Clear Chalk Paint Wax - Formally known as Soft Wax - THIS IS THE SAME PRODUCT! Just new branding! This is the LARGEST container of Clear Wax that Annie Sloan offers. It has the consistency of soft margarine in a tub so it is easy to apply, is completely colorless, and has very little odor. It is water repellent so can be used on dining room tables and kitchens. Wipe clean regularly and use a spray cleaner for tough areas - but make sure it does not contain a de-greaser - which will hurt the wax.
We recommend ALWAYS using Annie's Wax with her Chalk Paint® with her Chalk Paint® for INDOOR projects! Do not use wax for pieces outside in the sun or where they can get rained on.!
Annie's Wax can be tinted with any of her Chalk Paint®. So, if you want pink wax....you can color the wax with a little of our Antoinette Chalk Paint® to make a pink wax. Want a black-like was? Mix Graphite Chalk Paint® with the clear wax to make a black-like wax. Keep in mind however, when you tint Clear Wax, I have found it is for the aesthetic. I have a difficult time making it shiny when I buff afterward.
How Much Wax Do I apply?
First, take note: we are not icing a cake! We are waxing furniture. So, very thin uniform coats are best. Just like when you put moisturizer on your skin - you do not put a thick coat on, but rather a THIN coat and rub it in - so that it will be absorbed into your skin. This is the same approach when waxing furniture.
Here is what I do:
1. I take a plastic spoon and a paper plate. Using the backside of the spoon, I take a good tablespoon amount of wax out of the tin and put it on the paper plate. (Place the cover back on the tin of wax until you need more)
2. I use my wax brush and pull some of the wax from the glob (for lack of better words) on the paper plate. Only the tips of your wax brush should have wax on them - and not a lot!!!! A little goes a long way! Again - you are not icing a cake where you want a generous amount of thickness. We are applying the wax very thin- pressing uniformly with steady pressure - but not so much that you are bending the bristles on the wax brush.
3. For most pieces (except when going for that Rustic look or when you have a textured piece) I usually apply the wax in the same direction as my painted brush strokes. If I was doing a dresser top- I would start at the back reaching across while standing in front of the piece and as I apply the Annie Sloan wax I work my way toward the front as so I don't lean into a previously waxed area. You will see where you waxed prior because it does deepen the hue of the paint.
4. After a few strokes from one side to the other with the wax brush, I then take a lint free cotton t-shirt (an old one from my husband or an old sheet) and I wipe off the residual wax with one or two strokes in the same direction as I just waxed. (I am not buffing the wax at this stage! Merely just removing or incorporating any small wax "crumbs" that may be present.) Again - just one or two swipes across the whole area in one sweep, and that is it.
5. Resume waxing the next area.
6. The wax will cure (meaning no longer be tacky to the touch within a short time, maybe an hour or two?) However, a variable in the cure time is the temperature and humidity where you are located. Is it is humid and cooler - cure time will be longer. If it is taking a long time and your wax is still tacky and you are not in the rain forest- reread my warnings above regarding applying the wax thin!
7. Once the piece is no longer tacky- if you want to have a shinier finish- buff your piece. If you like it as is- then you are done! It does not take much rubbing and the piece will be quite shiny- so pay attention and have good lighting so that you do not overdo it.
8. Remember NO WAX when painting pieces for outside.
9. Surfaces that will get serious use (wear and tear) like tops of dressers and tables should receive 2 to 3 coats of wax. Follow procedure above, always allow wax to dry between additional coats.
If we are just referring to clear wax- and if you are doing a dresser or kitchen cabinets, I would recommend completing your first application per our instructions over the entire piece on all of your cabinet doors or the whole dresser ....and then, you could apply a second coat right away or wait an hour. It really does not matter too much. We just stress - never more than 3 applications TOTAL for the day of anything. So, 2 paint and 1 wax, OR 1 paint and 2 wax.....or 3 wax. You never want to apply 5 coats of paint to one surface in a day... I use the analogy of a pedicure. Too much polish...it might look like it is dry on the surface but put on a pair of socks later and you will get an impression on the nail.
I will always lead my customers on a path to get the best value from their purchase. If a person walks in and is describing an application where another product would be better- I let them know! Now when it comes to tools - in the sense of brushes, I strongly believe that a wax brush is a necessary purchase if you plan on doing multiple pieces. I understand that they are not inexpensive, but if you maintain them, they will last forever and will make your waxing process much faster and from a cosmetic perspective will significantly improve your application! I always say this is similar to applying make up. I honestly don't think the applicator you choose for putting on eye shadow is a big deal- but try putting blush on with a skinny brush versus a nice big soft brush and you are going to look ridiculous. Invest in a wax brush and get a professional quality finish. You will not regret it.
