How to wax your car properly and the tools you need to do it

What you'll need: Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell Paste Wax ($6.79) or Zymöl Liquid Cleaner Wax ($25.55) and Viking Car Care Microfiber Applicator Pads ($4.99)

The only difference in the process of using a paste wax or a liquid wax is getting it on the pad. If you're using paste wax, you'll need to work the wax on to the applicator pad in a circular motion and then onto to the car. If you're using liquid wax, you can apply it directly to the car or onto the applicator pad.

For those who want to use paste wax, I recommend Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell Paste Wax because it's cheap, it comes with an applicator pad, it's highly rated on Amazon, and it's given me pretty good results in the past.

If you'd rather use liquid wax, I strongly recommend Zymöl Cleaner Wax. For as long as I can remember, my dad (who is single-handedly responsible for my current car obsession) has used it on his cars, and I've used it on my own cars since getting my license at 17 — always with great results. And with a 4.7-out-of-5-star rating on Amazon, others seem to stand behind it, too. It's definitely more expensive than most other waxes but, with it's worth the money.

1. Wash your car. The very first step to waxing your car is washing your car since it doesn't make sense to shine up a ride that's covered in dirt, pollen, and bird poop. Make sure it's dry before you begin waxing.

2. Find some shade. It's always recommended to wax your car out of the direct sunlight because the sun will quickly dry out the wax as you're applying it. Plus, you'll be a lot more comfortable in the shade if it's hot outside.

3. Create a thin layer of wax on the surface of the car by working in a circular motion. Avoid applying wax to your headlights, windows, and plastic trim pieces. You might feel inclined to add a lot more wax to make the application process quicker, but don't. If you add too much wax, it won't dry properly, you'll end up with a lot of residue, and you may have to re-wash your car to get rid of it.

4. Let the wax dry, then buff it off in a circular motion with a microfiber towel. By the time you finish waxing, the first section you waxed should be dry and ready to buff off. You'll know it's ready to be buffed off when the wax has a matte, chalky appearance. Once you've fully buffed it off, your paint will have a nice finish with lots of shine and luster. It should look something like this before buffing off.

The process is tedious, but breaking the job down into sections can make it easier to accomplish. Do the hood, fenders, doors, quarters, trunk, and other panels in some sort of order to ensure you don't miss a spot. And if you need a little motivation to continue along the way, buff off a small portion of wax to reveal the final results. For me, that's usually enough to drive me to get the entire car to look just as good.

Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell 9.5 ounce Paste Wax, $6.79, available on Amazon Zymöl 20 ounce Cleaner Wax, $25.55, available on Amazon Viking Car Care Microfiber Applicator Pads, $4.99, available on Amazon House Again 5 Microfiber cloth set, $8.99, available on Amazon

What you'll need: Mothers California Gold Spray Wax ($6.99) and House Again 5 Microfiber cloth set ($8.99)

Spray wax is less effective than paste or liquid wax, thus serving a different purpose. It should be used as a quick touch up product or a supplementary product. It's best used when your car is already in pretty good condition and just needs some extra shine and protection after a car wash. If your paint is severely sun faded and dried out, you shouldn't expect any spray wax to work wonders. However, I've found that Mothers California Gold Carnauba Spray Wax is the best.

1. Wash your car. Just like using paste or liquid wax, you need to make sure your car is clean before applying it. The only difference here is that you can apply it to a wet car since the spray itself is also water-based.

2. Spray it on the surface of your car. You don't have to carefully avoid certain pieces as you would with a different wax, but at the same time, there's no sense in using it on parts that don't need wax (windows, headlights, tail lights, plastic trim, etc.).

3. Wipe off and buff the car with a microfiber towel. And just like that, you're done. As simple as this process is, you can't expect the results to be as long-lasting. I typically like to use a spray wax right before a car meet or photo shoot because it's quick and super easy.

Now that you know exactly how to wax your car, pick up all the products you need on Amazon and dedicate a few hours this weekend to making your car look better than ever before.

Mothers California Gold Spray Wax, $6.99, available on Amazon House Again 5 Microfiber cloth set, $8.99, available on Amazon