Drying your car

[D2000]

What is this "drive" you speak of?!.

Don't worry Oz', she gets a workout. I should mention that it's my only car, not just a toy, and certainly not a garage queen!. Detailing is more therapeutic than anything else. When (non-Porsche) people ask how new it is, and I tell them 11 years old, well that's a nice bonus to see the reaction. 

agree. Marks from driving are something I can live with. Swirls on the other hand...

[symsy]

Maybe I should have asked the same question to the White car owners  

Do they do like snow canon sprays in colours?  so we white car owners can stand back and look impressed also… when the soap falls on the floor, I mean white soap on white car … not so impressive..

My mrs also asked and then I slapped  her …. is that soap biodegradable?? … it is Byron after all.

And my last  question why is it regardess of the colour of soap you start with ..that you get white foam… ?? 

Questions from the small child inside me!!!!!!!!!!  Why 

So it sounds like Bowdens canon , metrovac and Gurney puts a man into car cleaning heaven..

 

[WOKA]

 

So it sounds like Bowdens canon , metrovac and Gurney puts a man into car cleaning heaven..

 

..and a deck chair, a beer and some eye candy doing all the work  

[Mike737]

@Mike737 i think he can give you some good input. His car is friggen clean. 

Thanks Pauly. You should have seen it a month ago when Dan and I worked on the car. It's getting closer to what it used to be again.

 I'll go through and moderate some of the advice to what I have found detailing my cars as well as other peoples. Some of this advice will be over the top, but most of it you can take to your level and if you want to shift it up a gear or drop it back feel free to.

 

Black 997,s two bucket wash system with 10 inch Adam,s lambs wool wash pad ,,,Makita cordless blower and Adam.s microfibre great white drying towel ,less touching the better as black swirls just looking at it .............

https://www.adamspolishes.com.au/shop/

Raven's correct. Definitely use a small hand held blower. Don't use a garden blower. Skip the lambs wool, it scratches if you have soft paint. Use 2 bucket system, with a 3rd bucket and spare mitt/brush for wheels. When washing always wash in straight lines, any circle work creates swirls. Straight lines still creates marks but will minimize the effect. Let the weight of your wash mitt do the work, don't press otherwise you're creating deeper marks. Your hand essentially should be keeping the mitt against the car, that's it's only purpose. If you need to scrub then you're attacking the problem from the wrong angle, you should try using a different product. 

 

Good quality, good size very good price.    I haven't got any for a while but I think it is only about $30.00 for the pack of 36.

I normally use them for most things on the car, and once they have been soiled, just throw them out.  they are cheap enough to do that.

If.. I only use them for drying the car, I will give them a wash without conditioner.   Then use them on my wheels and then chuck em.

Just remove the white tag on each cloth to avoid it scratching the duco.

Do NOT use on dark paint unless you have a clear bra. THESE DO SCRATCH. I made the rookie mistake early on, a lot of the general microfiber cloths scratch or leave fibres behind. They're great for interior, under the bonnet and anywhere which is not paint. Go out and spend some money from a proper detail shop and get some auto microfibre cloths. If you're coming to Melbourne, just next to the airport is Waxit. Get some proper cloths there, otherwise I can point you to some other places where you can pick some up, car care products is one that was previously mentioned above.

Wash them after use without any softeners otherwise they will ruin. I generally use a wash cycle without soap as there is still generally enough residue in the machine.

 

Under no circumstances should you actually drive the car - if the car is too precious to be cleaned down with a microfiber cloth then forget taking it on the road;  driving it at speed hitting small stones, road debris and insects will destroy the paintwork 

Hahaha... That's what clear bra's are for. Or you're like me and just add ceramic / glass over coats (it helps small stop the small stuff, not the big stuff)

 

I use the AUTOGLYM Aqua Wax, also a great product.    Put it on while car is still wet with droplets.   Then microfibre dry and bring to a nice waxed finish.

Great method for without a blower. You do need a waffle weave microfibre towel to minimize scratches though. The plusher are better for a mostly dry car. Wax or detailer both work during this process. Spray wax works for a longer period than detailer. Detailer just gives a slick finish. Spray directly on to cloth for more consistent results and to minimize wastage (Generally spray the cloth two to three times for the first panel and 1 spray per panel thereafter)

 

 

 

And if you want to go all out for swirl minimization, start with a prewash. Top end is a snow foam attachment to your pressure washer as seen below, otherwise you can use a hose attachment for spraying weeds with a mixing bottle, use your own wash mix in there. Idea is to pull the dirt off the car before you try and remove it with a mitt.

 

[Ozvino]

What is this "drive" you speak of?!.