Clear wax is quite cool in that you can add some Chalk Paint® to the wax to tint it. For example, use Antoinette Chalk Paint® in the clear to make pink wax or ....if you want to darken the Dark Wax, consider adding some Aubusson Blue Paint to make the dark wax closer to black.
As noted in a post earlier, the waxes can become very soft in heat, so store them in a cool place. You can put in refrigerator for short time if needed. The wax is the consistency of soft butter. Never use a heat source to warm your wax!
This furniture wax will rejuvenate, restore the shine, and protect all interior painted and wooden surfaces.
It is important to understand that once you wax a piece of furniture, you cannot polyurethane over it! It will eventually cause a quality problem, I guarantee that! You can use a furniture oil...like Miss Mustard Seed's Hemp Oil...and once fully cured, you can use wax but not the other way around. (I don't know why you would wax over oil, but just an FYI if you are considering it.)
Consider taking a class from a stockist to learn all the ways to maximize using your Annie Sloan Clear Wax or for more terrific project ideas - we highly recommend Annie Sloan's book, "Quick and Easy Paint Transformations". It contains 50 Chalk Paint® projects that will inspire and instruct you.
The Purple Painted Lady is often asked....what is in the wax?
Linda asked, are mineral spirits in the wax? Is it wax (like a pure candle wax) and mineral spirits mixed together. Just curious. Not wanting to make my own just curious to know what is in it.
Here is what I wrote back:
Annie's wax is a composition of various components- and her total formula, ratios and ingredients are proprietary....just like every other product on the market ranging from make up to Kentucky Fried Chicken or Coca-Cola. But I can share that there is Bee's Wax- which is pretty self explanatory.
There is also Carnauba Wax ...which did- you know ....is used in the coatings of M&Ms. Carnauba wax has a very high melting point of 82-86 °C. It is harder than concrete (which makes it wonderful when it comes to protecting your finished piece) and is nearly insoluble in water and ethanol. (another great characteristic since we do not want a glass of water dissolving the top coat) Now here is what I think is quite astonishing about Carnauba Wax....it is non-toxic and hypoallergenic. The combination of properties leads to many applications, including use in food, cosmetics, automobile and furniture wax, molds for semiconductor devices, and as a coating for dental floss. You use products that contain carnauba wax every day, though you may not have known what the ingredient was or where it came from. It is one of those extremely useful natural chemicals and renewable resources that doesn't have a synthetic equivalent. As for my car smelling like candy... the wax does have a distinctive sweet scent. It might be more accurate to say many car waxes and candies smell like carnauba wax. (link to more information.... https://chemistry.about.com/od/foodchemistryfaqs/f/carnauba-wax.htm)
And then there is also a petroleum by-product in it. The petroleum by-product is a bit vague - but keep in mind that these are specific residual materials left over from other manufacturing processes. Many are used to make wax or even are used in the food industry. (link to more information= https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_product)
There are a lot of furniture waxes on the market...Annie's wax has over two decades of perfecting the composition and usage with her paint. So there is nothing nicer out there in the marketplace to use on furniture than Annie Sloan's Soft Waxes! I hope that this was helpful.
As for being safe for an item that will be used for a baby: Annie's Soft Wax does not contain any quick drying chemicals, such as toluene, which are harmful to your health. The warning label on the can is required by law; however, in the United States Soft Wax falls into the least harmful class of hazardous goods for shipping. In the UK and Europe, random samples of Chalk Paint®, both the Soft Waxes, and Lacquer have passed strict EN 71 testing. This result means they comply with European “toy safety” standards (BS EN 71-3:2013).
Here is some additional information I would like to share in case you are wondering if you could use another type of wax- like Briwax. First- never use Briwax. It has an ingredient called Toluene in it. Which is awful! Briwax is terrible with Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan. Basically the toluene works as sort of paint stripper!
As of 2015- The CURE TIME for Annie Sloan Soft Wax has been determined to be a period of 5 to 21 days, depending upon environmental conditions and thickness of application.
While the 5 to 21 days cure time may not be applicable to all fine furniture paste waxes that are currently on the market, it is the appropriate cure time for Annie Sloan Soft Wax.
To find a stockist near you, visit AnnieSloan.com
We are sorry – there are NO RETURNs when it comes to wax. To ship wax- we go through an extensive certification process through the Department of Transportation, Federal Government.
As for the paint- there are no returns/exchanges either...... You will find this for every stockist. Think about it- would you ever want a quart of paint sent to you - that was shipped to someone else prior? We eliminate any potential issues with this policy.
But....with that said- we apologize for any issues this may cause. Choose wisely and do not spontaneously purchase a color if unsure. OK? In fact- if you need help in deciding- ask us. We are here to help you! : )