How long after painting can you wash the car?
3 Answers
If the painting is done at a professional shop, you can wash the car immediately after picking it up. Generally, professional shops will apply a protective coating after painting. In winter, it's best to let the paint dry for a week before washing the car. In summer, you can wash the car after two to three days. If the painting is done at a professional shop, you can wash the car immediately after picking it up. Generally, professional shops will apply a protective coating after painting. Typically, when the paint hardness reaches 80%, it's safe to wash the car. Usually, after one day, the paint surface dries to about 80%. If you want to be extra cautious, you can wait an additional two days.
I just had my car door repainted last week, and the technician specifically advised waiting at least a week before exposing it to water. For a full-body respray, you need to be even more cautious—it’s best to wait a full two weeks. The paint may seem dry when it comes out of the booth, but the inner layers take time to fully cure, like chewing gum hardening. My neighbor rushed to wash his car and ended up washing away the fresh paint at the edges, wasting 3,000 yuan. If the dust is unbearable, gently wipe the affected area with a damp cloth—avoid high-pressure washers near fresh paint at all costs. And never use the big rollers at automatic car washes—they’re like sandpaper. If your car gets bombarded by bird droppings under a tree, use a wet wipe soaked in water to dab it off slowly; rubbing hard will leave marks.
In my case experience, nine out of ten paint bubbling incidents are caused by washing too soon. After painting, the paint film continuously releases gases and odors, and high-pressure water jets forcing moisture inside will cause blistering. Water-based paints dry relatively faster; with good ventilation in summer, they can harden in three days. However, oil-based paints can't withstand water flow impact without at least a week. Remember to check if the paint surface reflects light evenly and feels as smooth as a phone screen for safety. If in a hurry, using a QD quick detailer spray over the paint can serve as an emergency measure, but the surfactants in foam car wash solutions can corrode uncured clear coats. It's recommended to wait until you can no longer smell paint odor on the dashboard before giving the car a proper wash.