Don't worry Oz', she gets a workout. I should mention that it's my only car, not just a toy, and certainly not a garage queen!. Detailing is more therapeutic than anything else. When (non-Porsche) people ask how new it is, and I tell them 11 years old, well that's a nice bonus to see the reaction. 

I was totally taking the piss - regarding the "therapy" you talk of, I totally get it. Car detailing and lawn mowing are two pleasures in life for me - I work in a corporate environment and work long hours for little productive outcome - cleaning bugs off a car makes it feel like I have achieved something in my life !

@kgb and myself have had many discussions around the therapy associated with car cleaning and lawn mowing, so keep this thread going !!!

 

 

Thanks Pauly. You should have seen it a month ago when Dan and I worked on the car. It's getting closer to what it used to be again.

 

Mike - you are without doubt the best "amateur"  car detailer extraordinaire I know (no offence)  - even more so because I know you drive the shit our of your car yet it looks fantastic and is no garage queen 

[KGB]

I use a Stihl leaf blower.  Proper man's blower.

Then there's lawn edging...man, that's heaven.

[Mike737]

Mike - you are without doubt the best "amateur"  car detailer extraordinaire I know (no offence)  - even more so because I know you drive the shit our of your car yet it looks fantastic and is no garage queen 

Thank you! That means a lot coming from a guy who has some of the cleanest non garage queen engine bays I've ever seen, who as far as I know isn't doing any show and shines. Your 928 bay is amazing for a car which is around 30 years old. 

[symsy]

Great input gang… gonna have to get the PFA cleaning first aid kit ..flow in  by Air Ambulance into Byron.. we have Palmolive , old mutton cloth and armoral and T cut in the local Repco..

You can by and incense holder though and essential oils….  just dont ask for any oil thats not 20/50 ,  my tech converstation opens with Petrol or Diesel mate.

I asked this elsewhere .. Gurney or another .. mainly to clean cars??? I think the vote was Gurney

 

[D2000]

I use a $100 Karcher.  No complaints, but have never tried a Gurney

[Mike737]

 

I asked this elsewhere .. Gurney or another .. mainly to clean cars??? I think the vote was Gurney

 

Difference between Gurni and Karcher is internals on lower end models. Skip K1 and K2 Karcher models as they have a plastic pump. Other than that they're the same.

Once you get one go and get yourself a snow foam attachment, they work alot better than your mixing attachment which some come packaged with. 

[withers]

I need to retire so I have time to do all this!

You'll need more than the time from retiring, you'll need to some how extend time to 48hrs in the day.. I know how many machines you both have! Thats a lot of washing

[withers]

Thanks Pauly. You should have seen it a month ago when Dan and I worked on the car. It's getting closer to what it used to be again.

 I'll go through and moderate some of the advice to what I have found detailing my cars as well as other peoples. Some of this advice will be over the top, but most of it you can take to your level and if you want to shift it up a gear or drop it back feel free to.

 

Raven's correct. Definitely use a small hand held blower. Don't use a garden blower. Skip the lambs wool, it scratches if you have soft paint. Use 2 bucket system, with a 3rd bucket and spare mitt/brush for wheels. When washing always wash in straight lines, any circle work creates swirls. Straight lines still creates marks but will minimize the effect. Let the weight of your wash mitt do the work, don't press otherwise you're creating deeper marks. Your hand essentially should be keeping the mitt against the car, that's it's only purpose. If you need to scrub then you're attacking the problem from the wrong angle, you should try using a different product. 

 

 

Do NOT use on dark paint unless you have a clear bra. THESE DO SCRATCH. I made the rookie mistake early on, a lot of the general microfiber cloths scratch or leave fibres behind. They're great for interior, under the bonnet and anywhere which is not paint. Go out and spend some money from a proper detail shop and get some auto microfibre cloths. If you're coming to Melbourne, just next to the airport is Waxit. Get some proper cloths there, otherwise I can point you to some other places where you can pick some up, car care products is one that was previously mentioned above.

Wash them after use without any softeners otherwise they will ruin. I generally use a wash cycle without soap as there is still generally enough residue in the machine.

 

 

Hahaha... That's what clear bra's are for. Or you're like me and just add ceramic / glass over coats (it helps small stop the small stuff, not the big stuff)

 

 

Great method for without a blower. You do need a waffle weave microfibre towel to minimize scratches though. The plusher are better for a mostly dry car. Wax or detailer both work during this process. Spray wax works for a longer period than detailer. Detailer just gives a slick finish. Spray directly on to cloth for more consistent results and to minimize wastage (Generally spray the cloth two to three times for the first panel and 1 spray per panel thereafter)

 

 

 

And if you want to go all out for swirl minimization, start with a prewash. Top end is a snow foam attachment to your pressure washer as seen below, otherwise you can use a hose attachment for spraying weeds with a mixing bottle, use your own wash mix in there. Idea is to pull the dirt off the car before you try and remove it with a mitt.

