Top things to avoid/do to keep swirl free

[Padma]

Hey guys/gals, been lurking for a while and decided to post finally regarding my new#1 fear, swirls and webs. I`ve been doing my own cars (03 Corolla and 95 Civic Coupe) for a while now and my family pays me some decent money to do their cars now and then, but after reading so many forum posts I have become a bit more timid and want to make sure I improve my work and methods before doing any more cars. I haven`t caused damage yet, but I as I do more and use different products I want to make sure I don`t in the future.

So my question/s is/are:

What are the top things to do/avoid to make sure you do not harm a vehicles finish? I know this is pretty straight forward stuff, but I just want to see if there is anything I`m missing.

I could also use product recommendations for my cars and for basic detailing jobs.

My cars:

03 Corolla S
Black, decent finish with some scratches and swirls (left in Ohio winter for 2 years now and also been taken to a reg. car wash once, I know I`ll never do it again.

95 Civic EX
Teal/Green
Poor car has been abused by hail and been sitting for a while so it hasn`t got the best finish. There are hail dimples all over, it has plenty of oxidation and swirls from being my main car as an under 20 year old not knowing how to take care of her.

Current Products:

Meguiars 1, 2, 3
Mother`s Cal. Gold Clay Bar/quick detailer
Meguiars Deep Crystal Car Wash

Terry Cloth Towels
Foam Buffer Pads (how long are these supposed to last I got one that ripped already)
MF for windows

I have a cheap orbital that I got from pep boys I use now and then

I want to check out some products, like #7 and #9, not to mention some of the PB products everyone raves about, but I am on a limited budget and it`s not practical to buy and test everything.

So, I know this is a bunch of q`s packed into one thread, but any replies would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Chris Y.]

I think one of the most important thing is the quality of your towels. Although I like terry 100% (USA only) cotton towels for some jobs, I prefer high-quality microfiber. To me, I`ve seen too many budget detailers polish out the finish only to put marring back into the surface using low quality towels.

Another thing I`d do is lose the cheap orbital and get a Porter Cable D/A. :)

Lastly, as you said, I`d try some of the PB products...Can`t go wrong with those

[CharlesW]

You will probably get lots of suggestions here, so mine will be pretty basic.

1. Just my opinion, but I think it is virtually impossible to be swirl free on a daily driver. You can do a lot to keep them down, but I really don`t think you can totally avoid them.

2. Again, just my opinion, lots or maybe even most swirls are caused when washing and drying. Many times people really don`t get the car clean before they start drying. If your towel is dirty after drying your car, you didn`t get it clean when you washed it. I don`t mean you should scrub the paint, just use a good car wash, a good wash mitt, lots of water, and don`t miss any places. If I have been caught in a situation where the vehicle is really caked with crud, I have been known to wash the car, rinse it, then wash and rinse again.

Next. :)

Charles

[mirrorfinishman]

Originally posted by Padma
What are the top things to do/avoid to make sure you do not harm a vehicles finish?

Always apply a soft gentle pressure to the surface of a vehicle during the wash, dry, polish/wax application and removal processes. Never press or rub the surface using too much pressure. That`s one of the top things you can easily do to make sure you do not harm a vehicles finish.

[andriver]

I would add buying a good sheepskin wash mit. Using the two bucket system and drying with a good Waffle Weave Microfiber. These alone will help avoid swirls.

[dr_detail]

Education is the king....

Swirls are caused by the reflectance of light off each of the microscopic grooves produced from high speed buffing (similar to the grooves in a record -- those things that were the precursor to CD`s). Towel Scratches, or many times referred to as spider webs* (which are even finer than swirls) on the other hand, are those caused by towels, car-washes, chamois, etc. Many just cover up / fill the swirls with wax or glaze thereby resulting in their exposal the first or second time the vehicle is washed. It is possible to maintain a daily driver with the absence of swirls. This is accomplished with polishing the surface until their absence has been achieved. It is imposible to cause swirls without the aid of a machine.

Towel scratching, on the other hand, will occur with every washing. You may not see them on light colored cars, but on a soft or dark paint surfaces (such as that of a 90`s Rolls Royce in Black) you definitely will. To eliminate these fine scratches, some form of wax/ glaze will need to be applied after washing.


*spiderwebs are in actuality the cracks that occur on painted fiberglass from pressure applied causing cracks in the paint

[ranch4x4]

The best way to keep swirls to a minimum is to have quality towels, a wash with a lot of lubricity, and have clean wash mitt(s).

I rarely ever wash my truck with a bucket, I usually go to touchless and hose it off myself without using any of their brushes, I just get whatever I can off with the soap and pressured water then go over with S&W.

Never use those brushes at the coin ops... after I finished washing my truck off I pulled over to vaccumm and I saw a nice black camaro SS pull in and started using the same brush on her paint that I had just brushed and cleaned my wheel wells with....:doh :wait

[Nickc0844]

Avoid dropping your bottles.....they break!!! :angry