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what's the proper way to dry a car?

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Old 07-24-2004 | 01:00 PM
  #21  
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Originally Posted by dickpeter
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.
TORO TORO!!
Old 07-24-2004 | 03:48 PM
  #22  
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i thought the california water blade will scratch the car or maybe clearcoat?
Old 07-24-2004 | 03:56 PM
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The only thing I have used for around the past 4 years has been the "Absorber"

But I do like the leaf blower idea alot!!


So with the Mr. Clean Wash Kit, you are telling me you have no water spots at all? I just find that hard to belive.
Old 07-24-2004 | 04:23 PM
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I use the absorber also, with a gentle rub... (sounds perverted :oops: )
Old 07-25-2004 | 03:40 AM
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Originally Posted by tbblizzard
black is sorta ____ing me off, everytime i wash my car the next day it's got dust all over it.
I agree with you on the dust thing. I have a BCP tC and it's my first dark colored car so I'm having the same problem. However, I bought that California duster which looks like a hand mop but has some type of coating on the strings and it works GREAT for that "next- day dust". Try it out, I really like it!

:D Heidi
Old 07-25-2004 | 03:50 AM
  #26  
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I have been using a leaf blower for about two years now. It works great, takes off about 95% of the water. Just a little wiping down with a towel to finish the job.
Old 07-25-2004 | 04:11 AM
  #27  
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How long does a leaf blower take?
Old 07-25-2004 | 02:44 PM
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The blower part is about 1-3 minutes, then a couple of more for the towel part.
Old 07-25-2004 | 05:18 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by Lava flow
The blower part is about 1-3 minutes, then a couple of more for the towel part.
God, It takes me like 45 minutes.
Old 07-25-2004 | 08:46 PM
  #30  
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Absorber all the way. Then I spray on some wax and buff it with a white terry cloth towel.
Old 07-26-2004 | 07:29 AM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by tbblizzard
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.
I've used the Mr. Clean system and have had no problems with it! It is an incredible timesaver not to have to dry your car.

Replacement filters are suppose to last 10 uses. The original one only lasts 3 supposedly. Results probably vary greatly depending on how hard your water is. I only use water through the filter for about 5 minuters at the end of the wash and am hoping it last longer than 10 washes.
Old 07-26-2004 | 11:48 AM
  #32  
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I've been thinking about the leaf blower idea, and I purchased an inexpensive one to use on the car. Cut the drying time in half. Great ideas in this forum :D
Old 07-26-2004 | 12:53 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by wesley t

Replacement filters are suppose to last 10 uses.
Doesn't the filter only come into play when you are using the "dry" function? Otherwise the water is just coming straight through, right? I just run around the car like you're spray painting, from top to bottom... takes 3 minutes, I can't believe the filter wouldn't last longer. I used my starter filter for 5 washes instead of 3 and still had no water spots, the Mr. Clean system works great.
Old 07-26-2004 | 01:27 PM
  #34  
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I tried the leaf-blower idea out a couple weeks ago. My girlfriend and I washed our cars. She was drying hers when I finished washing. She looked at me a little funny when I went and got the blower. When I started drying the box, her eyes widen. When I finished, in about 5 minutes, she walked up and wacked me.

Her: "Why didn't you tell me I could dry the car with that thing?"
Me: "Uhhhhh, I wanted to test it first. You know, in case it hurt something...."
Her: "Riiight, like you'd test that out on your brand new box. You just wanted me to dry my car by hand. ___."
Me: *laughs really hard*
Her: *hits me again*

It was damn funny. But in all seriousness, the blower works great, and it's fast as junk. And like mentioned previously, it gets all the water out from around the mirrors or gas door instead of it streaking down over your nicely dried car.

Oh, and I used to drive around to "air dry" it, and this works much better.

-john
Old 07-29-2004 | 08:35 PM
  #35  
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sup-

i saw a thread earlier that said new cars should not be waxed during the first two months, since the paint has not fully cured yet. if this is true, then is washing good enough? just wanna make sure i get this right so i can take care of my baby.

also, do polishing and waxing go together? cuz if you're using mr. clean and it doesn't require drying, i guess you wouldn't be polishing it either?
Old 08-01-2004 | 03:51 PM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by X Boxer
Originally Posted by nowtheworld
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.

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
i've used rain-x and its FU*KING AWSOME looks like i'm in a fish tank the way that water beads right off, doing 60 mph!!! no need for dim wipers :D
Old 08-19-2004 | 02:06 AM
  #37  
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So what is the biggest place water hides on the xB?

I know on my Cavalier, regardless of how dry I think it is, there will be this nice puddle of water that hides in the rear view mirror just waiting to wreck my hard work.

I use an Absorber as well. Had the same one for several years with the Cav. Wash it every couple months and keep it in a zip lock bag. Probably outlast the car.
Old 08-19-2004 | 03:04 AM
  #38  
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Just tried Mr. Clean car wash on my girlfriend's new BCP Tc and damn it is good, didn't have to dry it by hand and not one water spot. I have found my new favorite wash!
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