they wash and wax and I sit under a shade tree and the waitress from the bar next door brings me beer!! Once a year or two..[Beer]
Bailey Guns
07-14-2020, 15:06
I'm very much leaning towards this.
I used to roll my eyes at people who paid someone else to do mundane but relatively simple tasks like changing oil or washing and waxing a car, but as I get older I find that I value my TIME more and more and the prospect of having to dedicate most of a Saturday or Sunday to washing and waxing appeals to me less and less.
If it's a nice Saturday or Sunday I'd rather spend time with the family or go on a motorcycle ride than wash and wax my truck.
Ditto with oil changes on a car, which I like to think of as "10 minutes of prep and 5 minutes of work - followed by an hour of cleanup."
Bingo.
I recently had a drain pipe separate at a joint under my house. Could I have fixed it? Of course...simple matter of cleaning/drying the joint, applying some adhesive and pushing the pipe back together. The crawling under the house, thru the crawl space, in the mud, climbing over pipes and other obstacles just didn't appeal to me. Called a plumbing company, 2 hours later nice young man shows up, crawls under house, gets coated with mud and spider webs, fixes joint, comes out extremely muddy, filthy and stinky and hands me a bill for $100. 5 mins to actually fix the joint, 25 mins to get in/out, 10 mins to get somewhat clean with the hose. Plus lotsa laundry at home.
Money well spent for that kinda work these days. A few years ago...yeah, I'da done it myself. Not so much any more. Same thing with car maintenance. I'll do the routine wash/vacuum but for anything more than that someone else makes a buck.
Pressure washer with a foam canon. Ladder for the roof, porter cable for the polish. Spray wax to touch up, I live on a dirt road so I am not as anal about keeping my vehicles spotless but I do like them looking nice. Spray wax with hydrophobic properties have gone a long way, give those a try.
Helps with maintenance cleanings. Use a leaf blower to help with the drying process
Full detail twice a year.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3 Copyright © 2026 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.