Clean a section (a couple of panels) of the car with quick detailer.

[E93to]

I would like to ask whether cleaning some panels of the car with quick detailer is safe, and would not result in scratches or swirls.

My car was washed and waxed 3.5 weeks ago. Since then, the car was only driven 4 times (10 miles and 30 minutes on sunny day EACH, so 40 miles and 2 hours in total). The car was not exposed to rain or heavy dusty areas. The car is garage-kept.

I am asking this because I would like to clean the roof of my hardtop convertible. The weather is getting cold, so I cannot handwash my car. So I was wondering whether it is ok to soak a microfiber towel with quick detailer, wipe the panels, and just dry those panels with another microfiber towel.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Rsurfer]

You would be better off using a waterless wash (Ech2o/Ultima). More lubrication to prevent marring.

 

[DMW]

I do it using Ech2o and use lots of microfibers. You really don't want to be rubbing the same dirty towel over and over again.

 

[E93to]

You would be better off using a waterless wash (Ech2o/Ultima). More lubrication to prevent marring.

Thanks for the reply. I am planning to get the cleaning done in the next couple of days, but I don't have access to waterless cleaning products.

But if I do clean the roof of my car with quick detailer, I would use 2-3 bottles to soak the entire MF towel.

 

[E93to]

Additional info:

There is nothing wrong with the roof... I am OCD germaphobe, and I want to clean the interior of the car. I just want the roof to be clean when it gets stowed in the clean trunk.

 

[E93to]

Thanks for your input

 

[FUNX650]

I am planning to get the cleaning done
in the next couple of days, but I don't
have access to waterless cleaning products.

But if I do clean the roof of my car with
quick detailer, I would use 2-3 bottles to
soak the entire MF towel.

**********************************

“Note:
While spray detailers are first and foremost
positioned as products for removing light dust,
if used wet or heavy and with good technique,
that can substitute for a high lubricity waterless
wash. Use your own judgment.”

~Mike Phillips
Director of Training Autogeek & Marine 31
IDA Board Member
CD-SV, RT

*************************************

Source:
Excerpted from the below article.

The difference between a Normal Car Wash, a Waterless Car Wash, a Rinseless Car Wash and a Spray Detailer



Bob

 

[yakky]

Thanks for the reply. I am planning to get the cleaning done in the next couple of days, but I don't have access to waterless cleaning products.

But if I do clean the roof of my car with quick detailer, I would use 2-3 bottles to soak the entire MF towel.

It's more important to spray the dirty down than it is to soak the towel. Dirt scratches, good towels do not.

 

[mrq0604]

How about rinsing the car with water first, and then cleaning the roof with QD?

 

[Eldorado2k]

I would like to ask whether cleaning some panels of the car with quick detailer is safe, and would not result in scratches or swirls.

My car was washed and waxed 3.5 weeks ago. Since then, the car was only driven 4 times (10 miles and 30 minutes on sunny day EACH, so 40 miles and 2 hours in total). The car was not exposed to rain or heavy dusty areas. The car is garage-kept.

I am asking this because I would like to clean the roof of my hardtop convertible. The weather is getting cold, so I cannot handwash my car. So I was wondering whether it is ok to soak a microfiber towel with quick detailer, wipe the panels, and just dry those panels with another microfiber towel.

Thanks in advance.

The answer to your question is an emphatic yes! This is the exact purpose of a quik detailer. Yes x10.

I dunno when quik detailers got re purposed as strictly “drying aids” but for it to have reached the point where there’s people seriously asking if a quik detailer can actually be used as a quik detailer is a sign that things have gone way off course as far as miss information... A quik detailer is a quik detailer 1st and foremost, not a “drying aid”

And just to show that I’m not just blowing smoke up your butt, I practice what I preach. I finished fully detailing my vehicle on Nov. 13th.
Full paint correction, the paint went from this condition:

To fully corrected & protected:

Yesterday was the 1st time I touched the car for any type of cleaning. Exactly 1 week of being parked outdoors and not being driven everyday.

