The place I am currently at marks the first time that I haven't had access to a garage for detailing purposes. It's going to be a hot memorial day weekend out here but I was really hoping to wash/wax my car tonight after work. Today is 90+. The car will be sitting in semi-shade most of the day, next to my place. When I get home from work around 6:00 could I wash/wax the car? I've always waxed in the cool shade of a garage and normally don't wash a car in the heat because I feel more rushed (since water is evaporating off the car and can leave spots). I've got to take off fairly early tomorrow morning, otherwise I'd do it then. I was hoping to wax tonight and then hydro tomorrow morning to get it ready for some weekend driving.

Any thoughts? Will my waxing be adversely affected if I do it tonight and it is still hovering around 75-85 degrees? Am I clinging to an old wive's tale fed to me by my father when I was a kid when he told me that you shouldn't wax a car in the heat? It makes sense logically to me, but I've always used caranuba wax and wasn't sure how differently synthetic waxes respond to hot surfaces. I'd be using epic and by that time the vehicle would be completely shaded. It also isn't driven at all during the day, so residual heat is only from the sun and ambient temperatures.

 

While ambient temperature and humidity will affect the drying time as well as usable time to spread the product out evenly, more important is how hot your paint is.

If you have black paint, then it's not feasible to work under the sun because the panels will be so hot that it will be impossible to get the wax on the the panels before it evaporates.

If you have a light colored paint, then the paint will be cooler to the touch. If you can place your hand on the panel of the car and hold it there for a few seconds without screaming in pain, it's probably ok to wax it.

Richard

 

Thanks. I should have mentioned that my car is AB/B, so the paint definitely gets hot in the sun. I'm hoping that it will be in the shade enough to stay relatively cool today. Washing it should also help to bring down the temp.

 

Avoid wax. Use a polymer instead. I have used NuFinish (orange bottle) for over 20 years, and have never had a problem. It goes on easy, last long, and looks great. Can be used on wheels, and glass.

 

you mean sealant?