Waxing Tips
So tell me, do you love waxing or loathe waxing? My hope is that by the end of this post, you’ll be convinced that you can LOVE waxing ; ) And be sure to read all the way to the end for a special treat!
A few things I want you to know…
1. Wax is the BEST finish for Jolie's Matte Finish Paint. It is very durable when applied correctly.
2. Wax is super easy to touch up and fix if you do get any scuffs, marks or scratches in it. This is not the case if you use a typical polyurethane type sealer.
3. Waxing should be an easy, effortless process.
OK, so how do we achieve those 3 points?
Let’s talk about correct application first. Wax should meld with the paint, it should not be a layer sitting on top of the paint. It is a different type of finish than a typical polyurethane. A polyurethane finish will sit as a layer on top, kind of like nail polish sits on top of your nail. Whereas wax, bonds & absorbs into the paint, kind of like hand cream. Make sense?
When applying the wax, less is more and a little goes a long way. If you correctly spread the wax, it will just absorb into the paint. You do want to buff out any excess wax, but if you spread it well, there won’t be much to buff. It’s just like applying moisturizer. You don’t squeeze out enough moisturizer to do your whole body at once, you squeeze out a little at a time and work on an arm, then a leg, etc. etc. You do the same thing with wax. And you work in sections with the wax the same way. Don’t move on to the next section until you’ve rubbed in the wax to one section. Got it?
So now let’s talk about how to touch up your wax. If you use a regular polyurethane type sealer over paint (which we don’t recommend on Matte Finish Paint) and you get a scratch or a chip, it’s not very easy to fix. You will have to sand, repaint the entire area & re-apply polyurethane. With wax, if you get the same issue, chips, scratches, etc., it’s very easy to fix! Check out my latest video on how to.
Here’s another shot of one of our old counters at the shop. This surface was waxed with 1 thin coat of wax and we had customers in the shop about 5 minutes later. This wax didn’t have a chance to cure or even dry. Paint cans scratching across the top, merchandise sliding across, credit card receipts being signed…you get the picture. This counter definitely saw more use than your bedroom dresser or side table will ever see ; ) We did a quick refresh coat of wax one morning and it came out beautiful. Easy peasy ; )
Jolie’s wax takes about 28 days to cure to its full hardness. That doesn’t mean you can’t use your piece for 28 days, it just means we don’t recommend sliding paint cans or other items on a constant basis right away. Can you put your lamp back in place or your jewelry box? Yes, no problem.
If it’s a desk, don’t start your thesis the day after you finish your project. And if it’s your kitchen cabinets, don’t cook Grandma’s famous sauce recipe the night after waxing…if it’s your dining table, don’t do Thanksgiving dinner in the first week of use ; ) You get the point right? You’re creating a fine piece of hand painted furniture, treat it with love & respect for a few weeks before you put it to the test. And if you don’t have that kind of time…well then, wax is your friend, you can easily touch it up at any time ; )
In about 5 minutes, here is the result. A shiny, clean surface. What?? “You mean to tell me, the wax will even clean itself?” Yup! It will! If you see any kind of grime or marks on your wax, what’s the cure? Wax! First, I would try to clean it with a soft cloth and some gentle cleaner (sprayed on the rag), but if that doesn’t work, just get out your can and invest 60 seconds in that gorgeous piece you worked so hard on (well, not too hard if you used Jolie’s paint ; ) and freshen her up! So simple!
We say this all the time in our classes, wax reactivates wax. When you put another coat on top of a previous coat, the wax will reactivate the micro layer on top and pull up anything that isn’t wax…dirt, grime, crayon, or whatever else your kiddos have gotten on there.
Give her a quick buff and you’re good to go!
OK, so let’s talk about that last point. Waxing should be an easy & effortless process. Take a look at this video I did on waxing recently. You should not be rubbing super hard with your wax. You should not be getting tennis elbow applying your wax. If you are working hard to wax, you are doing something wrong ; ) Like I mentioned above, if you spread it sufficiently, there won’t be much to buff.
OK, so by now, you should have gotten some good tips on how to make waxing more enjoyable.
I hope you’ll join us and I can’t wait to meet you this weekend! Chat soon! Happy painting!
