Zaino Car Wax:
Should You really throw away this product?

It is hard to believe people still search for Zaino car wax. This once very popular car wax must have done something right!

Years after is was originally introduced, dedicated Zaino fans keep coming back for more. Which has only become harder and harder to do as competition in a highly competitive market pushes them further out of sight.

Of course the hyped-up marketing that can be found at their page likely has a factor in its popularity. It also comes with a very good user experience which any person who has ever waxed their car will certainly appreciate.

But is the Zaino war wax still relevant today among very stiff competition?

Why it May Be Time to Move On:
Zaino Car Wax

The simple answer for me would be yes. But what do I know right?!

The Internet is filled with endless wanna-be detailers and "Keyboard Jockey's". Guy's with little no actual experience parading their baseless opinions around for the world to see.

• What Would Darren Do (WWDD)
• What better options exist than Zaino
• Latest car wax technology and what you need to know

We will work our way down this rabbit hole that can get very deep due to the endless opinions, endless choices, and perhaps most importantly, the endless marketing hype!

Is Zaino Really the Best Car wax?

My simple answer would be no. My more complex answer would be: it depends....

If you are one of my long term followers of my YouTube videos or websites, you will know how much I dislike that term, "The best".

One man's best is another man's worst. Finding the best of anything is really a choice only you can make based on you and your world.

"The best car wax is the car wax that makes it onto your car more often, not less often"

But in many ways, this very statement throws many of us into the proverbial debate on the most durable, or longest lasting car wax or paint sealant.

After all, if you found the best car wax and it was also the longest lasting wax, then you have solved the problem of frequency. This rare find would allow you to wax your car less frequently, not more frequently.

But does the longest lasting car wax truly exist?

And if it does, how does a person determine that car wax is still there, sitting on your paint, doing its job?

Many inexperienced "know-it-all's" will tell you that if the water still beads up on your paint, then the wax is still there. But I know this simply is a false statement.

I can use chemicals to clean away any wax or sealant, and the water will still bead up on the surface.

Difference Between Car Wax and Paint Sealant?

I hate to sound like a broken record, but another set of terms that both manufacturer's and consumer's toss around casually with no set rule.

So I will tell you the accepted rule of professionals: a car wax will be formulated with some type of natural wax product.

Most often this will be carnauba wax harvested from Brazilian Carnauba Palm leaves. Beeswax is also very common.

But the car wax will need to have some form of natural wax ingredient as part of its chemical formulation. (even though manufacturer's will still label products that have zero natural wax in them as a car wax)

Car paint sealants are made using synthetic ingredients. Typically these are simply referred to as polymers (even though that word is a massive generalization) but can include a variety of both synthetic and natural occurring polymer ingredients as well as silicone's of many varieties.

It might be helpful to think of traditional motor oil (car wax) and Synthetic motor oil (car paint sealant).

Difference Between Car Polish and Car Wax:
Which one is better

The question shouldn't be which is better, a car wax or polish. It should be what is the difference between a car wax and car polish.

Another massive topic of confusion. Once again, manufacturer's will attach this term "polish" to just about anything. The problem becomes one of the English language in many ways.

Is Polish a verb, a noun, or Nationality (I consulted with this source regarding Nationality, Race, or Ethnicity). Allow me to illustrate:

You buy a product labeled as a car polish: this is a noun. (a person, place or thing. Essentially, it is something tangible)

You take this product home and you use it to polish your car: this is a verb (an action word. You are physically doing something. In this case, you are in the act of polishing your car)

Now you take the same word and you capitalize it, as in "Polish". You also pronounce it differently and now it designates a Nationality, or more precisely a person from the country of Poland. That person would be considered Polish.

But in the context of detailing and cosmetic car care, there is no set rule as to what kind of product can be labeled as a car polish or a car wax, or a car paint sealant. Literally anything goes and is determined by the manufacturer.

If you were to ask most professionals from the world of professional detailing, auto body, collision repair, or car restoration, they will usually tell you that a polish will have some form of abrasive particles.And the more aggressive the abrasives are, then people will start calling it a compound.

• Car polish would be a product used to remove imperfections and restore gloss and shine to your paint, prior to applying a car wax
• Car wax or paint sealant is something you apply for beauty enhancement and protection to your paint
  
• Car wax is often labeled as car polish despite having no chemical cleaners or abrasives to the product (which means your search for the best car wax may turn up results displaying a car polish as being the best)
  
• Beginners, novices, or the inexperienced will misuse polish, wax, and sealant. Just as the manufacturer's do not follow any set rules of labeling
• There are products that have been formulated to combine chemical cleaners and/or abrasives, along with waxes, polymers, or silicone's to make what are called All-in-One (AIO) products that supposedly allow you to both polish and wax with a single product (yet another layer of confusion)

Car Wax or Car Paint Sealant:
Which one is better?

