I painted my car and a few days later I went and polish and waxed. The next day it rained and now I have runs of wax all over the door like I applied too much.

How do I clean up the wax? Is there a wax remover?

Assuming I’d need to apply with a lot less? Maybe I used too much?

Never, EVER, polish and wax new paint until it has completely hardened. This can take 3 months or so, depending on weather/ambient conditions.

During the hardening/curing process the paint is still releasing solvents. If you polish and wax you can seal those solvents in and prevent them from escaping through the top, as they should. instead they will push the pint off from the bottom and at best you will have solvent pop while, at worst. the paint will just detach from the substrate and come off in big sheets.

We know that you did this with spray cans but you haven't told us which clear you used. You can use Prepsol or Wax & Grease Remover to remove the polish and wax that you applied but there's no guarantee since some may have gone into the pores of your paint and be extremely difficult to remove. The more you try to remove the wax the greater the risk that the solvents in the Prepsol will attack the uncured paint.

It might work, it might not. Worst case scenario is that you'll have to strip it all and start again.

YEP, not a good thing to do!!!
Jay D.

NFT5 wrote:Never, EVER, polish and wax new paint until it has completely hardened. This can take 3 months or so, depending on weather/ambient conditions.

During the hardening/curing process the paint is still releasing solvents. If you polish and wax you can seal those solvents in and prevent them from escaping through the top, as they should. instead they will push the pint off from the bottom and at best you will have solvent pop while, at worst. the paint will just detach from the substrate and come off in big sheets.

We know that you did this with spray cans but you haven't told us which clear you used. You can use Prepsol or Wax & Grease Remover to remove the polish and wax that you applied but there's no guarantee since some may have gone into the pores of your paint and be extremely difficult to remove. The more you try to remove the wax the greater the risk that the solvents in the Prepsol will attack the uncured paint.

It might work, it might not. Worst case scenario is that you'll have to strip it all and start again.

I used a 2k clear with about 5 passes. I honestly think i used wayyy too much wax. I'll remember not to polish and wax next time for a few months. I guess you live and you learn. I'll try that Prepsol and if it doesn't work looks like i'll be starting over again.

It sounds like the wax hadn't fully cured or was applied too thickly, causing it to streak when it rained. To clean up the excess wax, use a gentle wax remover or a solution of isopropyl alcohol diluted with water (about a 50/50 mix) and a soft microfiber cloth to wipe the affected areas carefully. Avoid scrubbing too hard to prevent damaging the new paint. When reapplying wax, use a smaller amount and work it in evenly with a clean applicator pad, buffing off any excess immediately with a fresh microfiber cloth to avoid over-application.