How long after car painting can it be exposed to water?
4 Answers
Conventional car paint repairs require avoiding car washing or rain exposure for nearly a week, but paint repaired using rapid repair technology can be washed one hour after leaving the workshop. Below is more information about car painting: 1. Process: The specific steps for paint repair include determining the repair area, assessing the damage level, applying protective measures, base layer treatment, masking and degreasing, applying color paint, applying clear coat, blending treatment, baking, and finally polishing the paint surface. If loss of gloss occurs during polishing, it can be restored using a high-speed polisher with specialized polishing compound. 2. Precautions: The hardness of the repaired paint is lower compared to the original factory paint, and high water pressure can damage the car's paint surface, so avoid using high-pressure water jets directly on the car body.
I just had my car fully repainted, and the technician specifically warned me not to let it get wet for at least three days. He said that while the paint surface may appear dry after spraying, the underlying layers haven't fully cured yet. Getting it wet during this time can cause the paint to bubble or even crack. In summer, when temperatures are high, two days might be barely acceptable, but it's best to wait an extra day if it rains. Last time I rushed to wash my car, and the paint near the door handles turned white, costing me over 2,000 yuan to repaint. To be safe, it's recommended not to wash the car for a week. If it gets rained on, wipe it off immediately with a dry cloth.
The time to get wet after painting depends on the situation. For regular touch-up paint, it usually takes 24 hours to cure, but large-area painting requires 72 hours. Temperature and humidity have a significant impact. In winter, it's best to wait five days due to the low temperatures. A professional painter I know mentioned that water can damage the uncured resin components in the paint, causing permanent water stains. It's recommended to avoid the newly painted area when washing the car for the first two weeks, and keep high-pressure water jets far away. If it's done in a new workshop's paint booth, 24 hours might be sufficient, but for ordinary roadside paint shops, it's better to wait longer.
After a car is painted, I usually advise customers to wait 48 hours before exposing it to water. The fresh paint may look glossy, but the coating actually cures in three layers: the base color dries quickly, while the clear coat takes much longer. Washing or getting rained on too soon can allow moisture to seep in, causing fisheye dimples. Last week, a car owner washed their vehicle the next day, and the entire hood's paint bubbled up. Nowadays, eco-friendly water-based paints dry even slower—it's best to be cautious for at least three days. Remember, the paint isn't fully cured until it feels firm to a light fingernail press.
