Mothers California Gold Brazilian Carnauba Cleaner Wax Paste

Carnauba is a natural wax that comes from the leaves of a South American tree. For many years it has been a key element in paste car wax, providing water-shedding protection on cars and adding shine. Autogeek.net -- a distributor of auto-detailing supplies -- explains why this is a key car wax ingredient: Carnauba wax "creates a rich, warm glow. It transforms the paint into a deep, liquid pool that shimmers under changing light conditions."

We found the best owner reviews for Mothers California Gold Brazilian Carnauba Cleaner Wax Paste. "I've tried Meguiar's, Turtle Wax, Black Magic wax, Liquid Glass ... and this will beat them all when it comes to shine and ease of use," comments one user in the MotorTrend.com forums. Amazon.com customers posting reviews also prefer California Gold to other car wax brands. As one says, "I have been using this cleaner/wax for about 20 years. I have tried many others, but I keep coming back to this over and over again."

Many consumers say that they prefer California Gold because of its dependable results. Auto-detailing expert Darren Priest says "paste waxes are where you will find the best in visual enhancement." He includes Mothers California Gold in his top two carnauba pastes because it's "ideal for any dark-colored car as part of normal care, or to restore car paint to its original beauty and shine."

California Gold is a cleaner wax, which means that it removes oxidation -- the hazy buildup that dulls paint finishes. For best results, "prepare the paint surface properly" before waxing, notes a consumer at UK retailer PerformanceMotorcare.com. One of the few complaints about the Mothers California Gold paste is that it doesn't come with an applicator pad.

Contributors at auto forums and consumer websites say that California Gold is long-lasting, at least among paste waxes. "The wax wears beautifully and the shine seems to last month after month. I have never found any other wax that last this long," notes one user review at Epinions.com. A professional testing organization disagrees, however, and gives a "poor" lifespan rating to most paste waxes, including Mothers California Gold. Tests also reveal that California Gold paste wax buffs off easily, but that users should be careful not to get it on plastic trim.