Tips for getting spray waxes like Hybrid Ceramic Wax to actually bead properly

Same experience here with the wet application, been using it on my black Civic for about two years now. I actually spray it on while the car is still in the wash bay with the rinse hose in my other hand, panel by panel, and I've found the sheeting rinse at the end matters more than anything. If I just let the hose run over it gently the water pulls off in sheets and drying takes half the time. One thing I'd add is that the streaks aren't only a heat problem. I got them once in cool weather because I was lazy about the final rinse and left residue sitting on the roof while I did the rest of the car. Rinsing each panel right away, top to bottom, fixed that completely.

I also stopped using dish soap for strip washes after reading too many mixed opinions, so now I just do a proper wash with my regular car soap and a clay towel if the paint feels rough. Beading came back fine after that. Only other tip from me is don't skip the glass, two sprays across the windshield and the wipers go silent for weeks, which honestly is the part I notice most day to day.

I just tried this stuff for the first time last weekend after seeing people talk about it, and I was surprised you spray it on wet and rinse it right away, I figured you'd rub it in like regular wax. It went on easy but I still got some foggy spots on the hood. Might be my fault, the driveway was still warm from the sun even though the car itself felt cool. Does this also work on the plastic trim around the wheel arches? Mine is that dark grey plastic and it always looks dusty after washing.

Not sure I buy the idea that a regular car wash alone brings the beading back on neglected paint. Most car soaps these days have gloss agents or wax in them, so all you are doing is laying a bit of fresh film over whatever is underneath. It looks fine for a wash or two then the patchiness shows up again and you are back where you started. I found that out the hard way on my old wagon, kept washing it thinking it would sort itself out. A proper dedicated strip wash once actually did more in ten minutes than months of normal washes. Maybe the clay towel is doing the real work in your routine and the soap choice is irrelevant.

Been at this since the days of rubbing on paste wax with a foam pad and two old t-shirts, so I still treat this spray stuff as a topper, not a replacement. I do a proper hand wax twice a year on my pickup and use the spray stuff for the washes in between. Keeps the water behavior consistent and the paint stays easier to clean. Folk expecting one bottle to do everything year round are setting themselves up for disappointment. Still faster than a Saturday in the garage with a tin of carnauba though, I'll give it that.