How long before I can wash/wax fresh paint?

How long is it before I can wash/wax fresh paint? I know I can't buff it or anything. I have someone interested in a detail after his car comes back from the body shop. I wanted to know how long after the paint is done before I can wash and wax it.

If not, will water be fine, and just detail the areas that haven't been painted? I think its just the rear quarter panel and driver's door being painted.

Thanks in advance,
Roger

 

As long as it has been baked it can be polished with out a problem. If you can mark it with your nail, then its still a bit soft.
You can wash and wax it with out any issues. Just make sure that water does not dry on the surface ( water spots ) or they may etch into the clear from the minerals in the water.

 

You can wash it anytime you like. Re-paints aren't baked-in quite the same as at the factory. I would wait at least a couple of months before waxing. Some guy at another board actually contacted a couple of paint manufactures and all of them said to wait something like 60 to 90 days before waxing. You're not going to harm your paint by waxing right away, you're just going to prolong the curing process, at least thats how I understand it.

 

On fresh paint I've been told by Gerry (owner of a body shop) your not supposed to put any wax for at least 30days. The reason that Gerry told me is that if you put wax on the fresh paint the wax will penetrate through the clear and stain the colour of the vehicle. Well that's what Gerry told me :shrug:

As far as polishing goes you can polish a way but just be gentle on the fresh paint areas it really does feel different then aged paint.

Well that's just my :2cents:

 

I didn't plan on polshing the fresh paint. I was wondering how long before a wash or wax. I figured the paint might need at least 30 days to "gas out", but wasn't sure how wax would affect that.

So, I think I will just wash it, dry it, and detail the areas that don't have the fresh paint.

 

Wax is the key word here. Wax will not let the paint breath so it can cure. However you may use a paint sealant or glaze. They let the paint breath...:thumb:

 

I've wetsanded 1,5 month old paint, went just fine

 

As Nica said, most aftermarket paints will need 30 - 45 days before waxing to let the paint cure.

 

I wax fresh paint every day... ( I work at an autobody shop. )
But.. I am very selective of what I use.
First and formost, we use water based color. ( Standox )
And Standox Clear. I either use Menzerna APO, or Victoria Wax. Because we bake every repaint for at least 20 @ 150 F surface temp .
Standox saiys that not to wax for 30 days. they say this because they do not know where when or how the car is painted or if it was baked , and if it was, for how long.. so 30 days is a nice " buffer " zone.
Also , they do not know what kind of product that the end user will be using either.
I have been waxing, or paint sealing fresh paint for the 8 years that I have been working there. And never had one wax related paint issue.
All of us here on this forum are pretty smart with what we use and for the most part use very high end stuff.
And that is why I use Victoria Wax, Zymol , etc on a daily basis... I know that they will not react with the paint due to being a high grade natural product.
So if the paint it hard enough, wax away my friend!!

 

you can wash/ polish as long as soon as you get the car back. You can not wax it for atleast 30 days so the paint can outgas/ cure. If you wax it to early you can and will get fish eyes.
fueltuners right it does depend on what product you use.

 

Thanks guys. It will get a wash, and I just polish the non-fresh areas.