 

A lot of it has to do with the care the person is showing the car whilst cleaning it.  You have contradicted Nikos recommendation to buy the costco microfibre cloths (I know you are a nice guy and haven't done it in a malicious way) but if he's using them and is happy then they work for him. 

Look my father in law has been washing my partners SP23 since it was brand new. He doesn't use anything expensive on it, only uses 1 bucket. Has a sponge for wheels and a fake sheepskin mitt for the duco, uses a crappy chamois to dry it off and I can tell you now, her car does not have ONE SWIRL in it. Its Winning Blue, so a very dark color and has been washed 2 times a week since new in 2003. Lets face it, Mazdas dont have the best paint on them either..  but he's careful and enjoys the therapeutic nature of the clean. This shows on the car, it looks brand new and has 170k on it now.  If I remember the next time its washed, I'll take a photo of it.

Your car looks beautiful Mike, but it might be more to do with how you actually wash it than just the stuff you use  

 

[Niko]

A lot of it has to do with the care the person is showing the car whilst cleaning it.  You have contradicted Nikos recommendation to buy the costco microfibre cloths (I know you are a nice guy and haven't done it in a malicious way) but if he's using them and is happy then they work for him. 

 

Thanks A, I wasn't going to take it further, each to their own, but in my opinion these are good quality.  If they were crap there is no way known I would be using them. 

I use one to wash and anything up to three or four to dry it off, which includes the aqua wax application.   Not a swirl to be found.   I will keep using them.

And I still only use the one bucket too....

 

[Mike737]

A lot of it has to do with the care the person is showing the car whilst cleaning it.  You have contradicted Nikos recommendation to buy the costco microfibre cloths (I know you are a nice guy and haven't done it in a malicious way) but if he's using them and is happy then they work for him. 

Look my father in law has been washing my partners SP23 since it was brand new. He doesn't use anything expensive on it, only uses 1 bucket. Has a sponge for wheels and a fake sheepskin mitt for the duco, uses a crappy chamois to dry it off and I can tell you now, her car does not have ONE SWIRL in it. Its Winning Blue, so a very dark color and has been washed 2 times a week since new in 2003. Lets face it, Mazdas dont have the best paint on them either..  but he's careful and enjoys the therapeutic nature of the clean. This shows on the car, it looks brand new and has 170k on it now.  If I remember the next time its washed, I'll take a photo of it.

Your car looks beautiful Mike, but it might be more to do with how you actually wash it than just the stuff you use  

 

 

Thanks A, I wasn't going to take it further, each to their own, but in my opinion these are good quality.  If they were crap there is no way known I would be using them. 

I use one to wash and anything up to three or four to dry it off, which includes the aqua wax application.   Not a swirl to be found.   I will keep using them.

And I still only use the one bucket too....

 

Sorry wasn't meaning to offend. Here's what a single pass of a fresh Kirkland with detailer on it does to freshly cut soft paint without any sealant/wax. YMMV with your paint hardness. I'll just leave it at that.

 

Going back to @symsy's case, he says it scratches easily.

Here's my thought process as to the reason why I think Symsy is getting scratches easily:

• There's a chance that there might be no sealant on the car
• If he's using wax he's probably using Carnauba wax which is providing no protection in Byron Bay (83c surface melting temperature)
• I'm guessing the car is a daily and might even live outside and there probably isn't a car cover on it meaning it's going to get dirty quickly, particularly with the salt air
• During washing it sounds like he is getting scratches even; which means the paint sounds like it could be soft to very soft
• The wash he is using isn't PH neutral and strips the car of any wax and sealants showing up all the old scratches
• Washing technique might be introducing scratches

Scratch prevention recommendations (I'm pretty sure you would have already implemented some of the following recommendations, but just to be sure):

• Rinse the car off before starting to wash or use a pre-wash technique like snowfoam
• Use a proper auto wash which is PH neutral
• Use a sealant every 6 months
• Use wax over the sealant if you're wanting to add glow and conceal swirls further
• Only use waxes which are made up of polymers so they withstand the Byron Bay surface temperatures.
• Use a spray wax every 1-2 washes or if it's been longer than a fortnight (assuming daily usage)
• When using your wash mitt and towels, move in straight lines without applying pressure
• When drying a waffleweave will help reduce scratches if your using a microfibre towel
• Use a proper high quality car wash mitts and microfibre towels

 

And the guess as to why you haven't noticed the leather scratching your P car is hard paint, white coat in conjunction with sealants and/or waxes.

