California Duster smearing when used..

[ThrillHo]

So the pine trees (I think) have been dumping green particles all over the cars and street around here for the past couple of weeks, so I`ve been using an older California Duster I found in our closet. It removes the dust and particles, but its also looks like it is smearing something on the surface of the car. It`s very very light and can be buffed off, but I didn`t think dusters were suppsed to do this. What could the problem be? Should I clean the duster? What is the cleaning process for cleaning a duster?

[shakashaunz]

it`s the paraffin in the duster. Try setting the duster on some newspapers for a few days to get the excess paraffin out of it. I used one years ago and it never quite worked right after washing it.

[imported_WhyteWizard]

Or, alternatively, you could give it to someone as a gift and get yourself a nice lambswool duster for your car.



Robert

[craigdt]

Or you could skip rubbing dry dust particles all over your car all together

[ThrillHo]

Or you could skip rubbing dry dust particles all over your car all together



Yea, definitely wouldn`t want to use the thing as intended...

[imported_WhyteWizard]

The reason for the lambs wool is, it touches the car lightly enough it doesn`t rub the dust into the paint, it picks the dust up with a static charge you get by spinning the stick back and forth. That`s why you see them in use at all the hot rod shows and places like Pebble Beach. If the lambswool doesn`t lift the dust it`s time for at least a mist and wipe.



Robert

[gocubbies]

anytime i have seen anyone use one of these there is always small scratches afterwards.

[craigdt]

The reason for the lambs wool is, it touches the car lightly enough it doesn`t rub the dust into the paint, it picks the dust up with a static charge you get by spinning the stick back and forth. That`s why you see them in use at all the hot rod shows and places like Pebble Beach. If the lambswool doesn`t lift the dust it`s time for at least a mist and wipe.



Robert



I agree with you in principle.



However, there are plenty of Pebble Beach cars who have horribly swirled paint.

[dublifecrisis]

my duster worked great for a while until one day after I came back from the beach and used it. The salt from the ocean is what started the smearing for me.



could it be the case on your car?

[imported_WhyteWizard]

I agree with you in principle.



However, there are plenty of Pebble Beach cars who have horribly swirled paint.



That`s true, lol, there are lots of swirled cars at every show but they didn`t get that way from a lambswool duster used anywhere close to properly. Lambswool dusters either work or they don`t, sometimes they`re pretty near useless, for example when the dust is sticky from being fogged or isn`t dust but some kinds of pollen, but they have to be really dirty and packed down - old - before they can do damage and I`m hoping that a person would see that coming a long time before it became a problem.



Robert

[Camaro5Ryan]

Don`t clean the duster if you wash it you`ll remove the parafin wax that collects the dust. If it`s hosed just get a new one.

[Speedraser]

Hello. I`d heard this is a great site and I`m delighted to have found it. I have a new car that I plan to keep for a long time and I want to keep it looking as close to brand new as possible. It`s metallic black, and I have a few questions about dusters and covers.



1) What is the proper way to use a lambs wool duster? What is the best way to get the static charge into the duster? How often should you "recharge" it while dusting?



2) Which is better as far as removing the dust and not scratching the paint -- lambswool vs. California?



3) Which is the best method for keeping the paint free of swirls/scratches: a) using the (better) duster and using a soft indoor car cover (to extend the time between washes); b) using the duster but not the car cover, but having to wash the car more often, or; c) not using either the duster or the car cover and washing the car still more frequently? This all assumes that I only cover the car when it is clean/dusted, and put on/take off the cover properly (rolling it or folding it on/off, taking care not to slide it over the paint)?



Many thanks for helping this amateur keep my car looking its best.