Surface tension is what causes water to bead on waxed and coated paint. That beading is a sign of protection — but when you are rinsing cleaning chemistry off paint, beading works against you. Beaded water during rinsing means uneven coverage, chemistry pockets that do not rinse fully in the first pass, and individual droplets that dry in place if you do not catch them quickly enough. A wetting agent breaks that surface tension during the rinse phase, allowing water to sheet uniformly across the surface and carry cleaning chemistry off in a consistent flow rather than leaving bead-collected residues.
Get Wet 16oz from Polishing Systems Inc is a concentrated wetting agent and pre-wash additive that improves rinse coverage on hydrophobic surfaces, reduces water spot risk from bead-based drying, and extends the effectiveness of the rinse step in foam cannon and pressure wash workflows. The 16oz size is the compact entry format — right for mobile detailers, trial purchasing, and light-use operations.
What This Product Is
Get Wet is a surfactant-based wetting agent concentrate designed to reduce surface tension on water-repellent automotive and marine surfaces during the pre-wash and rinse phases of the wash process. Added to rinse water or applied as a pre-wash spray, it enables water to sheet uniformly rather than bead and channel — improving rinse chemistry removal, reducing drying time, and lowering the risk of water spot formation from surface tension-held droplets. The 16oz format is the trial and mobile-use entry size in the full Get Wet family lineup.
Key Features and Why They Matter
- Surface tension reduction — active wetting agent chemistry breaks hydrophobic surface tension during the rinse phase. Means water sheets off rather than beading — more uniform rinse chemistry removal in a single pass.
- Water spot risk reduction — sheeting water dries uniformly rather than in individual mineral-loaded droplets. Means fewer water spots in warm, sunny washing environments where rapid drying is a concern.
- Foam cannon pre-wash additive — compatible with foam cannon and foam gun systems as a pre-wash additive that improves foam coverage on hydrophobic surfaces. Means better foam adhesion and dwell on treated paint surfaces before contact washing.
- Concentrated formula — small addition per gallon or foam cannon reservoir yields measurable improvement in water behavior. Means economical per-use cost for regular wash process optimization.
- 16oz compact format — mobile-kit size for detailers who add Get Wet to their wash process without needing large-volume supply.
What This Is NOT For
Get Wet is a process additive — not a standalone cleaning product. It does not clean paint surfaces by itself and is not a replacement for car wash shampoo. Do not use as a substitute for proper washing chemistry. Not for use as a final rinse aid intended to add protection to paint — this is a rinse improvement additive, not a paint protection product. For volume supply, see the Get Wet 32oz, 1 Gallon, or 5 Gallon.
Who Uses This Product
Mobile detailers who add Get Wet to their rinse stage for cleaner, faster rinse-off at client locations where slow drying creates water spot risk. Detail shops optimizing their foam cannon pre-wash stage for better foam adhesion on heavily ceramic-coated inventory vehicles. Fleet washing operations adding a wetting agent to their rinse cycle to reduce water spot formation on high-volume throughput. Boat detailers applying a wetting agent pre-wash to gel coat surfaces that repel water strongly and create patchy foam coverage.
How to Use
- As a rinse additive: Add 1–2oz of Get Wet per gallon of rinse water. Use this diluted rinse solution as the final rinse step after cleaning chemistry removal. The wetting agent causes water to sheet off the surface cleanly.
- As a foam cannon additive: Add 0.5–1oz per 32oz foam cannon reservoir alongside the car wash shampoo. The wetting agent improves foam adhesion on hydrophobic surfaces.
- As a pre-wash spray: Dilute 1oz per quart in a spray bottle and mist onto dry paint before foam application to reduce water beading during pre-wash and improve dwell on the panel.
- Adjust dilution ratio based on the hydrophobic character of the surface being treated and the desired sheeting behavior. See the full Get Wet size lineup at the exterior wash products category.
Why Add a Wetting Agent to the Wash Process
As paint protection technology has improved — ceramic coatings, high-grade sealants, and advanced waxes all create increasingly hydrophobic surfaces — the rinse and foam application steps of the wash process have become less effective on their own. Water beads and channels on a highly coated vehicle in a way that was not the norm with older wax-only paint. A wetting agent is the practical process optimization that compensates for this — it enables consistent water coverage on surfaces that have been engineered to repel water. It is not a workaround for coating failures; it is a process adaptation to highly effective surface protection. See the larger sizes in the Get Wet family: 32oz, 1 Gallon, and 5 Gallon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Get Wet strip wax or ceramic coating from the paint?
No — Get Wet is a surfactant-based wetting agent at low use concentrations, not a high-alkalinity degreaser. It does not strip wax or degrade ceramic coatings at the recommended dilution rates. The reduction in surface hydrophobicity during the rinse phase is temporary — the surface returns to its normal hydrophobic behavior after the rinse water dries.
Can I add Get Wet directly to my car wash shampoo bucket?
Yes — adding a small amount (1oz per 3–5 gallon bucket of wash water) improves wash water sheeting during the rinse phase of the wash process. It is commonly combined with car wash shampoo in the wash bucket to enhance the overall wash water wetting performance on hydrophobic surfaces.
How does Get Wet reduce water spotting?
Water spotting occurs when individual water droplets dry in place on the surface, leaving a mineral deposit ring. By causing water to sheet uniformly rather than bead into individual drops, Get Wet reduces the number of stationary droplet drying events on the surface during the drying window after rinsing. The result is fewer mineral deposit rings in hot, sunny washing conditions where drying time is short.
Is 16oz enough for a mobile detailer’s working supply?
At 1–2oz per gallon of rinse water or per foam cannon fill, 16oz of Get Wet concentrate provides 8–16 wash session additions — approximately 1–2 weeks of daily use for an active mobile detailer adding Get Wet to every wash. For more working supply without moving to a gallon, the Get Wet 32oz doubles the supply in a similar portable format.
What is the shelf life of Get Wet concentrate?
Stored sealed in a stable temperature environment, Get Wet concentrate retains full activity for 2+ years. Keep the bottle capped between uses. In freezing temperatures, the concentrate may thicken temporarily — bring to room temperature and shake before use. The wetting performance is not affected by temporary cold-temperature thickening.
