Can wax attract dust?

[edwincito]

My first impression is that this question have been asked before, but the last saturday I applied a second in a row weekend layer of Meg´s Cleaner Wax and it seems that my car has transformed into a dust magnet, since it doesn´t happen two weeks ago, the only difference is that the last time I use an Absorber like towel to dry the car, just to give my Water Magnets a rest.
Could be the use of this sort of artificial chamois the cause of this problem?, (I read somewhere that some fabrics can cause some static), when I notice it I began to use Quik Detailer to get rid of the dust; and I´m almost run out of QD some advice to avoid it to happen again? thanks in advance.

[roushstage2]

Re: Can wax attract dust?

Rubbing the surface causes static, which attracts dust. Vicious circles of detailing, lol.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Can wax attract dust?

We've done a number of tests where we will strip the hood of a car from all waxes and any other kind of paint care product then taped off small, square sections to apply our waxes and competitor's waxes.

Then we've exposed the hood to the outdoors, just like you would do if you parked your car outdoors.

The results were ALL waxed section would have more dust on them then non waxed sections.

So the dust accumulation isn't a "Meguiar's" problem, it's a problem for anything that is applied to the surface from what our results have shown.

Like Tyler said, it's likely the static charge induced by rubbing the paint.

Clear coat paints have a static charge on their own, rubbing on them could only increase this.

Besides that, dust in the air has a static charge and even if you could invent an anti-static wax, you can't remove the static electricity in all the dust in the air in the geographical location in which you live.

Not waxing isn't a very good option either.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Can wax attract dust?

You'll also get more or less static depending on humidity levels, how you rub the towel over the paint (speed, aggressiveness, duration, etc) and other factors. It's sort of like dragging your feet across the carpet and then touching a metal door knob or something similar - you can get quite a static discharge if you work at it. Or the old rubbing a balloon against your hair to build up static so that the balloon will stick to a wall. That is very easy to do on a very low humidity day but harder to do in very high humidity.

That doesn't necessarily mean that wax attracts dust. Or that walls attract balloons.

[Derrick]

Re: Can wax attract dust?

You may also want to try and hose down the car one last time after everything is done using the flood method ( water will take away alot of the static electricity ) and then dry using the pat method instead of rubbing away causing all that static.

[yalerd]

Re: Can wax attract dust?

I would prefer have dust and have my car nice and waxed then not having that protection

And like Mike Stoops (aka Mike-in Orange) [WOW this sounds strange!] said, the ambient like humidity will affect this on how much you charge your surface.

Mike I have to get used to your signature

[roushstage2]

Re: Can wax attract dust?

Well you know, we are technically bugging Mike at work now!

I have heard a slow wipe with distilled water is a way to cut back the static after detailing/washing, unless of course you waxed in which you should wait for the wax to cure.

[edwincito]

Re: Can wax attract dust?

Thanks your answers have cleared this point, and just for the records I didn´t mean that it is a Meguiar´s waxes problem as Mike points, so at the end without doubt it is better to have the protection of the wax with a little dust than have nothing!