When a protein is surrounded by water: 1  Hydrophobic amino acids will move away from the water and bury themselves in the center of the protein. 2  Hydrophilic amino acids will interact with the water molecules, and thus tend to be located on the outer surface of the protein.
The more you rub, the lighter the stain will become and it will lessen the overall drying time. Place the object in the position you want it to dry. Place the object where it will not rest against or touch anything else that could cause the stain to rub off even more. Wait 15 minutes. Look for drips and runs that may have appeared from places where the stain pooled up inside knots, cuts or edges in the wood.
You should wait about 1 month for the wood to dry out. If you have a moisture meter test it in a few spots. You would like the reading to be below 13%. I would use an oil based stain instead of paint. one month minimum dry time is recommended. That said, I'd wait as long as the painting season permits. If you have three months before it will get cold down there, then wait until then. It's important to have three good, consecutive dry days before applying the stain when ultimately decide to do it.