if i'm using a micro fiber cloth or chamois, do i go up and down, or left to right, or circular? i'm not sure how to properly do it.

 

Direction doesn't matter much. Best technique is a very light touch. Pressure is what causes those little scratches and it doesn't dry the surface any better. It seems like "modern" paint is particularly susceptable to scratching. Glad I got white!

George

 

Go to Home depot or lowes and get a cheap leaf blower.
I bought one for less than 30.
Never scratch your car again.
It works great.

 

I forgot the name of it but I use this rubber feeling towel.

 

Great idea!

 

I use the California waterblade.
Then I finish her up with "The Obsorber".


I am in now way affiliated with or working for California! :D

 

The blower idea is a good one alright. See, no matter how we wipe to dry a car, if there's a bit of sand or grit in the wiper or on the car's surface a scratch may result. A plain cotton terrycloth towel freshly washed and dried makes I think as safe a wiper as any and costs nothing except the surrender of your least favorite bath towel.

You folks all know that for dishes in the dishwasher, that "Jet Dry" promises a spot-free shine. It works as a surfactant. That is, it destroys the surface tension normally present in water. And so the water sheets off smoothly instead of clinging onto the surface as droplets.

Lately I see on TV commercials a similar system for cars: marketed under the Mr. Clean name. I'd bet a Scion this is practically the same surfactant as Jet Dry. It consists of a hose sprayer and the surfactant agent? Have not looked it up or tried it yet. But when I get my new Scion I volunteer to guinea pig the product.

Still I like the blower idea because the blast will blow water from crevices that might streak out on the drive immediately following a fresh washing. Consider using the Mr. Clean method -and- the blower for the ultimate, safe, easy, spot-free dry job? I think I'll try them together.

 

Use the water blade it is amazing. Dont buy the cheap one either buy the 15-20$ one it works really good

 

water blade followed by chamois

 

If you'll use a leaf blower, why not just drive around the neighborhood then? Or crank up the stereo, to shake the water loose? :D I've been a cheapo in the past, self-serve car wash, putting in quarters as I go, then drive it dry. 5 minutes and $1 later the car's clean on the outside. I have the chamois to get most of the water clear before driving off though, I just don't get on all 4 looking for drops here and there.

 

Just use that new mr.clean washer that doesn't have to dry it works great...!

 

only problem with mr clean is that the filter goes with two washes... so you gotta stock up on them. i use mr. clean every once in a while, beats drying the car, that's the worst part of cleaning the car for me. can't stand water spots. especially on black, white is so easy to get away with spots and dust. black is sorta ____ing me off, everytime i wash my car the next day it's got dust all over it.

 

With microfiber, go in a straight line (I'm partial to front to back or back to front) and wipe SLOWLY with little or no pressure. If you slow down the water will be sucked up into the nap of the towel by capillary action and you won't get as many spots.

 

OK- I just bought the Mr. Clean yesterday. Have yet to use it. But now I expect the short filter life you mention because the life is a function of water hardness. It is filled with ion exchange resin. Our local water is fairly hard. So i expect this'll be a problem for a lot of us.

Does it take much rinsing? If not, sloshing distilled water over the soaped car would do the trick, too. Most distilled water is not actually distilled, but purified by the very same method as Mr. Clean: reverse osmosis.

Kind of a worthless post from me. Just thinking aloud. :?

 

i suggest mr clean wash and dry... water disapates no need to dry..i washed scions with it and all ineeded to wipe was the windows.......works great

 

[/b]ok well first get the mr clean auto dry car wash and wash the car as suggested and then watch it dry spotless and then grab yourself a really good car duster i got the california car duster it works great it has wax on it that doesnt streak it takes every last dirt partical off the car and the more you youse it the better it works so the dirtyer the better

 

Lots of good ways to dry a car, just don't use any towel though. Make sure any terry cloth towel you would use is 100% cotton (excluding microfiber towels).

I personally use a California Water Blade and follow-up with a good quality microfiber cloth.

If you want to get serious about detailing, check out www.autopia.org - great bunch of car nuts that are serious about finishes.

 

I suppose Rain-X (that stuff marketed for your windshield in rainy conditions) would work the same, and is probably made to come in contact with car paint and such.

 

waaax ohn, waaaax ohf, waaaax ohn, wax ohf
pain da fence, pain da fence
sand da flo
hai danyo san

 

Hmmmm.... Rain-X is a very different animal. It is a form of silicone (i think) in a solvent of isoproyl alcohol. Rain-X seems to operate by making the water break into smaller beads by making the surface so slippery that big beads can't hang on long enough to get big. Main concern against Rain-X on paint is the possible bad long term affect of isopropyl alcohol on paint. Rubbing alcohol (same thing) does on harm that I can see to any household or auto surface. Yet, long haul it can affect at least one kind of acrylic plastic that I know about: piano white key tops, which commenced crazing and cracking about one year after alcohol was used to clean them. (i am a piano technician)

Our paint is not acrylic based. But just ot be safe I'd say nix rain ix