I Give Up

[jaguax]

You know, I just had my car professionally detailed, looked amazing, some swirls still remaining when viewed in direct sunlight, but still a 500% improvement from the brillo pad washed car that it used to look like.

Yesterday was the first time I washed it since it was detailed, I made sure to follow all the right steps, I bought the Shmidt and the Guzzler and went at it, obsessive compulsivly rinsing the mitt after each panel was done before putting it back into the bucket. Then I dried it with the guzzler. I never dried a car before, but it isn't rocket science right? Just drag the damn thing across the car a couple of times until all the water spots are gone. Fine.

Well... now that I view my car in direct sunlight again, it seems that many swirls have returned. Don't get me wrong, it still looks great, but it definitely has more swirls than it did after the detailing. Am I cursed, or is it just impossible to avoid swirls? It seems that any type of fabric I rub across an automobile will ALWAYS manage to swirl it, no matter how minor. And it kills me because I spent a lot of money having the thing detailed.

To top it off I was working in the dark with a spotlight and I accidentally pulled the cord and knocked the light onto the hood of my car, leaving dark black marks on the tip of the hood and on the BMW roundel. Kill me.

I don't understand how you guys do it, especially those with the black/blue/dark cars.

I wish I realized how easily dark blue cars show swirls before I bought it. Maybe I would've went with a different color.

That's my rant for the day, I'm going to bed, just got home from a crappy overnight job.

 

[budman3]

Hey it probably isn't your fault. Do you know what the detailer used on your car? It sounds like you did everything right and the detailer may have used a cruddy filler wax that got washed away. The only thing that I would suggest to use is to blot dry the vehicle instead of dragging the towel. This will minimize the chances of marring. There is still plenty of hope and you've come to the right place if you want to tackle this yourself.

 

[alban61]

Hey it probably isn't your fault. Do you know what the detailer used on your car? It sounds like you did everything right and the detailer may have used a cruddy filler wax that got washed away. The only thing that I would suggest to use is to blot dry the vehicle instead of dragging the towel. This will minimize the chances of marring. There is still plenty of hope and you've come to the right place if you want to tackle this yourself.

:iagree: Kinda like what happened to me when I bought a used 1994 Explorer several years ago. Paint looked great, until a few washes. The hood was nasty, with etchings and swirls. I knew nothing about detailing then, but they must've used some heavy glaze and wax to hide all that!
If you have a PC, you can fix all that yourself and know that you did it right, unlike the previous detailer.

 

[sparkie]

I think your detailer used filler glaze and/or filler wax.......

 

[jaguax]

I had it done here: RECONDITION USA

It's not like a tremendous amount of swirls came back, it's still pretty damn swirl free for the most part, but it does seem like it has more than it had directly after the detailing.

 

[Surfer]

I agree, I almost guarentee "the professional" detailer used a filler glaze type product of which washes away....causing you to call and ask for another detail. Thats pretty much what all the "professional" detailers do except for the ones that actually use good products and are on forums like AG and Autopia etc.

 

[Torsion Tool]

Professional detailers drove me to become a proficient enthusiast. Used to gladly pay for quality work; now accept that it isn't available, and my premise was wrong. It's a low margin, high volume and labor intensive business with a plethora of administrative requirements if one bothers to try and be legal. They don't exactly take shortcuts, just do the job differently e.g. bulk generic polishes, heavy filler glaze/waxes and dirty pads. The business model is that a customer will return soon enough so that the required serious remediation will go unnoticed. Personally, I won't let a self proclaimed expert near my POV. Always inquire of the owner directly what products he uses. Either he will answer promptly and knowledgably or defer to the in house "expert" who physically does the work. Either way you can't be sure it's what they actually will do. Many "Master Expert Detailers" previo9usly sold New York bridges before their current calling.

 

[ScottB]

alot of detailers use glazes and polishes with fillers that temporarily hide the swirls. Problem, it is a temp solution at best. A wash or two and the fillers are gone and swirls are back. In order to do it properly, you must polish and polish until correct. Then establish better washing and drying techniques to keep them from coming back !

 

[Mr Dream Machines]

This is the exact reason why I started Dream Machines and are working so hard to setup my new shop. This will be a 1/4 scale version of Autogeek.
Autopian professional detailing, product sales and detail classes.

I am sick and tired of viewing so many detail shop/mobile detailer websites worldwide and seeing the same old services listed (chamois dry etc) and a Machine Cut and Hand polish or Machine Cut and Polish and hand wax. FILLERS FILLERS FILLERS

Sure the service is not for everyone (especially auto dealers) but that's OK

 

[PhaRO]

Sounds like fillers to me too. My experience from washing recently detailed vehicles are that there are more people buffing that don't know what they are doing then there are that do.