Waterless wash with what’s considered a quik detailer.

I only needed these 2 towels [+ a small Griots PFM for drying] to waterless wash the car. It’s a large Cadillac sedan. These are the 2 towels I used, they’re equally dirty on the opposite sides.

[Note: Most people use more towels than I do. Some people speak of using something like 15 towels to waterless wash a car with this amount of dirt coming off of it. Everyone’s technique is different, and I can effectively do it with just 2 towels. You most likely will use more than 2]

Trust me, I wouldn’t have even thought of waterless washing my car like that only 1 week after correcting the paint if I felt like I was in danger of instilling swirls back onto the paint. I actually don’t plan on bucket washing that car ever again if I can help it. Strictly waterless washing from now on.

Yes use it heavy enough, but at the same time it doesn’t require 2-3 bottles of quik detailer to wipedown a roof. Just use common sense and don’t wipe your paint as if you’re holding a wash mitt, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re limited to 1 swipe in 1 direction for only a couple of feet at a time. For example I do a whole door with 1 folded side of a 16x16” towel and sometimes I can even do 2 doors if the car isn’t that dirty. Just remember not to re swipe where you’ve already swiped with the same side of the towel. And yes I do this on black paint as well..

If you want to feel extra secure about doing it, pick up a bottle of Meguiars Wash & Wax Anywhere at your local auto parts store. 1 bottle is more than enough to wipe down a dusty vehicle. Good luck and enjoy your clean ride.

 

[UncleDavy]

The answer to your question is an emphatic yes! This is the exact purpose of a quik detailer. Yes x10.

I dunno when quik detailers got re purposed as strictly “drying aids” but for it to have reached the point where there’s people seriously asking if a quik detailer can actually be used as a quik detailer is a sign that things have gone way off course as far as miss information... A quik detailer is a quik detailer 1st and foremost, not a “drying aid”

And just to show that I’m not just blowing smoke up your butt, I practice what I preach. I finished fully detailing my vehicle on Nov. 13th.
Full paint correction, the paint went from this condition:

To fully corrected & protected:

Yesterday was the 1st time I touched the car for any type of cleaning. Exactly 1 week of being parked outdoors and not being driven everyday.

Waterless wash with what’s considered a quik detailer.

I only needed these 2 towels [+ a small Griots PFM for drying] to waterless wash the car. It’s a large Cadillac sedan. These are the 2 towels I used, they’re equally dirty on the opposite sides.

[Note: Most people use more towels than I do. Some people speak of using something like 15 towels to waterless wash a car with this amount of dirt coming off of it. Everyone’s technique is different, and I can effectively do it with just 2 towels. You most likely will use more than 2]

Trust me, I wouldn’t have even thought of waterless washing my car like that only 1 week after correcting the paint if I felt like I was in danger of instilling swirls back onto the paint. I actually don’t plan on bucket washing that car ever again if I can help it. Strictly waterless washing from now on.

Yes use it heavy enough, but at the same time it doesn’t require 2-3 bottles of quik detailer to wipedown a roof. Just use common sense and don’t wipe your paint as if you’re holding a wash mitt, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re limited to 1 swipe in 1 direction for only a couple of feet at a time. For example I do a whole door with 1 folded side of a 16x16” towel and sometimes I can even do 2 doors if the car isn’t that dirty. Just remember not to re swipe where you’ve already swiped with the same side of the towel. And yes I do this on black paint as well..

If you want to feel extra secure about doing it, pick up a bottle of Meguiars Wash & Wax Anywhere at your local auto parts store. 1 bottle is more than enough to wipe down a dusty vehicle. Good luck and enjoy your clean ride.

That looks like a mixture of Wolfgang Uber. Great product for rinsless, waterless, detail spray/drying aid. Now that the temperatures are below freezing (12 degrees this morning), my Wolfgang Uber stock is getting a lot of use.

