Absorber - Your thoughts??

David Fermani

David Fermani

Forza Auto Salon
I've been using an Absorber for well over a year and I've noticed ZERO marring. I've been using it on details (after polishing especially) and on my own vehicles and I have nothing bad to say about it. Anyone ever experience any problems? Maybe Mike Phillips could chime in seeing that he used to work with them.
 
My absorber was hard to move over the surface. I use a very thick micro fibre towel. While drying I spray some carnuba into the towel to avoid any marring in prep for machine polishing.
 
when i used the absorber.. i would pre-wet it and squeeze out the water (to soften it up) and then lightly put it on each section to dry and lightly pat it down. i've found better alternatives that work for me, so i don't use one anymore...
 
ive never had an issue with mine either. although i only blot with it. i dont wipe it accross my paint. i blot up the majority of the water with the absorber first, then finnish with a waffle weave dryign towel or microfiber.
 
I've tried the absorber (and others similar to it), but the blot method never works for me - yes, it does suck up the water, but it leaves all sorts of water staining behind (might be an issue with how hard my water is; it loves to spot right away)



The best 0-marr drying technique I've found is:



(onr the panel first)



- leaf blower for 2 passes to remove majority of water (anymore than 2 passes and it tends to dry and spot as its getting blowen off and be a major pain to remove)



- spray down the area with quick detailer (UQD/m135) and do 2-3swipes with a blue microfiber waffle weave towel (tends to glide around the surface and spready the spray nicely)



- buff off the spray with quality mf towel (purple cobra jr.)



0 marr, 0 spots, 0 haze, 0 anything left behind.
 
I use the absorber a lot. I have never had any marring or anything. I have noticed it all depends on what color you get on how they work. The red, yellow and green work the best IMO. The other colors stick a bit.
 
I hear you David. We have a couple of them as well, but rarely seem to use them anymore. The worry is, of course, dragging dirt particles.



I argue this however...



If you use a blower first, surely you'll still need to wipe off residual water away. Can a mf towel (especially short napped waffle weaves) not drag dirt particles the same way an absorber could? Absorbers are VERY soft once moist, so it's not fair to automatically put them in the water/jelly blade category.



I'd think the best thing you could do to mitigate the risk is blow dry, then use a drying aid with a shag style mf.
 
What are the differences between the boutique Water Sprite, and the OTC Absorber?



I had never heard of it until the mention in this thread, but a quick read of AG's listing of the product really doesn't differentiate it for me.



As for the context of the thread title- I've used Absorbers for years, and have been through several to the point of dog-earring each one of them before it's retirement.
 
When I used to do traditional washes, I used the absorber religiously but can't see using it for an ONR wash. Now I use a dedicated large MF drying towel and a smaller MF or WW for a second pass.
 
I have used Absorbers for years, and was about to stop because of marring, but was taught to blot with it instead of wipe, and now would never dry with anything else!



I flood, then blot, and do not get any drying scratches or swirls on a black car. I have one for the body of the car, and an older one that I use for wheels and sills/jambs.



Anyway, I really like my Absorbers!
 
Hm. I actually have 2 myself and I think they are incredibly easy to use. However, I was tempted to stop using them because I was afraid I was marring my paint.



Now though, I think they are fantastic because they wring out so much more easily than waffle weave does. And, what you guys are saying makes sense. By just blotting, you don't really have the chance to mar the paint.
 
I have used a Water Sprite for many years and it is a great drying towel after it is broken in. Though by itself it is not spot free, but a quick MF follow up is all that is needed.



I tried an Absorber, but didn't like it and didn't think it would "break in" soft enough to continue with it.
 
MuttGrunt said:
I hear you David. We have a couple of them as well, but rarely seem to use them anymore. The worry is, of course, dragging dirt particles.
Click to expand...





If one has done a proper wash, there shouldn't be any dirt particles left on the paintwork! :werd:
 
Cool - thanks for the input!



Right after rinsing, I wipe down each panel once with the Absorber. That will remove 85% of the loose water on the vehicle. Then, I leaf blow everything out and follow up with a QD/MF. The Absorber definately leaves a thin film behind that requires final removal. I constantly wash my Absorber after every use and ring it out into a white bucket to determine the clarity of the water coming out of it. Once totaly clean, I store it wet back in its starage case. It never dries out.
 
DaGonz said:
If one has done a proper wash, there shouldn't be any dirt particles left on the paintwork! :werd:
Click to expand...



good luck insuring complete 100% removal of all particles. Even if you could make the extremely bold claim that a car you washed is completely particle free, you'd have no way to prove it. I'd like to see someone take care of Berlina Black Honda paint (NSX/S2000) and not cause any marring / swirls over the course of 10 washes.
 
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