If you follow what this hyped-up industry wants you to believe, then you will need to be shopping for the best car paint sealant, not the best car wax. According to the many manufacturers, synthetic sealants will outlast any carnauba car wax.

Many people ask what is the difference between a car wax and paint sealant. Because there really is no standardization and no governing body, the industry is in chronic confusion as many terms or misused

And just like the car wax industry, the paint sealant industry (which is one in the same) use the same hype and marketing to sell the latest and greatest in car paint sealants.

And just when you think this rabbit hole was deep enough, now we have sealants that are now parading around under what is been labeled as the latest in advanced chemical engineering with SiO2 and TiO2 technology.

Clearly the world of detailing and cosmetic car care has no boundaries it is not willing to cross in the form of hyped-up marketing to get you to part ways with your money.

The Best Car Wax:
What Would Darren DO (WWDD)

Since many of you here came looking for Zaino car wax specifically, but perhaps have a mind still partially open to other possibilities when it comes to protecting your car and enhancing its appearance, I will start with a very basic solution that I default to myself as a professional.

CSI Q-7 Wax 16oz 62-204-P

• What I consider the winning balance of features and benefits
• My "go-to" wax for over 15 years
• Non-staining (this means it won't stain black trim and I use it deliberately on all black trim while I am waxing my car paint)
• Can be used in direct sunlight on hot paint
• Super-easy to use
• Formulated with actual carnauba wax in it

Darren's Tips: I am a very frustrated professional. The endless hype used by this industry to sell you more and more products makes my head want to explode. And trying to verify any of the claims made by these endless companies is virtually impossible.

And since I am no scientist or chemist, it is hard for me to verify the claims myself. This is why I don't overthink it when it comes to choosing what I consider the best car wax. Certainly my pick is a car wax that does not make the outlandish claims made by Zaino Car Wax. (Which is not actually a car wax product at all, but a synthetic sealant)

The biggest factors for me when it comes to this particular car wax are these:

• Versatility
• Enhances black trim better
• Ease of use
  

There are many waxes these days that are safe for black trim. But most of these waxes or car paint sealants are so thin or light in consistency, that I not only question the ingredients in them, but do not enhance the black trim like the Q-7 wax will do.

This does not mean the Q-7 wax will restore faded black trim, but when used regularly on black trim, it will maintain it just like your car paint. I love this feature as I know it is safe for every material on the outside of my car (as well as many materials on the inside of my car (coated car leather, vinyl door panels, dashboard, plastic components, etc.)

This wax can be used in a couple ways:

• Spray directly onto clean panel, wipe in with micro fiber cloth, flip cloth and buff to perfection
• Spray wax directly onto wax applicator pad, rub onto paint in any motion you choose, allow to dry, then buff off with a micro fiber cloth

I personally prefer the first method and I deliberately wax right over all materials of the exterior of my car:

• Car paint
• Rubber door handle gaskets
• Black vinyl trim
• Front windshield molding
• Carbon fiber accessories
• Paint protection film (these isolated areas of clear film typically applied directly behind the front and/or rear wheels to protect against rock chips from driving)
  
• Door jambs/trunk jamb
  
• Door threshold plates

I also use this on the interior of my car as a maintenance product. Since I do not like any excessive shine to my cars interior, nor do I like a greasy product, this wax is ideal for many of the interior components:

• Coated car leather (virtually any car, regardless of cost, will have car leather with a clear protective coating on it)
• Dash boards
• Vinyl door panels
• Virtually any know, accessory, or feature within your cars interior that is made of rubber, plastic, or vinyl
  

Marketing Hype or Legitimate Science

One thing is certain, the industry will continue to find ways to get their product into your hands. Whether this be through the use of claims that cannot be verified, new terminology, or hyped-up marketing in general.

I accept that this will never go away.

And for this reason I can keep things very simple for you, just as I keep things very simple for myself. I simply do not overthink something I have almost no ability to verify. The durability or longevity of a car wax.

I have seen claims made by products from 1 month, to a full 12 months of protection. I have also heard endless products claim to be the ultimate in UV protection.

In fact, Zaino car wax makes this very claim with their "UV 40". And go as far as make the bold statement that Zaino auto wax is like:

"Sunscreen for your car"

I used to believe this. Until I started to ask chemists and formulators what chemical they would use to actually make a car wax filter out, prevent, or protect against UV rays.

Not a single person has ever been able to answer that for me. And most have confessed that it is nothing more than marketing hype.

Best Car Wax:
Mild to wild

I am forever testing new products, new tools, and developing new techniques of detailing and cleaning a car in general. While I have my favorites of any product, I can still appreciate the benefits by the countless other options in the market.

