Gary, please be patient, don't worry about testing it right now. I am quite confident it worked very well! Please don't "intentionally" get the vehicle wet for a few days, or longer. I personally don't "intentionally" get a vehice wet (or verify the hydrophic qualities of the coating) until I do the first maintenance wash at least 7-10 days after application. CarPro recommends; Keeping the surface dry for at least one hour after application, wiping any water off the surface during the first 24 hours after application, and to avoid washing with any soaps for the first 7 days. I don't know about you, but I prefer not to get my car wet if I can't wash it, and I certianly don't want to wipe the surface (especially without carwash soap, and proper wash media) if I can avoid it. When I do a coating I avoid getting the vehicle wet for as long as possible. If it doesn't get wet until I do the first maintenance wash at least a week later, I am VERY happy!! IMHO, the longer a coating can cure without seeing water, the better!
Tad is 100% on the money. I've been studying and researching coating technologies for a while and here are common facts that seem to transcend all current technologies
1) The matrix starts forming almost instantaneously on contact with the substrate (and in contact with O2, in SiO2 coatings). So unless you applied to a dirty oily surface, you will have your desired coating on the paint.
2) As the carriers start evaporating the matrix starts solidifying, and chemically bonding (weak ionic at first). During that period of time you can manipulate and re-stratifying the coating matrix (hence the reason we cross hatch to ensure complete coverage), but you can also remove it if you are too "rough" with trying to wipe off the carriers (or too liberal in your unceasing wiping). So a gentle hand after the prescribed cure/flash period is recommended. Should you be afraid that you may have done it wrong?? Trust me when I say that if you were too rough or had over manipulated that you would have micromarring everywhere. So no worries, your coating is there!
3) From its initial cure, the chemical bonding then goes through a "maturation" process which basically means that the chemical bonds go from simple ionic to a much stronger covalent bonds (as the solvents continue evaporating). This can take up to 30 days (depending on conditions). To accelerate the process and to facilitate the curing (and also to more thoroughly evaporate the solvents/carriers from the curing coating) we use IR baking. Do you need to IR cure? No! This can easily be replicated at home using the good ol' sun! Once you are done coating, pull the car in the sun and make sure the temp of the panels reach 150-170 degrees (for best results).
4) As the "maturation" process is allowed to occur the coating then becomes more resilient to chemical and mechanical forces. As Tad pointed out, it is Ok to wet the coating after the first 24-48 hrs (I prefer 48, even after IR curing), and it is Ok to use car "safe" chemical (ie. pH Neutral soaps) after 7-10 days..... but don't forget that maximum "strength" will be after the initial 30 days. Again, as Tad pointed out, the longer you can let the coating cure without exposure the better the result.
FYI You CAN drop de-ionized water on the coated surface right after the coating, to see if it works, but just know that you can leave an imprint if it is not wiped right away. If you use normal water, you run the realistic chance of having a water spot
In any case, DO NOT use any pH based products or solvents for the prescribed period because those chemicals WILL disrupt the coating matrix. After 30 days you can expose the coating to pH to as low as 4 and as high at 12 (if memory serves me correctly)
