Best way to dry the car - looking for methods?

tomas21 said:
Any particular Waffle Weave mfg's that are recommended?
Click to expand...

For pure absorption, I like Mothers foam core waffle weave. It can soak up a lot of water but like any towel once saturated it does not wipe completely dry so when I am not using my Master Blaster Blower I use two towels.

My favorite two towel combo is Mothers foam core then a Pak Shak towel but I have several other brands (Poorboys, PAC) without no hesitation and they work ok too. I know some towels feel softer but I do not see that much real difference (marring, etc).

The real factor is just washing them properly so they stay absorbent.
 
tomas21 said:
Any particular Waffle Weave mfg's that are recommended?
Click to expand...

For pure absorption, I like Mothers foam core waffle weave. It can soak up a lot of water but like any towel once saturated it does not wipe completely dry so when I am not using my Master Blaster Blower I use two towels.

My favorite two towel combo is Mothers foam core then a Pak Shak towel but I have several other brands (Poorboys, PAC) without no hesitation and they work ok too. I know some towels feel softer but I do not see that any real difference (marring, etc).

The real factor is just washing them properly so they stay absorbent.
 
I like to use those no-longer available Mr Clean demineralizer cartridges - they remove the minerals, so there's nothing left when the water evaporates. I still use the 140 mph leaf blower (electric), because it cleans out the mirrors, lenses, etc. that usually drip later. The demineralizers are still available on ebay, but are pricey now. This works well in my hard water garage with my Smokin' Asphalt SSR!
 
Waxaon said:
I like to use those no-longer available Mr Clean demineralizer cartridges. The demineralizers are still available on ebay, but are pricey now.
Click to expand...

Have you tried Amazon? I see they have 3 packs of filters and soap bottles for $30, still listed as available. Starter kits are $15.99. And a 5 pack of filters is $39.95. All still available and can ship free with super saver shipping.

Hope this helps.
 
RTexasF said:
I flood, use a leaf blower, then dab the areas that drip......like around doorhandles and such. A wipe down with Aqua Wax usually follows.
Click to expand...

pretty much my method, sometimes i'll use a different drying agent, oqd, dg's fc&s, pb's s&g etc.
 
Curious about what the consensus is regarding the use of a water blade. I've been on again off again with the tool and getting ready to take delivery of a new car, so I want to do it right from the get go. My other method for drying is two waffle towels with detailer spray if required.
 
addysdaddy said:
Curious about what the consensus is regarding the use of a water blade. I've been on again off again with the tool and getting ready to take delivery of a new car, so I want to do it right from the get go. My other method for drying is two waffle towels with detailer spray if required.
Click to expand...

I am not a fan of the water blade but others may differ.
 
I have always worried that a piece of grit would still be on the paint and the water blade would grab it a drag it across the paint and scratch it. But others have used them with success... I am looking at the Metro MasterBlaster.
 
Concours.John said:
I am not a fan of the water blade but others may differ.
Click to expand...

+1 about the blade. If you want to do it right with a new car I would avoid it.

As for the the rest of the post, (despite being resurrected) I also flood the car for final rinse and use a blower to get water out of the nooks and crannies, then mist with ONR before drying with a WW... really helps prevent spotting and streaking and I like to think it is adding a slight bit of protection from the towel.
 
Don't have a serious hard water issue here, so here's what I do on my full-size pickup:

-never wash in the sun (I'll wait until the sun is low in the sky in the summer and I can wash in the shade)
-take the nozzle off the hose and sheet rinse as a final rinse (as others have mentioned)
-use a Black Baron blower to quickly blow off a good deal of the water (bought this for my motorcycles, but has been invaluable in saving time drying my pick-up; just don't get too close to the vehicle when you use it....it's not necessary)
-gently drag a microfiber (I use a large waffle-weave-type) across the surfaces to remove most of the remainder of the water. Follow with a second dry towel to "pat" dry the remainder of the water.

[Knock on wood] haven't had problems with waterspots since I've used this method (all my vehicles are black and have been for the past 15+ years)

ernie
 
Big Leegr said:
You can use a "drying aid" such as Poorboy's Spray and Gloss. After you rinse but before you dry, you spray S+G and then wipe. It adds some gloss.
Click to expand...

I'm in this camp. After thoroughly rinsing the car, I walk around with my favorite detail spray and give it a good spritz. Use a waffle towel to dry and get beautiful results. Not sure it's a drying aide but then again I don't find any spotting. FWIW I'm using ONR mixed 8 oz/gallon as my detail spray-very pleased and cost effective. YMMV
 
I'll have to look into a Master Blaster and start using a drying aid when detailing season hits again.
 
rinseless wash. ww. leaf blower. ww. spray wax. done.

on my 2 door car i can rinseless the whole thing and dry at the end without problems. tried this on my minivan which was both dirtier and much bigger. doesnt work.

also, for air blowing, the slicker the surface the easier and more successful you will be. water clears out noticeably better.
 
An electric leaf blower seems ideal for quickly drying a vehicles finish. It takes no more than 5 minutes or so leaving very little to blot away with a drying towel..:bigups
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top