Having a hard time

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Redfireshaker06

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I have a very soft microfiber mit and i use the 2 bucket system. Yet I'm still getting swirls on my brand new car. I use an absorber towel for drying. Any idea what I can do or is it inevitable. I didn't have this problem with the red car because it didn't show swirls as bad as this really dark blue. :cry:
 
Without going into a long story, the absorber is probably not the best for drying. Are you using any drying aid?

Also, just because you are using a soft mitt and 2BM does not mean your technique may not be causing problems. Is the mitt like a microfiber terry towel? Are you using very light pressure on dirty surfaces until the gross dirt is removed, then using the other side of the media for a final wipe? How often are you rinsing your mitt? Are you using grit guards, etc.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Without going into a long story, the absorber is probably not the best for drying. Are you using any drying aid?

Also, just because you are using a soft mitt and 2BM does not mean your technique may not be causing problems. Is the mitt like a microfiber terry towel? Are you using very light pressure on dirty surfaces until the gross dirt is removed, then using the other side of the media for a final wipe? How often are you rinsing your mitt? Are you using grit guards, etc.
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I agree with the drying, I think that's where most people mar/scratch they're paint. I know I used to.


Share your process, beginning to end, listing every detail/product/motion you go through.
 
I have had a lot of success with the hydrate product from AMMO. Basically adds lubrication for the drying process while using a damp microfiber cloth.
 
Tell us more about your process. Do you scrub with the mitt, or do you just glide with very little pressure. Just one mitt for the entire car? Do you pre-rinse to dislodge dirt? With your 2BM, do you do rinseless or traditional? How do you dry - blot, wipe, etc. You didn't say what type of absorbent towel you use. How does your rinse bucket look like after a wash? Mine looks black, and I use double grit guards.

Aside from using rinsing aids like a QD or spray wax, sheet rinsing is also a good touchless technique to get rid of majority of the water.
 
Agree with these guys here on use of a drying aid. Helps big time. Try to use a product the lines up with your sealant/wax (example: I use BF Midnight Sun Instant Detailer as my drying aid because my sealant is BFWD and BFCS...once I have put on my winter sealant, Coll 845, I will use DG Aquawax since it seems to play nice with almost everything).
 
absorber is the problem.

especially if you are drying outside, i suggest getting a towel where you can literally lay the towel down on the car and let it soak things up without necessarily having to necessarily, especially on the flats where stuff from the air can land in-between washing and drying.

i use the microfiber madness dry me crazy for this exact reason. you can get away with one, but i like two.
 
Hey guys. Thanks for the replies. I don't scrub when washing. The car is never that dirty. I use just light pressure when washing. And try to use light pressure when drying. I'm sure it is the drying towel. But the thing works great. I've never had great experience with anything else. What else could I do? I only have the little metro blaster now and it doesn't work to well for whole cars.

I do have 2 buckets and grit guards in both.
 
1: Change-out your rinse bucket with fresh water more often.
2: Use high lubricity soap, i.e. DG901
3: Don't cross-contaminate wheel and paint buckets.
4: Don't wash paint towels with general-purpose towels.
 
Redfireshaker06 said:
Hey guys. Thanks for the replies. I don't scrub when washing. The car is never that dirty. I use just light pressure when washing. And try to use light pressure when drying. I'm sure it is the drying towel. But the thing works great. I've never had great experience with anything else. What else could I do? I only have the little metro blaster now and it doesn't work to well for whole cars.

I do have 2 buckets and grit guards in both.
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If you have a good MF, get it damp, use a QD or AMMO Hydrate on the MF, wring it out and dry the panel. Continue, wringing, spraying.


Or, I really like my MF Madness Dry Me Crazy. Great product.
 
Used to use the absorber too. Bought a Guzzler and noticed less scratching on my black truck. Got a Dry Me Crazy but haven't tried it yet but I agree get one of these towels for paint .
 
Try wiping in only one direction, and also keeping your towel folded in quarters at all times.

Pay attention to where yore wiping, and frequently turnover the towel to confirm that you did not pickup any grit. Keep the towel away from trim.

Lastly, are you putting your wash mitts and towels into the washing machine after every use? This is mandatory.
 
builthatch said:
absorber is the problem.

especially if you are drying outside, i suggest getting a towel where you can literally lay the towel down on the car and let it soak things up without necessarily having to necessarily, especially on the flats where stuff from the air can land in-between washing and drying.

i use the microfiber madness dry me crazy for this exact reason. you can get away with one, but i like two.
Click to expand...

i meant to say "without necessarily having to wipe" but apparently didn't catch it in time. i would hope a reader would infer that's what i meant but it still would be nice for my post to say that, haha.

i can't STAND the edit time limit on this forum. i've been on the admin side of one of the largest automotive forums on the web and never found a reason to do that. so annoying.
 
I didnt read any of the posts but its probably a result of your drying process. Here is how i dry and i never get any problems. First off i use a waffle weeve mf drying towel. I grab the towel by two corners, unfolded, and drag it across the body panels.

Another thing is even though you are doing a 2 bucket method, i like to do the wheels first with a different wash mit, new water, and different towels to dry.
 
Redfireshaker06 said:
... I use an absorber towel for drying...
Click to expand...

builthatch said:
absorber is the problem.
Click to expand...

I take it you are using the "sheeting effect" first when drying, yes? ;) That'll go a long way to helping you remove the most water from the surface before you ever get started. :)

Then you should use a drying agent/helper/spray wax like Megs 156 or DG 951. Just do a light spritz on the water that's left after your rinse and then move to drying.

Now...You really need to get a drying towel.

Three options

  1. Thick and plush (as in 800~850 gsm) Korean units like those from Microfiber Tech or The Rag Company (both of theirs are white). Also Duragloss has a pair of EXCELLENT polish & drying towels that are dual sided, super plush, sort of a blonde towel (although they are a bit pricy).
  2. Dedicated "Waffle Weave" drying towels again from one of the above. OR a 3-pack of the Cobra (foam core) Guzzler
  3. Grab a whole stack of 530gsm towels like those from Microfiber Tech!
Also, don't wipe when drying. Lay your towel flat, use your open hand (or both hands) and gently pat (and can lightly rub) the back of the towel. It's the only way to avoid, or at least mitigate..... RIDS, scratches and swirls when drying.

I mentioned the 530gsm towels (really like the ones from Microfiber Tech) because you can use a BUNCH of them, a dozen or more, and they will help quite a bit. They are small enough (16"X16") to where you can work with them, cheap enough to where you can use a LOT of them, thick enough to absorb well, and SOFT enough to where you can actually wipe with them (as you would when removing your LSP).

They are not as soft as the 800 & 850 split weave Korean towels mentioned above, or the Duragloss units (not as expensive either). Where these (Korean & Duragloss) units really work though is they are as soft as you'll get. They'll suck up a ton of water, and you'll likely never see any damage from them.

Either way.... 1, 2, or 3 the Absorber MUST GO! :eek:
 
cardaddy said:
I take it you are using the "sheeting effect" first when drying, yes? ;) That'll go a long way to helping you remove the most water from the surface before you ever get started. :)
Click to expand...

Agree. Also, one needs to be sure they are cleaning the car well. A light touch may not be getting all the dirt off and then you pick it up when drying. Be sure your drying towels are clean. I wash them after every wash so have spares.

With the absorber if there is anything left on the paint, there is no place for dirt since it is to really hide (get trapped) so it stays
and you drag it around.

If you keep the LSP is good shape then dirt slides off easier and the car is easier to clean. Then you add two buckets, grit guards, rinsing well before washing, etc. are all actions to reduce swirls.
 
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