Th less you touch it the better the surface prep! Im gonna order a Metro unit that vacuums and blows air! Comes with plenty attachments to blast water out of all those nooks an crannys

 

I go out on the street and accelerate to 100mph ,Come back and dry off the rest,so much easier

 

What he said ..... works well for me and my car is black

 

Using the leaf blower just left water marks for me. Ended up using microfiber towels instead.

 

Here's what I do:
1) When rinsing, use the hose without a nozzle on it. Most of the water will fall right off the car(assuming it's waxed). I tried this for the first time this year and it made a huge difference because there are not a billion little droplets of water left on the surface.
2) Squeegee the remaining water off. My squeegee has never touched the ground and is always dirt free.
3) Dab the remaining water off with a microfiber towel designed for drying off cars(not the ones designed for removing wax). Press the towel on the water and and lift. Wiping the towel could create swirl marks.
4) Never use cotton towels to dry, they're not soft enough. They last a long time for a reason. I'll use a cotton towel on my beater because, well it's a beater, but never on my Mustang.

Good website for car detailing: http://www.ammonyc.com/det-categories/drive/

 

The leaf blower technique has been the best for me so far. Microfiber cloth always makes me mad because it never seems like It's absorbing any water, It just pushes it around. Maybe I just have cheap ones.

 

Well there are different weave patterns on a couple different MF types. The normal kind used for buffing wax and polishes are different than the drying ones. Check out autogeek.net and look at their MF inventory when you get the chnce. Great selection and the forum there can really help you learn alot

 

I have been using the Absorber synthetic chamois for years. I'm old school and it took this product to pry the natural chamois out of my hands.




If you're using a blower, you better make sure that there is a really good, clean filter on it to keep from "sandblasting" your car with "dirty" air. Also, don't use a leaf blower. The speeds are very high and you may dislodge / damage some of your rubber / trim pieces or even decals / stripes.

 

I thought the general idea is to rub and touch the paint surface as little as possible? Therefore, wouldn't a blower be better than any towel or chamois?
I use a small echo leaf blower but I am not crazy enough to put right next to a fragile trim piece and I don't have any decals.
Man washing and drying a car sure is complicated!

 

BTW, We use the Absorber to dry our Fire trucks and I would not let one touch my car, they tend to hold grit sometimes and are not all that absorbent, Just my humble opinion.

 

Agreed^^^ the absorber will hold grit and ruin your finish. I use the leaf blower to get the excess off first. Recently found a microfiber waffle weave towel at O'reileys and it is fantastic. Gonna buy a few more next time I'm there. Really better than any chamois or MF towel I've used. A good quality wash soap makes a big difference also.

 

I agree with a good wash soap I use Zaino, it does make a difference.
I will have to look up the Oreilly towel, always looking for something better.

 

The waffle weave works great! The best way is to lay the MF across the surface and slowly pull it across the paint. No pressure is necessary and just ket the towel do its job. Be sure to wring it out every couple of drags too so it doesnt saturate with water

 

Waffle weave mf towels on windows, plush mf towels on paint & plastic, regular mf towels for high dirt areas, tight areas and missed spots, border free blonde (Zaino) on easily-scratched areas like fog covers, decklid and interior panels. I sometimes use the light waffle weaves on paint too but the thicker ones tend to hold a little dirt.

 

Having the guy at the car wash do it.

 

If your car is clean, there should be no grit to get on the absorber! And you're suppose to wash these Absorbers if they get dirty. I would never put a dirty ANYTHING on a car to dry it. Might as well use sandpaper.

 

I won't go repeating everything as some people have the right idea of trying to avoid touching as much as possible, but I'm surprised with how crazy some of you guys are, no one here is using a CR Spotless.

Where's the Mod Overboost at? I know he's a baller and should have a water de-ionizer by now...

 

I tried some Dodo Juice Drying Detailer, all I can say is never again, I actually had to redo the car with Zaino Z6 detailer to get the Dodo Juice product off.

I think I am sticking with blowing it off and dressing down the car with MF towels and Z6, it looks pretty good to me.

BTW what is a CR Spotless?

 

So this is a CR Spotless, wow, way more complicated than I need!
DIC-10 Medium Output Rolling System

The DIC-10 provides approximately 100 gallons of mineral-free, de-ionized water based on your water input quality. It consists of two 10 inch de-ionization housings that feature replaceable and/or refillable cartridges that simply slide into the watertight tubes. The entire unit is mounted on a powder coated, rust resistant rolling cart that makes it convenient to move into position and store away when finished. SHIPS COMPLETE, READY-TO-USE with two 10-inch de-ionizing resin cartridges hose connectors, and battery operated water purity indicator.
$349.99

 

I'm here, and I still don't have that baller setup you mention Marc. Still waiting for a place I own to go all out on the high end nonsense.

Oh, and to answer the question, I use a few of these:


http://www.detailedimage.com/DI-Micr...00/36-x-24-S1/