Am I wrong in NOT wanting to use a drying aid?

Don M

Don M

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Last summer I bought a dedicated drying towel for the Camaro, I'm suffering from CRS (Can't Remember Stuff), but I'm pretty sure it's a Griot's PFM. The thing is AWESOME!!!

I know my older MF towels ended up "ruined" for drying due to using them with waxes and sealants since they became contaminated with it and I don't want this to happen to my new GREAT PFM. So for this reason, I'm not using the Hybrid Solutions Wet Wax anymore. Am I wrong?
 
I dont use anything- lots of folks would say I am making a mistake, but so far I have not seen ANY micro maring on either one of my vehicles.
I use forced air to remove over 99% of the water though.
 
Ever since I started using a PFM towel I’ve had no need for a drying aid. Drying is safe and the results are wonderful
 
I’ve always used something with my PFMs (most of the time CarPro Ech2o diluted 1:20) and haven’t had an issue with my towels yet. Some are 5 years old. I also don’t wash them right away, I have several so they collect until there’s more to wash together, weeks go by and the towel has the product in it but washes fine. Perhaps the performance is not 100% anymore but the towel is so good I don’t even notice it, still dries great.
 
There is no right or wrong answer here. I personally can't help myself and use a topper/drying aid every chance I get. After using my blower initially, I use a single 16x16 pfm and some spritzes of my topper of choice after every wash. Everyone has their own preferences.
 
if you want something that doesn't leave anything behind, the GG rinseless wash diluted 6:1 in a spray bottle works great. a fantastic product with many uses...

Griot's Garage Brilliant Finish Rinseless Wash
griot-s-garage-brilliant-finish-rinseless-wash-23.gif

Griot’s Garage Brilliant Finish Rinseless Wash will not strip or remove any existing wax, sealant,
or coating – it simply provides a “brilliant” and clean finish!
 
If you like to use drying aids but worried about your towels just use a dedicated drying aid like TW WetWax, Ammo Hydrate or Chemical Guys afterwash.

You could also use a QD but stay away from ones that offer protection like Megs Ceramic QD.

Even the for mentioned Waterless washes.

Just stay away from Sealants and ceramic toppers as they are the real culprits that make towels hydrophobic.


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That is the trade off. The towels may lose some performance, but not noticeable enough for me to stop using WET WAX. What it does is amazing. And i am maintaining the SC with it. I do have a tendency to wash my towel(s) after each wash.
 
I usually use my drying towel without a drying aid for the vast majority of the water and then i use a few edgeless towels with my drying aid. I don't want to ruin my nice drying towel.
 
Drying aids are not necessary.

As long as your using high quality MF towels (which you are) and they are clean and free from debris, and your not gouging your towels against the paint (just lightly glide them) and most importantly, your paint is clean as a whistle, then you will have no problems assuming you don't have soft paint.

If you start to eventually see some light marring then you may want to look at drying aids. Using Mckees N914 in a waterless wash dilution ratio is a great way to give you lubrication while preserving your MF drying towels since its just a pure cleaner.
 
Are drying aids necessary? No. Can they add lubrication and maybe a little extra gloss/protection? Yes.

Rags to Riches really does a great job of cleaning towels, and will do wonders in refreshing the pores of your microfibers if they are clogged from using toppers/sealants, etc.
 
I do not use drying aids.

I have in the past, and I have never noticed any discernible difference, so I believe it to be unnecessary.

Is it wrong to use one? Nope. Wrong not to? Nope. :)
 
PaulMys said:
I do not use drying aids.

I have in the past, and I have never noticed any discernible difference, so I believe it to be unnecessary.

Is it wrong to use one? Nope. Wrong not to? Nope. :)
Click to expand...
+1:xyxthumbs:
 
Also just to note I am still on my original 3+ year old PFM’s and have used a drying aid everytime I touch the paint.

I’ve only used Various QD’s, occasionally WetWax and mainly Ammo Hydrate with these towels.

I try to wash after use but sometimes they’ve sat for a week or so. I don’t wash them separately. Mainly they have seen Griots MF wash mixed with a F&C detergent in hot and dryed in the Dryer for 15 mins on low and then hung dry.

They still perform like new. I bought 10-15 more new PFM’s when AG had a super good MF sale and they are still in the package.

The only towel since added since 2019 to rotation were 2 duplex MF towel I bought from MTM for $6. They are 500gsm and have been as good as the PFM’s

My rotation looks like this

1 xtra large 29x36 edgeless PFM (too big, use on Rav4)

1 20x28 teal border PFM

2 16x16 PFM’s

2 Duplex 18x30

2 20x40 Platinum Pluffle.

I use the Platinum Pluffle when I use PA Cosmic or Kami OC on a wet car and can still dry off camaro with one towel.


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I used to use TW Wet Wax as a drying aid before getting the PFM towel. Now that I use the PFM, drying is super easy and with a few coats of HS Ceramic or Graphene, there isn't much water left on the car and what is there is tightly beaded up. Which seems to be perfect fodder for the PFM. By the time I'm done drying the Camaro, the (I think mid-sized) PFM is only moderately damp, with most of the water being on the horizontal surfaces, the sides are nearly dry by the time I get to them.

With the other towel(s) I would have to stop after each drying swipe to wring them out and the water still on the car would start to air/sun dry before I could get to it and using the Wet Wax helped prevent water spots. With the PFM, I can dry the whole car and still not have to wring the towel out-it holds that much water!

But I still just like the idea of adding a little something after each wash, without having to add another full-blown application of Ceramic or Graphene. Maybe I could just go over the car with the 3 in 1 Ceramic Detailer after each wash...
 
I don't really tend to use drying aides.

I did two ONR washes earlier and it didn't even occur to me to use one. When I do I like Opti-Seal for that purpose.
 
It’s a toss up, sometimes I do n sometimes I don’t. All depends how fast it dries (after air blowing most of the water off ). If I do use a drying aid it is typically just an SiO2 detailer.
 
For me, Beadmaker only gets used on a wet car while drying if I’m using 1 of my older jacked up drying towels, that includes my PFM.

Zero chance you’ll see me using any sort of drying aid with my new drying towels i.e. the Notorious Dry Towel.
 
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