not my butt but my truck! i heard that washing, waxing all in the same linear direction will help with swirl mark cutdown. since your not swirling anything anyway. but i noticed that when applying wax, it's tends to work better if you do swirl it. so now what? should i just keep going fore and aft or what? cause now i have spider webs on my bright red baby! any help?

 

I use an "upward" motion............ wait........... just kidding!


Seriously, If you have the paint surface good and clean and polished as good as possible, and are using quality/clean applictors, and towels, it really shouldn't matter. The theory with the "circular motions" is that it works the wax "into" the paint pores, and levels the surface............... and that's not a bad theory! However, out of habit, I use a top down motion on all the panels, for washing, waxing, and QD'ing. It's more a matter of preference. Besides, I always end up with a few layers of "stuff" on there, so my paint pores are filled, and level!

Of course, if one is "not" using quality/clean applicators and towels, and does put swirls in............ the "circular" ones will be more noticeable.

 

hey boss, i use a lambs wool wash mit with a micor fiber towel. i waxed my girl a wekk or two ago, and i can see the spider web effect. i used a...well now come to think of it..it was a chitty sponge app. do you think that waxing useing a micro would be better?

 

WD,

Not sure what kind of "sponge" you used. I use the foam Meguiar's applicators all the time, and don't have any problems. I keep them clean, or use a new one frequently. Make sure the wash mitt is also of good quality, and washed and rinsed after each use. Also use the "two bucket" method of washing!

Hope this helps.

 

Willie,

I was wondering the same thing when I first got my truck a few months ago, so I did some research into this.

Boss hit the most important point - the quality of materials you use is probably more important than how you apply it. Namely - clean and high quality. The Meguiar's sponge wax applicator can be found pretty cheap at most Wal-Mart stores. Make sure your wash mitt is also high quality (most prefer 100% cotton/chenille because it is soft and has a lot of fibers to pull dirt particles into the cotton and away from the paint.) Also make sure your drying towels are of high quality - most here prefer some form of waffle weave microfiber for the highest in quality, and if you browse through the boards you will find some good recommendations.

As for your original question about which direction to wipe - here is what I found: use an up and down motion (tires to roof) on the side panels & tailgate, and a back and forth motion (headlights to taillights) on the hood & roof. Several sources agreed with this method - including Sal Zaino for what that's worth (and to some, that's worth a great deal!)

The theory is that (as you guessed) not using a swirling motion reduces the chances of swirls appearing, and that if any little scratches are made they will at least catch the light all in the same direction - hence you won't notice them the way you notice swirls. As for the up&down vs. left&right motions, my best guess is that the side panels are longer than they are tall - so it's easier to get a consistent line going up and down rather than left to right - since you can't sweep your applicator from the front of the truck to the back of the truck standing in one spot, you'd end up making several overlapping sections that might not all be going quite the same direction. Whereas if you use and up & down motion you can cover the distance with one sweep.

Hope that makes sense. Again, good clean materials is the most important step. How you apply it shouldn't be a problem as long as it's consistent.

 

well my wash mit is of 100% lamb's wool. all natural. i know that i need to get some new applicators but i use the "absorber" and then a micro for final wipe. i will get some new stuff today since i get paid tomorrow! but thanks for the help guys!

 

Willie,

One quick tip............. when using the Absorber, make sure that you use it to dry by "blotting" the paint surface............. don't use it to wipe the paint dry. Also, make sure to wash, and rinse it out once in a while.

 

(with a real deep throaty flemmy sound)....AH-HAH! sounds like a plan. something that i seem to neglect, washing the absorber. is there something better out there that you might know of?

 

The "something better" you seek would be microfiber waffle weave towels. They are hugely popular around here - and I think Meguiar's has a nice one you can order (probably should ask Rock Pick for his opinion on it)

The microfiber is super safe on your paint, and the waffle weave soaks up water like crazy. Also, use a separate towel for the lower body panels - these are more likely to have leftover sand/dirt/grit particles.

 

Meguiar's WW MF (waffle weave microfiber) is a very nice towel and comes in a handy-dandy hard plastic case which is great for storage in the vehicle or on the shelf. I like it alot but, I am very anxious to try out one of the WW towels from premiumautocare.com as they sound like they're primo as well...

RP

 

thanks RP, Boss, and everyone esle!

 

Front to back!