Hot water and wax

The melting point of carnauba wax is generally around 140*F (or is it 160*F?)

I believe. So as long as you don't wash your car with water above that point, it shouldn't be a concern.
 
I wonder what it would look like if you laid on a thick layer of carnauba on a black car and put it in the sun during the summer (where suface temp would reach 160*).
 
As long as it isn't scalding hot water (so hot that you can't handle your wash cloth), then it is fine to use. I tend to like hot water during the winter because it seems to have better cleaning attributes than cold water (at least that's what I think). Your wax surface will hold up fine with hot water washes.
 
A good indicator for temperature is the human hand's threshold for pain. Most folks can't handle much over 130 F for more than a second or two. Results may vary...
 
Neothin said:
how hot would a black car in phoenix during july get? It has to be higher than 160 =/
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On the Poorboy's detailing weekend over the summer it was in the 90's. One of the DC members there had a temperature gauge (the point and shoot jobbies). JohnnyDaJackal's black hood on his RSX registered over 170*!!!





Yes, this is far beyond the melting point of *most* carnaubas. The only carnauba I have found to withstand that is FK1's #1000.
 
I once read in a science book in college that for every 10 degrees above (X I forgot...) you double the effectiveness of a soap. I wish I could google the magic number.....



This was a chemistry book, being a car nut then I grabbed the professor and asked if it was true and he sat me down, much to my pain and proved it to me the old fashioned way, chemical equations. Take it for what its worth.



Somewhere there is a graph of this since its in textbooks?
 
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