 

[D2000]

Or he could get a coating such as ceramic pro and opti-coat pro+ put on the car which will make it easier to keep clean and perhaps make the paint seem a bit harder. I have tried both and have found them very good

[Niko]

Sorry wasn't meaning to offend. Here's what a single pass of a fresh Kirkland with detailer on it does to freshly cut soft paint without any sealant/wax. YMMV with your paint hardness. I'll just leave it at that.

No problems, certainly no offence taken.   

Cheers

[KGB]

@Mike737 you need to have some kids mate!

[Mike737]

@Mike737 you need to have some kids mate!

Or do more track days and motorkhana's 

or were you suggesting I run a detailing sweatshop 

[Coastr]

I use a Stihl leaf blower.  Proper man's blower.

Then there's lawn edging...man, that's heaven.

word!  If you can get a good, hard right angle on the edge next to concrete...awesome!

(starting the annual war against lawn grubs)

anyway...back to paint- what's the difference in blowers?

[Mike737]

word!  If you can get a good, hard right angle on the edge next to concrete...awesome!

(starting the annual war against lawn grubs)

anyway...back to paint- what's the difference in blowers?

Here's the lowdown on blowers

• air speed, you're really wanting 150-200k, too little and you'll have trouble moving the water, too much and your going to be blowing dirt back on to the car from the ground, roof etc. 
• direct nozzles are preferred so you don't blow crap back onto your car, most larger blowers are for covering a larger area
• small battery blowers are great at blowing dust off, but struggle to move all the water at times as most lower end models struggle to hit 150k air speed
• large blowers are hard to manipulate the water around intricate wheels and are a pain to use drying high up locations
• petrol blowers can leave a nice layer of exhaust fumes over your clean car which can result over time in stripping wax and paint etching
• electric blowers are the sweet spot if you've got access to power as they generally easily have enough power
• a blower with variable speed is preferred so you can change it depending on your the situation
• some electric/battery blowers offer reverse cycle and can be used as a vacuum inside the car 

[Lucky Phil]

Ok time to move on to tyres.

I use the Maguires tyre gell which is good but a big problem with spray along car even after trying to wipe off the excess.  Washing the car next time and even after the third wash still requires other wipe down after a quick spin (and is a pain).  Any recommendations out there in PFA land?  I just love shiny tyres.  In my youth I used to nugget the tyres and then shine then with a shoe brush (believe it or not!)

Note: 2 of my cars are white....

[Niko]

 In my youth I used to nugget the tyres and then shine then with a shoe brush (believe it or not!)

 

Pissa.....Hopefully you gave your SHERRIN footy the same amount of love.

[red clubbie]

Ok time to move on to tyres.

I use the Maguires tyre gell which is good but a big problem with spray along car even after trying to wipe off the excess.  Washing the car next time and even after the third wash still requires other wipe down after a quick spin (and is a pain).  Any recommendations out there in PFA land?  I just love shiny tyres.  In my youth I used to nugget the tyres and then shine then with a shoe brush (believe it or not!)

Note: 2 of my cars are white....

I've been using Meguiars Endurance Tire Gel for a couple of years now with good results, but like all of us, I like to try something different.

I recently bought some Gyeon Tire Q2 to try. I've read good reports about it, so I'll see how it goes.....I can always go back to the Meguiars.

 

Cheers,

Geoff.

[Mike737]

Ok time to move on to tyres.

I use the Maguires tyre gell which is good but a big problem with spray along car even after trying to wipe off the excess.  Washing the car next time and even after the third wash still requires other wipe down after a quick spin (and is a pain).  Any recommendations out there in PFA land?  I just love shiny tyres.  In my youth I used to nugget the tyres and then shine then with a shoe brush (believe it or not!)

Note: 2 of my cars are white....

Use less 

I don't personally have any white cars so I might not have ever noticed it and the only white cars I've applied it to the owners have never complained. When applying the tyre might have dirt or water on it still so this could be your root cause at a guess.

I'm now down to using an APC (you can use a basic interior cleaner instead if you don't have APC) and a foam applicator to clean the wheel first which gives almost a new tyre look, add your gel after and wipe off excess. 

No reason you can't use nugget now if you've got the technique right.

 

Pissa.....Hopefully you gave your SHERRIN footy the same amount of love.

Did you just confess you detail your footy Niko?... I thought I was obsessed with detailing but that's on a whole new level compared to me! 

[Lucky Phil]

Pissa.....Hopefully you gave your SHERRIN footy the same amount of love.

For all interstate contributors a Sherrin is an AFL football.  Just wanted to clarify what Niko was referring to when he asked the question...........