 

[Rsurfer]

The answer to your question is an emphatic yes! This is the exact purpose of a quik detailer. Yes x10.

I dunno when quik detailers got re purposed as strictly “drying aids” but for it to have reached the point where there’s people seriously asking if a quik detailer can actually be used as a quik detailer is a sign that things have gone way off course as far as miss information... A quik detailer is a quik detailer 1st and foremost, not a “drying aid”

And just to show that I’m not just blowing smoke up your butt, I practice what I preach. I finished fully detailing my vehicle on Nov. 13th.
Full paint correction, the paint went from this condition:

To fully corrected & protected:

Yesterday was the 1st time I touched the car for any type of cleaning. Exactly 1 week of being parked outdoors and not being driven everyday.

Waterless wash with what’s considered a quik detailer.

I only needed these 2 towels [+ a small Griots PFM for drying] to waterless wash the car. It’s a large Cadillac sedan. These are the 2 towels I used, they’re equally dirty on the opposite sides.

[Note: Most people use more towels than I do. Some people speak of using something like 15 towels to waterless wash a car with this amount of dirt coming off of it. Everyone’s technique is different, and I can effectively do it with just 2 towels. You most likely will use more than 2]

Trust me, I wouldn’t have even thought of waterless washing my car like that only 1 week after correcting the paint if I felt like I was in danger of instilling swirls back onto the paint. I actually don’t plan on bucket washing that car ever again if I can help it. Strictly waterless washing from now on.

Yes use it heavy enough, but at the same time it doesn’t require 2-3 bottles of quik detailer to wipedown a roof. Just use common sense and don’t wipe your paint as if you’re holding a wash mitt, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re limited to 1 swipe in 1 direction for only a couple of feet at a time. For example I do a whole door with 1 folded side of a 16x16” towel and sometimes I can even do 2 doors if the car isn’t that dirty. Just remember not to re swipe where you’ve already swiped with the same side of the towel. And yes I do this on black paint as well..

If you want to feel extra secure about doing it, pick up a bottle of Meguiars Wash & Wax Anywhere at your local auto parts store. 1 bottle is more than enough to wipe down a dusty vehicle. Good luck and enjoy your clean ride.

How do you get your towels so evenly soiled? Shouldn't you be wiping one way?

 

[Eldorado2k]

How do you get your towels so evenly soiled? Shouldn't you be wiping one way?

I’m not sure if my technique qualifies as wiping in 1 way. I guess it’s yes & no. I don’t do the towel roll method, that’s for sure. I found the towel roll method to be way too tedious and not as safe.

Here’s what I do: The entire hood had already been sprayed with WG Uber. I take my folded clean dry microfiber towel and start in the middle of the hood.

Then using minimal pressure, I wipe up,down,up,down,up, down till I’ve wiped the entire half of the hood clean. 6 wipes, making sure to never go over the same spot twice, because you never want to wipe paint that doesn’t have fresh sprayed product with that towel you’re using that has now picked up some dirt.

Half the hood wiped clean with 1 side of the towel.

We had a bit of rain last night, but I had wiped it down yesterday so it wasn’t too dirty. But this is what it looks like.

Same towel after wiping down both sides of the hood.

After drying with a separate drying towel it’s now all done.

Lets look at the trunk. There’s a tree nearby + rain last night.

Flowers from the tree look like they might be able to etch paint..

I can immediately tell that it had no chance of making its way past the sealants protection. It wiped right off with ease. No pressure needed.

Nothing’s going to etch this paint. No water spot, no bird crap, nothing.

I used 1 side of the towel to clean the entire trunk including the rear vertical side.
Here’s what the towel looks like. I put some of those flowers that were on the paint on the right side of the towel. Dunno what they’re called.

I wish the car was dirter, but it’s the same drill no matter how dirty the car is... Unless of course it’s too dirty for a waterless.

