Applying Dodo Juice soft waxes - hand or pad?
There has been a lot of discussion on other forums about whether you should apply Dodo soft waxes with a pad or by hand. Which is better? Which is easier? Which gives better results? Here are some of my thoughts:
BENEFITS OF APPLYING BY HAND
- Less chance of scratching or damaging panels so long as hands are clean, nails are short and no rings are on fingers
- More contact with the bodywork; thickness and coverage of wax can be felt as well as seen
- More economical in terms of wax application; less wax wastage as difficult to overapply the wax or overload the pad
- Less chance of 'clogging' shut lines with wax
- Fashionable technique at the moment and makes your neighbours wonder what the hell you are doing
BENEFITS OF APPLYING BY FOAM APPLICATOR
- Not so tiring on hands and fingers, especially on colder days on cold light-coloured bonnets
- More even coverage
- No chance of oily fingers after application (although they can easily be cleaned or wiped and do smell nice afterwards)
- Less chance of your neighbours thinking you're nuts
Overall, I would say applying by hand on a hot day can be rewarding, but a lightly-loaded pad is all that is required for a consistent and even coverage of a Dodo Juice soft wax on a panel in all conditions. The problem with soft waxes comes with overloading them - the wax ends up in shut lines or is too thick to cure properly, so just gets wiped off at buffing. With a bit of familiarity with the wax, pad application would be the ideal technique - unless you want to freak out the neighbours, of course - but the choice is yours.