Anyone else HATE the california duster?

[qwik3r]

Just wondering if there are some users of the california dusters that hate it. I for one, do, as it loves to scratch my black car. Any alternative suggestions for dusting pollen off or how to clean the CD to remove particles that are scratching? Thanks

[imported_memnuts]

I love my Cali duster but I never used it on any of my black vehicles to remove pollen. Pollen is not dust. Pollen is no different than dusting off a light film of dirt. The Cali duster is not swirling the paint. The pollen is. :(

[joshtpa]

I have not had problems with them, but I know a lot on here have.

[jimmie jam]

CA duster 101 is in session. class pay attention now!:rofl



1) how old is your duster? new dusters are difficult. if it is new or fairly new, wrap it in newspaper overnight making sure to get all sides to touch the paper. this exercise will absorb the excess wax that it is loaded with. you can do this a couple of times.



2) make sure that your technique is correct. i cannot stress enough. VERY, VERY, VERY light strokes in one direction only, ever so lightly. never back and fourth or circular. (almost like its not touching is good)



3) be sure that you are wiping off "lite" dust only. anything else will scratch just like any other "dry" wiping. this tool is not designed to remove heavy dust or a "film". it will just smear and/or scratch. just like the power room always "shake" real good.;)



i hope that this may help you or others. i have used them for years with no problems at all. the dirtier they get, the better thay work. :hide:

[Accumulator]

I`ve used mine with the greatest care that I can imagine anybody employing...and I marred the (admittedly very soft) paint on the Jag. After that happened I relegated it to dusting things other than our vehicles. If it works for somebody else that`s cool, but I`m simply not gonna clean a vehicle with anything other than a full-blown, foamgun-centric wash. If my vehicles get dusty/etc. the second I move them out of the shop, so be it.

[stilez]

Pollen is very abrasive, so stay away from using it when this is the case.



http://www.uic.edu/classes/bios/bios100/labs/pollen.jpg





When using the duster, you should only "tickle" the surface. 1 square of paint may take three passes.

[qwik3r]

hrmm thanks alot guys, I do believe now that it is the pollen and not the duster. I live in the north east (nj) and its that time of year and it sux, pollen on the car literally hours later after washing.



So if the cali isn`t a good idea because its basically swirling it about (and picking it up) then should i just use a MF towel and spray ?



On semi-light dustings instead of the cali duster i use a MF towel and hit the surface, back and forth, not wiping, just hitting to remove it.

[imported_memnuts]

The vanity, which we are all addicted to in terms of vehicle appearance, is not worth the effort during pollen season. The rewards of hourly pristine vehicle is not worth the reward of surface marring.

Live with a coat of pollen for a few more weeks and enjoy your shiny and swirl-free vehicle for the rest of the Summer and Fall.



Only remove pollen or any light dirt with a "full" careful wash IMO.

[mgm2003]

The vanity, which we are all addicted to in terms of vehicle appearance, is not worth the effort during pollen season. The rewards of hourly pristine vehicle is not worth the reward of surface marring.

Live with a coat of pollen for a few more weeks and enjoy your shiny and swirl-free vehicle for the rest of the Summer and Fall.



Only remove pollen or any light dirt with a "full" careful wash IMO.



+1. Good advice.

[joshtpa]

Pollen is very abrasive, so stay away from using it when this is the case.



http://www.uic.edu/classes/bios/bios100/labs/pollen.jpg





When using the duster, you should only "tickle" the surface. 1 square of paint may take three passes.





Lets keep in mind that if you blew up dust and particles, many would look like this as well. There would be tons of abrasive sides and edges of a lot of particles on our car all year round.

[jfelbab]

I traded in my CA duster for microfibers and quick detailers a long time ago. Nifty idea but I also saw marring no matter how careful I was. I also had lots of issues with them dropping small paraffin particles on the paint. I wrapped them in newspapers, several times, and even left one wrapped up for over a year. Same thing. I washed one and it was better about dropping paraffin but it no longer had much of an attraction for dust.



For my car and my taste I`ll stick with microfibers and QD.

[Milestones]

For lighter colored cars - a waterless wash (like PB`s S&W or Werkstatt QW) and a super plush QD MF towel provides a much safer (decent lubricity) but still relatively quick alternative to a duster.



For a darker colored car - I would stick with a regular wash to minimize the risk of marring.

[Accumulator]

For lighter colored cars ...[one thing]..-



For a darker colored car...[another thing]...



Note that clear is clear and the light colored car will still have the same marring ;) And the difference between two "well detailed" silver cars can come down to the sort of light marring that`s not readily visible under most conditions; the car without that "invisible" marring is gonna look better.



Sorry...I bet the above sounds awfully pedantic :o But with all the concerns on these boards about "removing marring"/etc. I can`t see doing *anything* that`s likely to damage the paint. It`s hard enough to do a full wash without spoilinig a previously perfect finish.

[NSXTASY]

I wouldn`t let a mop/cali duster touch my car. I either have to grin and bear the light dust/pollen or wash it. Most often I just deal with it because I would have to wash my car twice a day if I wanted it clean. I guess if you had to do something other than washing I would use bursts of air from a compressor.

[imported_Larry A]

The Cal duster has its place , but I like the Kozak Dry Wash cloth better.