I tried on my brothers car too... But it was too clean as well...lol. I wiped his entire hood with this 1 side of the towel. Not much dirt to see. He says the car was washed 3 days ago.

 

[MattPersman]

I agree with Eldo. I don’t know why QD have been pushed to the corner and treated like it’s some subpar light weight cleaning product. In fact I think they are more robust than most waterless washes. More pure product I feel on the good ones.

QD away my friends


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Rsurfer]

I’m not sure if my technique qualifies as wiping in 1 way. I guess it’s yes & no. I don’t do the towel roll method, that’s for sure. I found the towel roll method to be way too tedious and not as safe.

Here’s what I do: The entire hood had already been sprayed with WG Uber. I take my folded clean dry microfiber towel and start in the middle of the hood.

Then using minimal pressure, I wipe up,down,up,down,up, down till I’ve wiped the entire half of the hood clean. 6 wipes, making sure to never go over the same spot twice, because you never want to wipe paint that doesn’t have fresh sprayed product with that towel you’re using that has now picked up some dirt.

Half the hood wiped clean with 1 side of the towel.

We had a bit of rain last night, but I had wiped it down yesterday so it wasn’t too dirty. But this is what it looks like.

Same towel after wiping down both sides of the hood.

After drying with a separate drying towel it’s now all done.

Lets look at the trunk. There’s a tree nearby + rain last night.

Flowers from the tree look like they might be able to etch paint..

I can immediately tell that it had no chance of making its way past the sealants protection. It wiped right off with ease. No pressure needed.

Nothing’s going to etch this paint. No water spot, no bird crap, nothing.

I used 1 side of the towel to clean the entire trunk including the rear vertical side.
Here’s what the towel looks like. I put some of those flowers that were on the paint on the right side of the towel. Dunno what they’re called.

I wish the car was dirter, but it’s the same drill no matter how dirty the car is... Unless of course it’s too dirty for a waterless.

I tried on my brothers car too... But it was too clean as well...lol. I wiped his entire hood with this 1 side of the towel. Not much dirt to see. He says the car was washed 3 days ago.

IMO using the roll method is safer than dragging a dirty towel over your paint.

 

[itsgn]

IMO using the roll method is safer than dragging a dirty towel over your paint.

Even if it is, IMO it's hardly worth the extra cost and effort, which could be put just as well into a re-polish (every year or so), and still deliver better results, than putting the same amount of money and time into the rolling towel method and similarly overthought things, which won't be able to prevent all scratches from occurring either. Scratches will occur, no matter what - if not for anything else, then because of the elements, bugs, debris from the road hitting the paint, etc. So, the pristine condition of the paint can't be preserved either way.

See also law of diminishing returns! The more effort you put into something (like trying to prevent any and all scratches) the less effective it will be in the end, compared to the effort and cost needed. So, it usually makes more sense to just put a moderate effort into preventing scratches, and simply re-polish the paint on a regular basis (like yearly or every two years). There's more than enough clear coat on even the cars with the thinnest paint to allow for that, without any risk of degradation.

 

[Rsurfer]

Even if it is, IMO it's hardly worth the extra cost and effort, which could be put just as well into a re-polish (every year or so), and still deliver better results, than putting the same amount of money and time into the rolling towel method and similarly overthought things, which won't be able to prevent all scratches from occurring either. Scratches will occur, no matter what - if not for anything else, then because of the elements, bugs, debris from the road hitting the paint, etc. So, the pristine condition of the paint can't be preserved either way.

See also law of diminishing returns! The more effort you put into something (like trying to prevent any and all scratches) the less effective it will be in the end, compared to the effort and cost needed. So, it usually makes more sense to just put a moderate effort into preventing scratches, and simply re-polish the paint on a regular basis (like yearly or every two years). There's more than enough clear coat on even the cars with the thinnest paint to allow for that, without any risk of degradation.