 

[sneek]

You could also blot the finish instead of wiping.

 

[Anthony Orosco]

It's possible that it's fillers but your washing and drying could have also introduced some marring.

When washing make sure you rinse very well first as water is natures solvent. Wash in one direction, bumper to bumper, not in cricles but straight lines. Rinse out your washing mitt or sponge often.

When drying use an electric leaf blower that you buy for drying the car ONLY. Keep it dedicated for that job only. Blow dry the car where you have washed it as the wet ground will keep debris from flying up (also don't point the blower at the ground but keep it up and on the paint). Start from the top and work your way down, if your paint is properly protected then there should be hardly any water left on the surface. You then take a nice micro fiber towel and some quick detailer and go around and BLOT dry the car.

I can with this method dry my clients Porsches off and leave about 5% water on the paint, which is mainly in the sills and it can be then blotted up. Your guzzler, if a synthetic material, can harbor grit in it and never get fully rinsed out. When you place a chamois material on a car and it gets wet it literally sucks down onto the finish and if any grit is caught in between the chamois and the paint it has no where to go, hence it can scratch the paint. Using a terry towel or a microfiber towel allows any grit to get caught up in the fibers and not so much on the paint.

Remember, the less you touch your paint the less marring it will have.

Anthony

 

[jaguax]

It's possible that it's fillers but your washing and drying could have also introduced some marring.

When washing make sure you rinse very well first as water is natures solvent. Wash in one direction, bumper to bumper, not in cricles but straight lines. Rinse out your washing mitt or sponge often.

When drying use an electric leaf blower that you buy for drying the car ONLY. Keep it dedicated for that job only. Blow dry the car where you have washed it as the wet ground will keep debris from flying up (also don't point the blower at the ground but keep it up and on the paint). Start from the top and work your way down, if your paint is properly protected then there should be hardly any water left on the surface. You then take a nice micro fiber towel and some quick detailer and go around and BLOT dry the car.

I can with this method dry my clients Porsches off and leave about 5% water on the paint, which is mainly in the sills and it can be then blotted up. Your guzzler, if a synthetic material, can harbor grit in it and never get fully rinsed out. When you place a chamois material on a car and it gets wet it literally sucks down onto the finish and if any grit is caught in between the chamois and the paint it has no where to go, hence it can scratch the paint. Using a terry towel or a microfiber towel allows any grit to get caught up in the fibers and not so much on the paint.

Remember, the less you touch your paint the less marring it will have.

Anthony

Thank you. I really don't think he used fillers as he was listing off some expensive products and gave me absolutely no obligation to get my car done, just kind of a "here are your options" type of speech, and "you call me if you decide to go for it." Very nice guy.

How about elbow grease? Should I barely be touching the car with the sponge? Doesn't make much sense, if I wanna get bird crap and other contaminents off, I have to put some elbow grease into it. But it's like like I was putting my body weight against the car or anything.

And with the towel, should I use the absolute lightest pressure possible? Perhaps just throw it on the hood and drag it along without even pressing it at all? I did notice a ton of streaking with the towel (guzzler), even after going over the car two times with two different towels. And unfortunately that streaking stayed on the windows, probably on the paint too but I can't really see it.

 

[Just02]

Thank you. I really don't think he used fillers as he was listing off some expensive products and gave me absolutely no obligation to get my car done, just kind of a "here are your options" type of speech, and "you call me if you decide to go for it." Very nice guy.

How about elbow grease? Should I barely be touching the car with the sponge? Doesn't make much sense, if I wanna get bird crap and other contaminents off, I have to put some elbow grease into it. But it's like like I was putting my body weight against the car or anything.

And with the towel, should I use the absolute lightest pressure possible? Perhaps just throw it on the hood and drag it along without even pressing it at all? I did notice a ton of streaking with the towel (guzzler), even after going over the car two times with two different towels. And unfortunately that streaking stayed on the windows, probably on the paint too but I can't really see it.

Don't rub! Just slide your mitt across the paint, the sealant or wax should allow dirt, dust, crap, etc to slid off/rinse off. No pressure is needed, just use a good wash mitt or sponge and a good soap. With the soap, you should have no resistance when you drag the mitt over the paint.

For drying, take off the sprayer or whatever and let the water flow over the paint. If your car is properly protected, there should be barely any water remaining.

When you dry the car, either dab the water off or put the towel down on the paint (straight down) and pat then pull the towel straight up and off without dragging it over the paint.