# Meguiars 'Light Wax'



## nick.s (Dec 21, 2009)

Hi all,


> DISCLAIMER - I've followed Dave's review format for the purpose of an equal comparison of the Light and Dark waxes. I will also add that I shamelessly copied the instructions as they are the same for both products.


*Product Description*
Taken from Meguiars site:
This wax has been specially formulated for light and white coloured cars. Light Wax focuses on cleaning the paint and increasing the paint brilliance. This product cleans, polishes and protects your paint in just one step.

Specially formulated to gently polish away water spots from multiple surfaces.
Safe and effective on all clear coat & glossy paint surfaces.
Also great for removing light swirl marks.

*Unique Selling Point*
I'm not sure the wax has a unique selling point. There have been colour specific waxes on the market for a while, including applicators. I suppose you could say this is one of (if not the first) semi liquid colour specific wax for light coloured cars.

*Usage*
This is an easy one. The product is easy to use. Apply a small amount of the product to the supplied applicator (microfibre side, not foam), and work into your area with medium pressure. I applied in the same way we would expect 'Joe Public' to apply. Washed, dried, applied. No other preparation.

*Manufacturers Recommended Guidelines*
For best results apply to a freshly washed and dried surface that is cool and in the shade. For glossy paint finishes only (NOT for use on flat, matte or satin finishes). Keep off vinyl, rubber, plastic, non painted or porous materials.
*
For Hand application:*

1. Apply a small amount of Light Wax to the included applicator pad.
2. Work one section at a time using moderate pressure. Spread product evenly to the entire car adding more product as needed.
3. Let the wax dry to a haze. Use a premium towel like Meguiar's Supreme Shine microfiber or 100% cotton terry towel to remove the product. Turn to a clean portion of the towel for final wipe off, buffing to a brilliant shine that lasts!

*For DA Power system / Polisher:*

1. Apply 3-4 dime-sized drops to a yellow polishing pad.
2. Follow steps 2 & 3 of hand application to complete,.

*Abuse?*
The product is pretty forgiving, as it is not exactly aggressive. Easy enough to buff if over applied (tested this) which can't be said for some waxes.

*Performance*
Well, this is where I found the product to be lacking. Granted, as a cleaner it is not too bad, you can feel and hear the abrasion of the product under use. There was an element of swirl filling to be seen in person (very difficult to capture in photos). However, a deep gloss was not to be had on the paint of a 2005 Corsa C in Star Silver III when applied by hand. Unfortunately I could not test the DA as my DAS6 decided to die on me the day prior to me testing the product. I do suspect that this product will come into its own when used by DA, but really, it should perform well whatever the application method.

*Durability*
Difficult to quantify at this stage as it has only been on the car a short while. Will update in the interim. From previous experience of Megs liquid wax (this is closer to a thick liquid than it is a paste) I would expect a minimum of a month.

*Price Point/Performance Per Pound*
The RRP for the product is £13.99 for the 198g net wt / 7oz tube.

*Costs per Application*
I would concur with the previous tester of the dark wax, this should easily cover 6 vehicles (probably 7 small hatches). If the product does indeed cover a month/6 weeks per application, then given the average cost of £2.33 per application (based on 6 applications), it's not bad value in a per application sense. In terms of durability (predicted 6-9 months for £13.99) it is left wanting.

*Conclusion*
I'll be honest. I am not keen on this product. A wax should not dull the finish to the point it did. We all know wax adds a tiny bit of muting to flake, but this was to me a significant dulling to the point where my wife pointed out she did not like the finish in comparison to how it was before application (half the bonnet was done, half was left with previous 3 month old LSP). I do suspect that this product would be better (not to mention more honestly) marketed as an AIO given it cleans, polishes and protects.

*Pros*
The product is easy to use, what semi liquid wax isn't?

*Cons*
I'll be doubly honest, I did not like the packaging. I would much prefer a tube that given some use would not split as other metal tubed products have, or if slightly over squeezed, excessive amounts of product were dispensed. This could easily be sold in a flip top lid bottle in my opinion with little product wastage.

*Final Score*
Well, it's a difficult one to quantify. Yes it is easy to use and well presented to the retail buyer, but for me, those two positives are outweighed by the lack of results. After all, it's the end results to me that justify the outlay and effort put in. It's the first Meguiars product I have been disappointed in, and it does pain me to say it. With all that said, kudos has to be given for packaging a matched applicator and its filling capabilities, which are probably equal if not slightly better than one of the well known filler polishes. All points taken into account, I will give the product a 6.5 - 7 out of 10, with points dropped for lack of finish (subjective as it is my own opinion) and awkward metal tube package.

A few photos to illustrate the process:

Before (as you can see, very difficult to capture the swirls)

















During


























After:

















You can see the filling capabilities if you look carefully at the photos. It is much more obvious in person.


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