I did not say that the roll method will prevent scratches. I said it's a safer way than wiping a dirty towel over and over.

I have CQuartz Finest on my paint that is less then a year old, so why would I want to polish it every year or two?

 

[Eldorado2k]

I did not say that the roll method will prevent scratches. I said it's a safer way than wiping a dirty towel over and over.

I have CQuartz Finest on my paint that is less then a year old, so why would I want to polish it every year or two?

I don’t think it’s necessarily safer. Reason why is because the roll method has you using 1 line going across the panel for a swipe. That’s 1 line on concentrated dirt by the time it’s done instead of the entire side of the towel working all together to take the brunt of all the dirt.

Plus I found that when doing the roll method I would tend to use more pressure on the towel because I’d have to make sure I was holding it still in order to maintain the fold in place.

Personally, being able to use the entire side of the towel results in less pressure being used while the dirt still floats off the panel thanks to the lsp. Less pressure also results in there being a bit more clean solution on the panel to go over with my drying towel. I’d rather have a little bit more solution to dry than less when drying.

 

[itsgn]

I did not say that the roll method will prevent scratches. I said it's a safer way than wiping a dirty towel over and over.

I have CQuartz Finest on my paint that is less then a year old, so why would I want to polish it every year or two?

A better question would be: why would you want to have the same coating essentially untouched for many, many years on your car, when it will collect scratches just like (or even more so than) your factory clear coat would? (And with "untouched" I mean the coat itself being uncorrected, because well, all those methods to maintain and "refresh" a coat over longer periods of time, like applying some "ceramic topper" to it and such can't really do much about but the most superficial scratches that your eye can't even pick up as such, and only restore hydrophobicity and some of the apparent gloss.)

Now obviously this all comes down to personal preference, and I don't want to question yours. But IF your goal is to have the least amount of scratches on your car at any time (and it seems like it is, and that's why you would want to use the towel roll method), THEN a 2+ years coating is definitely NOT the way to go, NOT the most effective way to achieve that, regardless of what wash method you're using.

Because as said there are scratch factors that you just can't control and won't be able to prevent either way, and your coating will just keep accumulating the damages anyway. And because the only real way to get rid of those is to re-polish the car every once in a while, and re-apply a new coating. And if you do that anyway, then it will be less important to put OCD-level effort into preventing wash-related scratches at all costs in the first place.

And don't even get me started about how the towel roll method might not be the best way to actually avoid wash-related scratches either, or how it might not be feasible on vehicles over a certain size.

 

[Rsurfer]

A better question would be: why would you want to have the same coating essentially untouched for many, many years on your car, when it will collect scratches just like (or even more so than) your factory clear coat would? (And with "untouched" I mean the coat itself being uncorrected, because well, all those methods to maintain and "refresh" a coat over longer periods of time, like applying some "ceramic topper" to it and such can't really do much about but the most superficial scratches that your eye can't even pick up as such, and only restore hydrophobicity and some of the apparent gloss.)

Now obviously this all comes down to personal preference, and I don't want to question yours. But IF your goal is to have the least amount of scratches on your car at any time (and it seems like it is, and that's why you would want to use the towel roll method), THEN a 2+ years coating is definitely NOT the way to go, NOT the most effective way to achieve that, regardless of what wash method you're using.

Because as said there are scratch factors that you just can't control and won't be able to prevent either way, and your coating will just keep accumulating the damages anyway. And because the only real way to get rid of those is to re-polish the car every once in a while, and re-apply a new coating. And if you do that anyway, then it will be less important to put OCD-level effort into preventing wash-related scratches at all costs in the first place.

And don't even get me started about how the towel roll method might not be the best way to actually avoid wash-related scratches either, or how it might not be feasible on vehicles over a certain size.

Heard of Essence Plus, I'm sure you have. I'm more concerned about protecting my paint from UV. I use a waterless wash everyday when its not raining and I do have some light swirls (black paint), but too each their own on what method works for them.