How to use the leafblower when drying

E

efnfast

New member
Whenever I use the leafblower (Regardless of LSP), I end up with hundreds of teeeeeny tinnnnnny dried on water spots - almost as if the water is drying as it's blowing across the surface.



I spent 2hrs washing and re-washing my trunk, and no matter what ideas I try, I just can't get a perfect, spotless finish with the leafblower. I usually leafblow, then go over with some M135 and then it's spotless, but I can't figure out how some of you use a blower, and only a blower, for dryinhg :hairpull
 
efnfast said:
Whenever I use the leafblower (Regardless of LSP), I end up with hundreds of teeeeeny tinnnnnny dried on water spots - almost as if the water is drying as it's blowing across the surface.



I spent 2hrs washing and re-washing my trunk, and no matter what ideas I try, I just can't get a perfect, spotless finish with the leafblower. I usually leafblow, then go over with some M135 and then it's spotless, but I can't figure out how some of you use a blower, and only a blower, for dryinhg :hairpull
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i personally have never used a leaf blower to dry but i actually have always wanted to get one.



It could be in the technique.



Are you in the sun, is the water sitting at all on the car . . . . . ?



I generally will do a initial wipe down with some Waffle Weave Micro's then i'll break out the shop vacuum and blow the remainder of the water off the vehicle but i have not had that issue yet with the water just drying up on the vehicle.



Maybe the leaf blower that you have is just to powerful.
 
uhmm... i dont remember anyone saying they blew a whole car dry and completely spot free with a leafblower before??

maybe at dawn in a cold climate on a car with 3 coats of fresh wax or if they used a CR spotless water system.



with just a leafblower even with a freshly waxed car i get the same results, streaky looking waterspots. i gotta follow up spritzing a QD and wiping dry with waffle weave microfibers if i do it that way.

the blowdrying helps me get majority of the water off the big panels but the main thing is it blows the crap out of lugnuts,doorhandles,mirrors, and spoilers! those 4 seem to retain water all the damn time and runs down after im done.



why not just buy a single drying towel to compliment the leafblower??:idea
 
I just kept ONR'ing my trunk over and over and over, trying different leaf blowing techniques, but they all resulted in the same effect - water is blown off, but left with teeeeeeeny tiiiiiiiny water spots all over. I even got a pail of distilled water and dumped it on the trunk and repeated, same thing - teeeeeny tiiiiiiiiny water spots all over.
 
yo sup JN . . . . hahaha dude stop following me LoL. Yeah best bet is to use the leaf blower to blow any left over water trapped in tight areas.
 
I always run water over the car with the nozzle off the hose to "sheet off" the water droplets then use the leaf blower. I did find that if I tried to entirely dry the car with the blower spots were left on the glass. So now I blow dry fairly quickly, concentrating on the cracks and crevices first, then blot up the leftover water drops.
 
mikemurphy234 said:
So now I blow dry fairly quickly, concentrating on the cracks and crevices first, then blot up the leftover water drops.
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This is pretty much my strategy with my electric blower. I'm not trying to completely dry the car with it. I'm doing the trouble areas that seem to weep water over the next 12 hours: wheels, mirrors, moldings, front grille, etc.



I will try to knock some water off the major panels with the blower, but not to "dry" the panel. I tend to get the streaks, too, when trying to dry the entire vehicle. In fact, that seems to create more work than it saves.



Amazon has a kick-azz little elec blower for $31 (delivered).
 
I get about 80-85% of the water off with the blower and then just fallow up with a large WW and CG Extreme slick QD and no spots for me, maybe your water is just really hard
 
dinansm3 said:
I get about 80-85% of the water off with the blower and then just fallow up with a large WW and CG Extreme slick QD and no spots for me, maybe your water is just really hard
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My water is very hard (well water) and mineralized, but I'm thinking there has to be some technique to help me out.



FOr example, if I get a jug of distilled water and dump it on the trunk then blow it, I'm still left with those tiny spots, almost as if when the beads of water are being blown off, they're spot drying in a very small fashion.
 
Unless you're using RO water(or your car is freshly LSP'd), I can't dry a car 100% spot free with just a leaf blower. (If you were using RO water, you wouldn't need to dry anyways.)As long as your paint is clean, just QD the spots off.
 
As stated above, you can't completely dry a vehicle with a leaf blower. I have always had to follow up with a microfiber waffle weave drying towel after using a leaf blower.



The leaf blowers job is to remove the majority of the water and to blow the water our of the cracks and crevices of the vehicle.
 
I've never been able to get it 100% dry with a leaf blower either. I wasn't sure if that was due to the fact that it was a cheap one that gets 150 MPH as opposed to the expensive ones that are 250MPH or if it was the nature of the leaf blower itself. I always follow up with a QD and I have no problems after that.
 
David Fermani said:
Unless you're using RO water(or your car is freshly LSP'd), I can't dry a car 100% spot free with just a leaf blower. (If you were using RO water, you wouldn't need to dry anyways.)As long as your paint is clean, just QD the spots off.
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RO?





Paint looks perfect after spritzing some m135 on it, just wish I could use the leafbloewr for an all-in-one step :D
 
i use a firehose nozzle turned all the way to one side (blooming pattern) and sheet as much water off as possible, and then use a leaf blower to blow off as much as possible. then follow up with your choice of quick detailer or spray wax to get the remaining droplets...
 
Even with my 8hp Metro MasterBlaster, I usually do the "dry-with-water" sheeting method, followed by "blotting" with a WW and then the MasterBlaster with another WW held next to whatever crack or crevice I am blasting the water out of. Most times I don't need to apply the Zymol Field Glaze, but will if I have the time. All this, early in the morning before Mr. Sun's big bald head peaks over the top of my roof. The neighbors think I'm nuts but who cares. Take care!
 
On a well waxed car out of the sunlight you can get about 90% of the car dry with a high speed blower. Start one side and blow water to the other complete side trunk windows top roof and then hood. I go to other side and then the same what ever water is left over I dry with a big waffle weave. I then take the blower I bought from CG and blow the door cracks and wheel wells front grill bumper and rims.It works for me , but the car must have a fresh coat of wax.
 
I do have a CRSpotless, so it's not really necessary for me to use a LB to dry the car, but I do 90% of the time. And I do so to the point that the car is completely dry. Sealants tend to break the drops up into very small droplets that then resist getting blown off the car. This kinda sucks, but if you used de-ionized, distilled, or RO water for your final rinse, you shouldn't have many spot problems. 'Nuba based LSP's are pretty good about keeping the drops big, and having them go sliding off your car's paint when hit by the blower. Using a good 'nuba, I can have my car totally blow dried in about five minutes. Ten if I'm blowing a sealant dry.
 
efnfast said:
Whenever I use the leafblower (Regardless of LSP), I end up with hundreds of teeeeeny tinnnnnny dried on water spots - almost as if the water is drying as it's blowing across the surface.



I spent 2hrs washing and re-washing my trunk, and no matter what ideas I try, I just can't get a perfect, spotless finish with the leafblower. I usually leafblow, then go over with some M135 and then it's spotless, but I can't figure out how some of you use a blower, and only a blower, for dryinhg :hairpull
Click to expand...



I've been using the leaf blower to dry for years. I have an electric one that is used for that purpose only. I can't ever get all the water. But the idea is to get the majority of it off, then use a microfiber plush towel to get any other sposts off. I always end up going over the car if needed and do the door jams last.
 
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