Why shouldn't you wax your car in direct sunlight?

Answer 1

Everyone has a great point. Best not to wax in direct sunlight, when the paint is hot and when you just drove the car (hood would be hot from engine heat). The solvents or carriers that suspend the wax particles (which helps in spreading the wax particles) would evaporate quickly and leave the harder wax particles. There are some waxes that will tolerate heat and sun a lot more than the average wax but it's still a good rule of thumb to avoid direct sun.

If you don't have shade, wax/wipe one small section at a time, or wax during late afternoon.

Answer 2

In a word - streaks. If the car body is hot or in direct sun, the wax will not cover properly and you'll end up with a streaky, blotchy finish.

Answer 3

Yes, you can wax your car in direct sunlight. I do it all the time. You just have to do it in small areas at a time, buffing it as soon as it dries and before it bakes onto the paint. Once it bakes on, the only way to get it off is to rewax the same area.

Answer 4

The wax hardens and is hard to remove. Plus, with the heat from the sunlight and the heat from friction, you can burn your little fingers.

Answer 5

if you wax your car in sunlight the wax will dry and HARDEN too much before you can come back over it with you microfiber cloth to buff the wax off.

Answer 6

You'll end up rubbing so hard because wax has dried so much that the paint will end up with scratches and swirls.