Drying question?

daBoss302 said:

Hello all, I've been really trying to focus on minimizing self-imposed paint defects and am curious about something.

I watch guys like Larry Kosilla (Ammo NYC) use a wet drying method after washing but then have no issue using a dry MF to clear product after polishing or claying. Is the assumption that all dust/dirt/contaminates are off the paint and therefore wiping the MF will have no ill-effect?

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IMO it's all marketing hype.. You don't need a drying aid after a wash in order to prevent scratches. A good quality microfiber waffle weave or any other specific drying towel won't instill scratches even if used dry. [to dry a vehicle]

I am not much of a drying aid fan either and do not like using any products with my drying media.

I can see using something if you have an issue with water spots. If you want a slightly damp microfiber then just wipe the glass first.

I try to use a towel as least as possible when drying, blowing the car dry is really quick and doesn't scratch the paint, no drying aid needed.


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Dmb5450 said:

I try to use a towel as least as possible when drying, blowing the car dry is really quick and doesn't scratch the paint, no drying aid needed.


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This is what I do as well. I always use a small electric leaf blower and I never have to touch the car to dry it.

Eldorado2k said:

IMO it's all marketing hype.. You don't need a drying aid after a wash in order to prevent scratches. A good quality microfiber waffle weave or any other specific drying towel won't instill scratches even if used dry. [to dry a vehicle]

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Agree also a watersprite chamois.

I'm a fan of the damp drying towel, but I don't think you need a special drying aid. Any quality detail spray, waterless, or diluted rinseless works well. Remember if you're outside you might get some dust blown on the car as you're drying, also hedging against a missed spot while washing.

If you notice, Larry pretty much uses ~320 gsm terry towels for everything; I've never seen a video where it looks like he used a special cloth except for glass.

Damp Waffle Weave method is what I use and I do not us any drying aids. IMO this is the 2nd best method to drying your ride (blow drying is #1). But where I live, a leaf blow dryer is frowned upon.

wolfpacker92 said:

This is what I do as well. I always use a small electric leaf blower and I never have to touch the car to dry it.

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While I've found this works great for the first 2 or 3 washes after a car has been freshly detailed and waxed/sealed, after that water starts to stick to the paint more and blow drying becomes less and less effective. Have you found this to be the case? If not, I wonder if the water composition makes a difference in how easily it rolls off the paint.

BryanH said:

While I've found this works great for the first 2 or 3 washes after a car has been freshly detailed and waxed/sealed, after that water starts to stick to the paint more and blow drying becomes less and less effective. Have you found this to be the case? If not, I wonder if the water composition makes a difference in how easily it rolls off the paint.

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Agree. Before I coated my van, I could tell a big difference in how easily the water moved depending on how fresh my LSP was. Additionally, I washed a friend's car which is rarely waxed, and I put the McKee's 37 turbo dryer down after five minutes and just used drying towels.

daBoss302 said:

Hello all, I've been really trying to focus on minimizing self-imposed paint defects and am curious about something.

I watch guys like Larry Kosilla (Ammo NYC) use a wet drying method after washing but then have no issue using a dry MF to clear product after polishing or claying. Is the assumption that all dust/dirt/contaminates are off the paint and therefore wiping the MF will have no ill-effect?

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Kudos to you for being able to sit through Larry's videos. Great stuff but man he can drag out a simple topic to 20 minutes. Drying wise, I start off with a leaf blower and knock off 95%+ of all the water. I prefer forced air mainly because it gets water out of all the seems and what not that will drain and drip for a full day causing spotting and what not.

I then walk around the car and spray a light mist of WG Uber Rinseless on the panels. Some here don't like "drying aids" but I do and use them to help remove spots, missed areas and to keep my rag damp. Personally don't ever start drying a car with a wet towel. I soak a nice 16x16 Edgeless MF towel in Uber Rinseless mix, wring it out to just being damp and then wipe each panel dry and then buff lightly with a clean MF Rag to remove any lint.

