Has anyone ever waxed or applied sealant to their cars when the temperature is below freezing, even if they have access to an unheated garage? I've never tried before as a) it's cold (), and b) I'm afraid the wax may be too cold to apply or remove properly. So do most of you who drive through the winter just perform a winter prep, then stick it out and wax the car again first chance you get in the spring, or do you do something in between? Unfortunately, spring can be like April or May around here and that's an awfully long time.

 

I waxed my car for the first time last night (literally, I did it at midnight at a self service car wash). According to the temperature gauge on my TSX, the temperature was right around 42F. I realize that's not freezing, but it was pretty damn cold. I was able to wash, clay, and wax my car without any problems.

 

Begin a good winter prep as soon as you can get to it. To keep good protection thru the winter I would recommend a quality synthectic such as Zanio or the Klasse Twins. If temperatures drop too low proper bonding may not occur so try and get on it quickly, especilally if you dont have a heated garage.

 

The hard part about waxing car in the cold is getting it to spread. The wax will spread some, but it freezes a little. Liquid waxes are easier to use. Even harder than waxing the car in temperatures below 32 degrees is washing the car. Its hard to dry it when it is that cold. Waxing a wet car is rough. Its just better to wait till it is warmer to wax it. Find a day in the 40s or something. I have to deal with this a lot and I would just prefer to do the job in a little warmer temperatures. Do it in the sun if you can. That usually helps in the cold.

 

I do a really good clean/wax in the fall and use automatic touchless washes till spring when I do another thorough clean/wax. That's worked well for me so far, I'll let you know in 10 years or so how the paint hold up.