Tribefan

That's a lot of good information. Thanks for taking the time to write all of that out.

The reason I have been using QD or waterless wash & wax is because I read in a couple different places that rubbing the towel over the surface of the car (even though it's somewhat wet) will increase the odds of scratching. It was explained that the spray of choice helps to lubricate the surface when drying. Plus I thought when using a waterless wash and wax as my drying "lubricant" that maybe I'm helping shine it up a little while I'm drying due to the "wax" that's in it.

I've never thought about doing the wheels and fender wells first. Makes sense though. I think I'll start doing that.

I am ordering some waffle weave drying towels through Alan and Jeff so I'll have those soon. As soon as it's back in stock, I'm also going to order one of those foam guns to do a pre-soak of the car before I start washing it. I'm thinking it'll help loosen up the filth before I start touching the car?

In the next order I place I'm going to order some more microfibers and will specifically look for a couple super plush ones for the finishing wipe down, as well as some towels with the silk edges or edgeless for use with my QD and waterless wash when at shows and stuff. Never thought about the edges of the towels until you mentioned it.

As far as the grit guards, I'm pretty much doing what you suggested so I'm glad to know that wasn't wefeating the purpose the way I was doing it.

clowe1965

What do you do to clean the mf towels? Seems like they work great as lint towels in the dryer which then goes all over your car.

And my chamois is used more like a squeegee haha. I treat it with dish soap each time before use to get it pliable so it stays pretty clean.

rockhillgt

I used the waffle weave to dry mine. Does an awesome job.

steel pony

OK...i'm going to say 50/50 on this one. I think it's more misleading than anything tho. Agreed that a "lubricant" will help minimize micro-scratching...that's a normal process for anything applied to you car. Heck, you wouldn't run a dry microfiber over dry paint. That would be like running sandpaper over glass! Obviously the QD and the W-n-W will have polymers and resins in them to help with reacting to the clearcoat, but the part I am hesitant about is the loose use of the term "lubricant" in this instance.
Any liquid you put between two contact surfaces, that reduces friction could be considered a "lubricant". It sounds as if they are discrediting water as a lubricant when adding another liquid to the area or cloth. As the drying cloth absorbs water, saturation will slightly diminish the absorbing effects of the cloth. This in turn will also diminish the effects of the "other product" applied with the water and as it's absorbed into the cloth. Those other products are 80-90% water anyways, so all you're doing is diluting it further. Sounds like a lot of wasted time and product. You're better off applying those products as their own step to ensure you're getting the full effect.

steel pony

Microfiber care is relatively easy...just use your washing machine!
Always wash and dry the towels separate from all other garments. Use a soap or detergent that has no perfumes or mixed-in softeners. They make "fragrance free" detergents for those with allergies. Also...

1) no bleach
2) no fabric softeners
3) no heat

You can air or line dry the towels, but if you use the dryer don't put anything else in there with them. Microfiber towels are designed to produce their own static electricity, so this makes them an ideal lint magnet in the dryer.
You might want to keep one towel separate from all the others and use it as your "dryer magnet" prior to drying all the others. Throw that one towel in solo for a few minutes to grab whatever is floating around the dryer prior to drying the others.

Tribefan

Got any tips for faster/easier ways to clean the honeycombs in our grilles other than using a finger with a cloth over it to clean each individual one? Maybe something you spray to clean the plastic that won't gunk up the surrounding paint? Or maybe some ancient Chinese secret sponge or tool or something? I hate cleaning the grille when I'm going to a judged car show or whatever.

steel pony

YEP! A couple of them! The wonderful thing about places like Home Depot, Lowes, Wal-Mart, even Dollar General, is you can run across very cheap and efficient tools to help you do things. You never know what you'll run across!

Dollar General sells a 12-pack of these foam brushes for $2.00!
Use them all the time for getting into small areas, dressing tires or trimming them for specific needs!



*Apply your trim dressing right after your done drying. Do the grille first. Apply it directly to the plastic a little more liberally than you normally would to ensure your hitting all those nooks and crannys, but not so much as to completely saturate the area. Let it sit while you finish the rest of the trim and windows, then come back with your air hose and blow it out. (drape a towel over the air nozzle or the part of the grille your blowing out to prevent sling and backsplash). Once the product is evened out by the air hose, use a towel or the foam brushes to fine detail the area and get the excess. Follow this up with a clean microfiber to buff out any product on the paint, overspray, etc.

You can use the foam brushes, trimmed to a smaller diameter for the honeycomb. Spray the product onto the foam pad, then place it in the honeycomb and work in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction (your choice) to evenly distribute the product, then follow up with the air hose or towel. Either way, you could save a lot of time at a show by doing this the night/day before, depending on how far your driving of course...but the product and cleaning should last you well enough to make it a bit easier at the show.

Here's another new tool I've added to my arsenal. Found it at Wal-Mart for $2.50! Safe for your car as it's all microfiber. Great for bug guts, tough spots and interior cleaning of plastics and leather. Machine washable and pretty sturdy, so they will last quite a while!

Tribefan

Great tips! I've been hesitant to use any dressing on the grille but think I'll give it a shot. I just worried about it looking too slimy/greasy but I'll use your suggestions and see how it turns out.

alan0614

I am really liking this thread. Thanks for keeping it going.

Have you tried the cleaners specifically formulated for towels? I tried the CG product and really liked it. It didn't leave any residue behind. I always double rinse my towels just to be sure and dry them on low or medium heat.

I have also heard that vinegar in the rinse water helps get them super clean. I have tried it and it didn't seem to hurt anything.

I use a round stiff bristle brush on the grill when washing the car. Our grills are a pain in the **** to keep clean. I will use a soft bristle brush after it's dry to lightly apply the trim restorer. I like to apply it almost dry on the grill. If you don't get it completely out of the corners it becomes a dust magnet.

When we got our Legacy the trim needed some love. On some of the larger areas I let it sit overnight in the garage and wiped it down the next morning. It has held up very well.

alan0614

Adam Pitale founder of Adam's Polishes has some great videos on detailing. Here is his on drying a car. I really would like to have one of those Master Blasters.