If I want to amp up the gloss and slickness I will follow up with a quick wipe down of my "blue juice" detail spray which is CarPro ECH20 and Reload mixed at 1:20 with 2-3oz Reload added. Awesome stuff.

To answer your question directly, yes, I think a damp rag is best to avoid micro on some vehicles, especially pure blacks where it's super noticeable. Other colors it is not at all noticeable.

BryanH said:

While I've found this works great for the first 2 or 3 washes after a car has been freshly detailed and waxed/sealed, after that water starts to stick to the paint more and blow drying becomes less and less effective. Have you found this to be the case? If not, I wonder if the water composition makes a difference in how easily it rolls off the paint.

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Key after each wash is to use a good detail spray to enhance the hydrophobic properties on the vehicle and maintain a super smooth finish. Do that and you won't have an issue with water rolling off. Here's a video I did a while back for a member here showing our van after 5 months of being coated. I make it a point to wipe down each panel with my "blue juice" cocktail noted above. Zero issues with Hydrophobic Properties and slickness. Leaf blower takes 95-99% of the water away after washing. https://youtu.be/PkYouNqzm9A

I use a damp waffel weave towel and a bit of QD spray. However, I only do this to deal with water spots. Whenever I'm fortunate to wash one of my vehicles when it's cooler and cloudy, or I manage to do it in the evening when water spots don't form as quickly, I've found a soft towel is all that is needed.

I'll also add the coating and sealants I currently use, sheet water pretty well. After doing a final flood rinse, there usually isn't all that much water on the car and I don't have to wipe down the entire thing. I do more "spot drying" and dabbing than anything else.

I use Ech20 as a drying aid because it's easier and much less louder than a leaf blower. Especially since as a waterless wash mixture, if there is anything that happens to land on the car, I'm not dry grinding it across the paint. Ech20 also hazes and when it does that, I just wipe it off nice and easy. It's upto you if you want to use a drying aid or not, but a year later, my car has maybe two or three new light scratches on it. If I can avoid polishing, I do.

BryanH said:

While I've found this works great for the first 2 or 3 washes after a car has been freshly detailed and waxed/sealed, after that water starts to stick to the paint more and blow drying becomes less and less effective. Have you found this to be the case? If not, I wonder if the water composition makes a difference in how easily it rolls off the paint.

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I also use a CR Spotless on all my details so even if there is no LSP and air drying takes a little longer I don't have to worry about water spots. I just prefer to not touch the paint when drying so between the leaf blower and the CR Spotless (which allows me to use the sun to dry as well) I don't have to touch the paint. I also do like pdqgp does and after every wash and dry I do a wipedown with either DG Aquawax or Reload and that definitely helps with exetending the hydrophobic properties. I'm going to have to try pdqgp's "blue juice" though as that sounds interesting.

Very interesting. I always thought a QD left nothing behind so I'm surprised to hear using it frequently can maintain smoothness and hydrophobic properties on the paint. As for a spray wax or spray sealant after every wash, I have wondered if using these products that frequently would lead to a build up of too much product and start to dull the appearance of the finish. It also makes me wonder, if one uses these spray waxes after every wash, why one would bother with a base sealant in the first place. Maybe just in case the car goes long enough between washes where the spray wax would have stopped protecting. Hmmm.

Also, I like to dry with the PFM towel using very light swipes after getting most of the water off the car using a blow dryer. If I'm using a QD or spray wax I need a little more pressure with a MF towel to buff off clean, so over time I would think light scratches or marring would start to accumulate from that.

My plan was to use D156 about once every couple months to refresh, but perhaps I'll do it more often. I do have a gallon of the stuff.

CR Spotless.... ah to dream.

BryanH said:

Very interesting. I always thought a QD left nothing behind

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Most do, but a few don't like Poorboys Spray n Wipe. It doesn't contain any gloss enhancing polymers or protection.


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