If it starts raining half way through waxing your car....

[Johnnytheboy]

...what do you do?

I'd just finished applying wax to my car, so the whole thing is covered in a swirly white coating when the heavens open and it rains solidly for the next hour.

What should I have done (once the rain stopped)?

What I did was put my car away in the garage and stick the dehumidifier on max. It's nearly dry now and I'm going to rub the wax off.

[m8rky]

One of the reasons I only do a panel at a time.

[james_gt3rs]

Gaz. said:

Sorry but this reads like a Mr Bean script.

[Ozone]

Autoglym Aquawax, you can apply it while the paint is still wet. It sprays on and you buff it off - i find it very useful

[crolandc]

Ozone said:

Autoglym Aquawax, you can apply it while the paint is still wet. It sprays on and you buff it off - i find it very useful

Wax wet paint!!!

[Johnnytheboy]

Gaz. said:

Why didn't you stick the car in the garage as soon as it started raining?

Sorry but this reads like a Mr Bean script.

Did I give the impression that I didn't?

[*Al*]

I just carry on and get the job done pah! Only because i have a large carport in a position that's sheltered from the elements.

[XJSsometimeSoon]

check the weather forecast and look at the sky before you start?

[badlands1]

If you had the Karate Kid doing it, he would have finished it before the rain came.

[McSam]

XJSsometimeSoon said:

check the weather forecast and look at the sky before you start?

I've been caught out a couple of times, but I stick to two panels at a time - wax one, wax another, buff first, wax third, buff second, etc. - so it's not too hard to get it sorted should the heavens open. Never seen anyone apply the wax to a whole car at once!

[Jasandjules]

I find effing and blinding works.... Not well, but it does the job.

Just let it dry, and try again. But I don't tend to wax the car when there is a chance of rain, my problem is more I do it when it's too hot and the sun shines on the car...

[mx5tom]

I do it to the whole car at once..

Doesn't really take long to apply it to the whole car, then go have a coffee, go wipe it all off. Never really thought of doing it any other way.

I have been caught out once or twice though.. Usually just ends up in a frantic, running around at 2x speed trying to rub it all off as quickly as possible as soon as the rain starts picking.

[MarkRSi]

mx5tom said:

I do it to the whole car at once..

Doesn't really take long to apply it to the whole car, then go have a coffee, go wipe it all off. Never really thought of doing it any other way.

I have been caught out once or twice though.. Usually just ends up in a frantic, running around at 2x speed trying to rub it all off as quickly as possible as soon as the rain starts picking.

This (including the last point ), but getting caught out by rain aside, surely if you do one panel at a time you either not letting the wax dry properly or take AGES to wax the car? (Wax on front left wing, have coffee waiting to dry, buff off, wax on front left door, have coffee waiting to dry, buff off...)

[Y282]

panel at a time max. for bonnet/roof i tend to do it quarter at a time, especially if using collinite.

[V6Alfisti]

mx5tom said:

I do it to the whole car at once..

Same here and by the time you have done the whole car, you can start buffing out the wax on the first panel...e.t.c

[E31Shrew]

crolandc said:

Wax wet paint!!!

Crossed my mind too

[m8rky]

V6Alfisti said:

mx5tom said:

I do it to the whole car at once..

Same here and by the time you have done the whole car, you can start buffing out the wax on the first panel...e.t.c

What about any grit or other contaminants that may stick to the wax before you go back to polish it?

[snuffle]

m8rky said:

One of the reasons I only do a panel at a time.

One of the reasons I rarely wax mine.

[V6Alfisti]

m8rky said:

What about any grit or other contaminants that may stick to the wax before you go back to polish it?

Don't tend to wax unless perfect conditions, never had a problem with dirt sticking to the wax and I am a 2 bucket/ high quality polish and wax kind of person.

You could say the say the same about washing a panel individually, then polishing it, then waxing it before moving onto the next panel - reality is nothing will stick to the panel in most conditions. (IMO)

[Johnnytheboy]

It really did chuck it down out of nowhere.

What was really funny is that my neighbour and I had been washing in tandem for a good hour and my other neighbour had been fannying about saying he was about to wash his for half that time.

Just as it started raining, he finally appeared out of his front door with a bucket of water...

I did get the wax off later on, but oh my goodness it's a job when it's been on there for a few hours.

I think the panel at a time thing may be the way forward.