Review: Carnauba Cleaner Wax from Turtle Wax

Turtle Wax has been around almost as long as cars themselves. I have always used their products with great success, so of course while shopping for something to restore the rough, papery finish on our Eclipse, I went straight to the Turtle Wax shelf. Their Carnauba Cleaner wax costs about a dollar more than standard Turtle Wax, but claims to remove swirl marks from careless buffers, oxidization, and restore the shine.

Turtle Wax Carnauba Cleaner Wax comes in the trademark Turtle Wax can with the pad stored in the transparent green lid. It is a soft paste wax that can be applied manually of by machine. The manufacturer suggests applying a little at a time on a warm day, but not in direct sunlight (this is where having a garage would be great). It will only deliver if applied to a clean, dry car.

The wax must be applied with a damp applicator sponge (not a wet sponge), allowed to dry to a powdery haze, and then removed with a clean terry-cloth towel. Turtle Wax Carnauba Cleaner Wax can also be used on glass, mirrors, and chrome as well.

After washing and drying the car, I applied the wax about 1.5 square feet at a time by hand, then removing it easily, just like the label claimed. Upon removing the first application of wax, the metallic charcoal gray finish shined just like new. The newly polished square of roof was a stark contrast to the lifeless, oxidized finish surrounding it.

When I buffed away the last bit of wax residue, our Eclipse glowed beautifully, reflecting everything surrounding it in its gradient dark gray metalflake. I don't think the last owners waxed it even once, and it stands as a testament to the tough finish Mitsubishi applied the the thing when they built it. The only thing was the finish was not as slick to the touch as I hoped it would be. The finish was so badly neglected that it took several applications to restore that slick, beautiful showroom shine.

But the extra applications were worth it, because these extra coats removed every single swirlmark, and all but the deepest scratches. The oxidization was gone also, leaving an almost three-dimensional shine where you could see every little black and silver speck in the paint! Our Eclipse turned heads before. Now it drops jaws!

Turtle Wax Carnaubu Cleaner Wax is not only easy to remove, but also easy to brush out of those annoying spots where old wax collects (such as name plates, trim, joints, door handles, etc.). It is safe for all finishes, including clear coat. It is especially good at protecting wheels with chrome and clearcoat finishes, as it helps to repel brake dust and road film, not only keeping them cleaner longer, but making future cleanups much easier.

This carnauba wax is definitely worthy of the Turtle Wax name. It helped turn around a 4-year old finish that probably never say a coat of wax before, restoring the glow and shine of its dealership days (thank God we caught it in time!). If it could do that to a neglected exterior, just imagine what it will do for a well-maintained one! Turtle Wax Carnaube Cleaner wax removes scratches, oxidization, and that papery texture from old finishes and then protects them, rain or shine.