"The good news is you have endless choices. The bad news is you have endless choices"

Not only are we on information overload with the Internet, but we are on product overload. We are privileged to have so may options and choices when it comes to finding the best car wax, or a replacement to the Zaino car wax if you are one of their dedicated fans.

But having too many choices can render many of us with an inability to actually make a choice. So you find yourself reading one car wax review after another, trying to make up your mind. Consuming hours upon hours of your time in your quest to find a top rated car wax.

In the meantime you don't end up getting what you are really after:

• A car that looks better because you have just waxed it
• A car that is now protected because you have waxed it

After all, do you really want the best car wax, or the natural consequences of putting wax on your car: Shine, depth, gloss and protection!

So follow along as I lay out a few alternatives to the Zaino car wax that I personally think will deliver better overall results, as well as a better user experience.

Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid wax

Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax - 16 oz.

• Cross-linking synthetic polymer technology
• Hydrophobic (water fearing) technology for excellent water beading effect.
• Meguiar's most advanced wax product. (not a wax at all but advanced synthetic polymer formulation)
  
• Thin-film technology for excellent user experience.
• Can be used in direct sunlight.
• Non-staining formulation; won't stain black trim.
• My top pick for anyone looking to keep their life ultra simple. You simply stop here and you have an excellent choice that represents all the winning features any wax/sealant should have.
  

Darren's Tips: This is a great car wax. Highly popular and highly rated. If you prefer a liquid wax and trust the Meguiar's brand (despite the hyped-up marketing they also use) then you needn't look any further than this car wax due to its many features.

I think most people would find the results and user experience of this to be equal to, if not better than the Zaino car wax.

Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions

Turtle Wax 53412 Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Polish and Wax-14 Fl Oz

• All the hype of most any other car wax, or car paint sealant
• This product claims to have polishing abilities (This is intended to produce additional shine versus a traditional car wax or sealant alone)
• Claims to use the latest SiO2 chemistry (Silicon Oxide)
• A product most of you would be happy with

Darren's Tips: I was invited as an industry expert/influencer to the big Turtle Wax 2020 product launch out in Scottsdale, Arizona in the late fall of 2019. Their new hybrid line has some really excellent products, this being one of them.

Even though I have taken great issue with their use of terminology, hyped-up marketing, and made up terms, they still make some really great products. If your car needs some extra lovin' in the form of polishing, then this would likely be a better choice for you over the Meguiar's Ultimate liquid wax.

It will require more work, but you will likely appreciate the results. It is also cheaper than the other options on this page so far. So if you are also looking to cut corners in the name of spending less money, this will also be appealing to you.

It kind of makes me wonder what's in this formulation that allows Turtle Wax to sell it so cheaply. But that is just me thinking outside the box.(Kind of like Taco Bell and their ability to sell a fifty-cent taco. (I gotta wonder what they are putting in those things)

Mothers Ceramic Spray Coating

Mothers 01024 CMX Ceramic Spray Coating, 24 fl. oz.

• Another great product
• Another great product that love hype-up marketing
• The ability to apply the latest technology in a spray application
• This product actually claims to use both SiO2 AND TiO2 technology
  

Darren's Tips: I was also paid by Mothers a couple years back (2018) to promote their products. While I did not go on record by labeling them as the best company or producing the best car wax, I did endorse them as a perfect place to start if you want a decent product, a good user experience, and did not want to overthink things.

This product is really good. This product has really good reviews. And the price is not going to break the bank if you decide this seems like a better alternative to the Zaino car wax you came looking for.

Mothers is a long established and trusted name in cosmetic car care. I know many of you like to stay with more recognizable brands and Mothers certainly has the clout to be one of those.

Top Rated Car Wax:
Raising the bar in performance!

CarPro Reload

CarPro Reload Spray Sealant 500 milliter with Sprayer

• True professional grade sealant
• Professional grade also means "professional price"
• Formulated suing the latest chemical engineering of SiO2

Darren's Tips: This product is now taking you into the world of professional detailing. The obvious price difference alone makes that clear.

As a rule, most of us except that you generally get what you pay for. I do love this product, but I still prefer the ability of the Q-7 wax at the top for its ability to enhance plastic trim and rubber better.

I also accept that many people just default to what the pros use. While not every professional detailer uses this product, NO professional detailer is going to be using the Turtle Wax product or the Zaino car wax for example.

Zaino Car Wax Review

My goal has been to offer up alternatives to the Zaino car wax that meet the demands of my checklist for finding a top rated car wax that delivers superior performance, an exceptional user experience, along with varying price points based on you and your world.

I hope I have further educated you in the complex world of cosmetic car care!

Sincerely,

Darren Priest

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