Jngrbrdman may have lost his mind...

Jngrbrdman

Jngrbrdman

New member
I don't know how many of you know about it, but I used to have a California Car Duster. This was many many moons ago. Maybe 9 years or more. Anyway, I used it on my beloved Mustang and I ended up scratching the hell out of it. I'll admit that it was mostly my fault. I was using it like a mop and not a duster probably. Anyway, I lit it up like a torch and sacrificed it to the car care gods. I was never a fan of the principle of the CCD anyway. It is a product that you have to drag across your car, and yet you aren't ever supposed to clean it?? It has wax and oils in the strands and somehow that isn't going to cause streaks on your paint? It wouldn't absorb water very well either I wouldn't think. Not will all that wax in there.

Today while cruising through wally world I found a product that I had to buy in order to know what the scoop was. It is a product that I may kick myself for buying. I had a really hard time making the purchase too until I read something on the back. I'll get to that in a minute though.

What did I buy? I <gulp> bought one of these:

The Zwipes Microfiber Magna Duster
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It was less than $7 at WalMart compared to the $9 CCD. So for those of you saying it is a cheap product and isn't any good, consider that many products out there are great as well as inexpensive. I'll have to reserve judgement on this one on whether it is great or not.

In principle I like this much more than the CCD and here is why:

1) It suggests that you wash it.

2) It is microfiber and will attract dust like a magnet better than the CCD.

3) The fibers are less coarse than the CCD fibers (I compared them side by side for awhile at WalMart)

4) This one will absorb "8 times its own weight in water"

5) (and this is one that sealed the deal) On the back of the package it says "*Cloth will not scratch surfaces; however it can pick up and trap particles that will scratch." They are trying to educate people that the tool is only as safe as you are. The tool itself isn't designed to scratch the car, but if you allow it to get too dirty then it might scratch it.

That was enough for me. I feel better about being able to remove the damage if this turns out to be a bad idea, but for some reason I like this product and hope it doesn't disappoint me. If it does then there will be another tiki torch in my yard this year....
 
As much as I hate to do it, I hate dust even more. I have a problem QDing an entire car too, so this might be the solution. If this will pick up the dust without scratching then I will be a happy camper. If it scratches.... well then I guess my PC will get another workout and I'll just keep living with dust.
 
Jngrbrdman said:
As much as I hate to do it, I hate dust even more. I have a problem QDing an entire car too, so this might be the solution. If this will pick up the dust without scratching then I will be a happy camper. If it scratches.... well then I guess my PC will get another workout and I'll just keep living with dust.
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I remember someone giving me a mini CCD last summer, I hated how many streaks it left behind. One of my neighbors is a Limo driver, he hated them too, so I gave him a bottle of Megs Last Touch and a MF, he threw away his duster in a heartbeat :)

Can't wait for the review on this one! :bigups
 
I know someone who used the Zwipes MF wash mitt (not on their website) sold at KMart and it marred the surface.

I'd steer clear of it.

I use the CCD with the wood handle. It is black as can be (never washed) and picks up dust like champ. I even used it on a vintage 78 Mercedes w/ single stage paint at a car show. I had prepped it for the show. Took first place!

Too bad you had a bad experience, but I'm a fan of the original CCD.

Between the quality of the Zwipes MF wash mitt and Zwipes MF towels (which are garbage) I'd stay away.

Most of all, watch this video and see if you trust them! http://www.zwipes.com/video.asp
 
I have one of the CCD's and I've really never had a scratching issue with it. I DO wash mine however, they're full of it on that part. I wipe off "barn dust" off my dark red car quite frequently. I always mist the CCD with QD and wipe it through my hand before LIGHTLY floating it across the car. I hold it up, I don't even let the weight of the unit rest on the car, just let the fibers do the picking up. I also make one pass across the surface, the brush my hand through it to attempt to knock any large particulate out of it. If it feels totally dry to my hand, I re-mist it.

Sorry for the long post, but with this method, I've never had any scratching issues. (used 2+ years)
 
Like I said, I'm sure the problem with the CCD was my fault and I'm sure it is a great product if used properly. I just don't agree with the principle of it and I see to many reasons for me personally not to use one. I wouldn't ever tell someone else not to use one, but I will tell them that it has to be used a certian way or else it can damage the paint.

I just polished my car and it is swirl free. If I start to see swirls then I'll know what the culprit was. I intend to use it only on half my car until I am convinced it is a safe tool when used properly. If it proves to be unsafe at any speed, then I'll light it up and you'll all hear about it. ;) We'll see how it goes.
 
I'm also a CCD fan and havn't had any problems with it although I use it only for very light dust or pollen. It feels less harsh to me then QD'ing so I dust first, then QD. We're always happy when someone's willing "to take one for the team" as chml17l said. I'm definately looking forward to you're review on this one. I have to admit that the Zwipes video was pretty funny, and it didn't fill me with confidence in their products!:D
 
I saw that in Wal-Mart the last time I was there, and even considered buying it and giving it a try. Please let us know what you think of it after a couple of uses. It might be worth picking one up. You know as well as I do that you can never have enough stuff. :)
 
When I used the CCD I actually gingerly "blot" the finish rather than "sweep" it. I shake it after each contact it makes with the paint. Also, I've noticed there's variablity in the amount of oily parafin wax from duster to duster. Sometimes they still need to be wrapped in newspaper longer after the apparant "prep period". Overall, it can be a decent tool. I feel similarly about dust and constantly QDing the whole car.
 
Jngrbrdman--How were you planning to use the Magna Duster? Will you be using it dry or were you going to spray it with some QD before use?
 
I had the same experience with the CCD-streaks. Got a Meguiars duster and no streaks-way better in my opinion-great for pollen. May want to give it a try.
 
chml17l said:
Jngrbrdman--How were you planning to use the Magna Duster? Will you be using it dry or were you going to spray it with some QD before use?
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I'll probably try it a couple different ways. I just bought it to test it and not to necessarily add it to my detailing tools for use on a regular basis.
 
Larry A said:
I hear that the Kozak Dry Wash Cloth is making a come back. Maybe that will replace the CCD in the future.
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I have a few unused ones that are going to become indoor home dusters. I just don't trust the knap for holding the debris away from the paint to avoid scratching it.

Before I was mega obsessed with detailing I tried one and yes, it removes heavy pollen very well but I could never claim to have a swirl free finish after using it.
 
I have Zwipes products. They've all marred the surface. I would NOT use this duster based on my experience.

Take a look at that video from my first link and see if this is the company whose products you want to use on your car based on their instructions and claims.

http://www.zwipes.com/video.asp
 
Spilchy said:
I have Zwipes products. They've all marred the surface. I would NOT use this duster based on my experience.

Take a look at that video from my first link and see if this is the company whose products you want to use on your car based on their instructions and claims.

http://www.zwipes.com/video.asp
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That video made my stomach turn :(.
 
GSRstilez said:
That video made my stomach turn :(.
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LOL, me too! The guy carrying all this stuff in his arms while he has the hose wraped around his neck and turned on, and two buckets full of water all at the same time. Then he drops it on his hood!:lmfao Cracked me up!
 
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