need some advice here. :)

[lawnmower]

hey guys, i got an Acura RSX with the Alabaster Silver Metallic paint scheme last week. And i`ve got a question here, is it advisable to wipe my car after the rain without washing it first?



I was thinking about wiping away the rain water so that dust and sand would not get `diluted` into the rain water and sticking onto the paint once the water has evaporated on the trip to my office. but i also heard that wiping away the rain water without washing my car would actually do a little damage to the paint as the dust and grimes from the previous driving trip would actually `scratch` the paint when i`m wiping away the rain water. how true is that? any advice? thanks in advance :)

[awahl63]

If there is dirt and dust on the car you will create a city of swirl marks

[lawnmower]

thanks for the reply awahl63, any advice? should i just leave the rain water as it is without wiping it? :)

[Accumulator]

lawnmower- Welcome to Autopia!



Yes indeed, wiping the rain water off the car will lead to significant scratching of your paint. It`s hard enough to avoid such damage when washing with the right stuff!



Yes, just leave it alone after a rain. Don`t touch it until you do the next (proper) wash or you`re bound to scratch it.



If you`re bothered by how things look after a rain, you might consider using a wax that behaves in a sorta self-cleaning manner in the rain (dirt/etc. washes off with little spotting), though such products aren`t exactly miracle workers ;) Overall, I always recommend Collinite brand waxes, which do this pretty well. Another tip is to wash the car frequently enough that dirt doesn`t really build up on the paint. The less dirt, the less mess after a rain.

[lawnmower]

hi Accumulator, thanks for the reply and the advice. Looks like i`ve made a mistake, twice. i spotted some minor swirl marks on it. the thought of wiping the water away with wet microfiber cloth would be okay, but i was wrong. regular visits to the detailing shop would burn a hole in my pocket. looks like i got to start learning how to wash a car properly. :(

[imported_Dave KG]

I only ever use a quick detailer to remove a light dust. If its rained on the car, then the rain can carry grit and sand, and so is always best to wash your car after that.



When washing your car, I would go for the two-bucket method. Have one bucket of shampoo solution and one of clean rinsing water... Dunk your washmitt (lambswool or sheepskin) into the wash solution and wash a section of the car with a light parallel motion. Before dunking your mitt back into the wash solution, dunk it into the rinse bucket and rinse the grit out of the mitt, then dunk it in the wash solution... This helps prevent inflicting scratches in the wash process... Start from the top down when washing. Rinse with an open ended hose (flow of water). To dry, I spray quick detailer onto the wet paintwork first - this chases away standing water and also gives a bit of lubrication, so when you wipe the drying towel across the paint, the risk of scratching is reduced. Also leaves a "just-waxed" finish after every wash. Though, given I was my car every two days, I go through a lot of quick detailer, thankfully Meguiars Last Touch is sold in 5 gallon containers!! lol

[abbeysdad]

Might better have dust `n dirt then scratches, marrs and swirls !

[lawnmower]

hi Dave KG and abbeysdad, thanks for the reply and tips. I`m going to give the two-bucket method a try and see how it goes. what soap would you guys recommend for a beginner like me?

[imported_Dave KG]

Any car shampoo that wont strip yur wax protection would be a good place to start... what you are looking for from a car shampoo is a slick and lubricated wash solution to make the washing safe. There are many shampoos out there on the market, I personally use Meguiars #62 Bodywork Shampoo & Conditioner and find this excellent. Other really good shampoos that I have used include Meguiars Gold Class, Autoglym Bodywork Shampoo & Conditioner, Poorboys Super Slick & Suds, Pinnacle Bodywork Shampoo. Any of these would make an excellent choice.

[lawnmower]

hey Dave KG, thanks for the tips. i got the Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner 16oz bottle, a sheepskin washing mitt, and some new microfiber cloths to replace the old ones. I`ll try washing it with the 2 bucket method and see how it goes. will update the results later. :)

[Accumulator]

lawnmower- Watch how much pressure you apply to the paint when washing; it`s pressure against the dirt, combined with moving your wash media, that causes the wash-induced marring.



Try filling the mitt with wash solution by holding it cuff-end-up in your wash bucket. Then hold the cuff shut and gently whisk the mitt across the paint while the solution seeps out of the mitt. Don`t just "scrub" with the mitt, think about the dirt that you might be grinding into the paint.



Note that short strokes (even just jiggling it across a panel) can be better than long, sweeping ones because if you *do* get some dirt caught in the mitt and it scratches, a short scratch won`t show like one that`s several inches long.