Sunday, March 7, 2010

How long should I wait to wash my car after it has been painted?

I just got the fender and headlight lamp replaced and painted, now I'm about to sell my car and wanted to wash it first. It was painted 3 days ago, but I heard you should wait awhile because the soap could mess up the paint.How long should I wait to wash my car after it has been painted?
you need to wait at least 30 days ,with today's paints they cure a lot faster than the older paints did but i wouldn't use an harsh chemicals such as a strong soap on it for at least 30 days,after that you can safely wash and wax it,you heard right on this one,good luck on it hope this helps.How long should I wait to wash my car after it has been painted?
your welcome,good luck selling it also.

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you should wait at least 3 to 4 days...

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When I my car was painted after an accident, the body shop told me to wait a month before washing it.
The guy who did the work on my car that I sold back in April told me it was okay to wash it when I took it home. He had washed it shortly after he had painted it. I asked him about washing it after being painted. You could always call the shop and find out. I'm just telling you what the guy who did the work on mine told me.
You can wash it, just don't use a pressure washer or take it to a carwash.


Use an auto soap and a soft sponge, and don't scrub the newly painted area.
so could the water pressure. wait about a week so you can garuntee the paints cured


im getting paint on my truck monday and i was told to wait a week from the body shop before getting mud or any type of wash.
There are two answers.


#1. If the car was professionally painted, glass removed, seals removed, lights removed, emblems removed, then the shop would have done a wet sanding to the finish to work out any drips or runs or fingerprints or heavy spots. This more expensive type of paint job would allow you to wash it as needed after you picked it up but they would not recommend any automatic car washes for a couple of weeks.


#2. If this was one of those $500 paint over rust and dirt and bird poop paint jobs, the kind I get on my 23 year old Chevy, then the minimum waiting period is two weeks. And even then I'd recommend a hand washing the first few times.





Good Luck!
It takes 90 days to fully cure. However you can wash it anytime as long as you don't pressure wash it. Usually a body shop will wash your car for you after they buff it to remove the buffing compounds. Just be careful and don't apply alot of pressure.
Most manufactures recommend 30 days to reach maximum hardness before applying detergents and/or waxes. However, you CAN spray it off with water and wipe it gently with a soft cloth. The new paint will shine anyway.

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