guys,

what kind of product/drying cloth do you use for drying your truck after a bath? my new truck is dark maroon, and it looks great when it is clean, but it shows water spots very easily. i'm not particulary keen on spending two hours washing it and then having it look like crud after it air dries. any suggestions?

thanks,

-matt

 

What I usually do is use a California water blade on my truck first. A lot of people will tell you that they will scratch your truck, but that is not so. The reason that some peoples trucks get scratched from them is because there could be some stray dirt on the truck, or you dont clean the waterblade before you use it. I reccommend making sure no stray dirt is on your truck, and use the waterblade to get the majority of the water off of the truck, working from the roof down. Actually, you should make sure you flood the truck with water first not using a hose nozzle, as this will cut down on the amount of water left on the truck. Once you have finished getting what you can off with the waterblade, I would then go over the entire truck, again working from the roof down with a microfiber drying towel. The reason I say get most of the water off first is because when the microfiber towels become soiled, they dont work nearly as good as when they have very little water in them, that is when they work the best. Then after that let it sit in the sun for a bit to dry out the cracks and such, and you are ready to go! Hope I could help!

 

While I agree with roboots said about the blade, I disagree that you'll EVER get the vehicle totally dirt and grit free but, if you're careful with that device, it may prove effective. I had problems with it and that's all I'll say.

For me, there are two methods that are preferable. The first is never touching the truck and using a leaf blower or portable electric blower of some sorts.

Now, I know you're thinking that this guy must be an absolute nut to recommend something so outrageous. You're right, I am. But, hear me out...

Swirl marks and other surficial blemishes are caused by things scratching your paint. Even worse, you have a dark colored vehicle (I've owned two straight and just bought a dark green Explorer too). The key to prevent this type of scratching is to keep the abrasion to a minimum. Hence, air. Air won't scratch and you further have the ability to get into the crevices that are all over the truck.

My second of the only two options I use to dry is a waffle weave microfiber towel like this one or a couple of these. This type of towel has a tremendous surface area and can be wrung out over the dry. The kicker is to make sure you stay out of the areas where the grit and grime could potentially still be present (aka: around wheel wells and lower fenders). By doing this you'll reduce the likelihood of picking up such grit and potentially scratching your surface further. I'll also occasionally utilize a very high-pile 100% ultra-soft cotton terry towel (no fabric softener) to do some of the lower panels.

Here's the goal when using towels. Let the towel do the work. Downward pressure on the paint shouldn't be absolutely necessary. It's this downward pressure that will accelerate scratching or swirling because of the tiny specs of grit that you'll pick up while drying. Fold the towel into quarters and rotate continuously.

The nap of either the waffle weave or the 100% terry towel will provide enough of the necessary nap to hold some of the grit that you will, inevitably, pick up while drying within the fibers and thus not allow it to be drug back and forth across your paint. Be certain to 'snap out' your towels often (snap-out like you just pulled it out of the dryer prior to folding).

While it's not a drying option, many of us utilize a very simple method to minimize drying area. To do this, we simply remove the hose nozzle from the hose and allow a flow of water to go across the paint. You'll notice that this action of flooding it with water will only leave behind a minimal amount of water on the surface of the paint and thus, effectively reducing your drying time as well as the potential for water spotting.


I hope that helps a bit. Drying is, in my opinion, one of the most important steps during a wash because it's typically where the 'dry abrasion' takes place on your paint. This, in turn, is where some of the swirling problems can begin. Please feel free to post any additional questions that you may have.

RP

 

Very well put RP, I agree with basically everything you said. If I had the leaf blower, I am sure I would use it to dry my truck, but since I don't, I do use the Big Blue Towel II, and it works great. When I use the waterblade, i only use it on the roof, windows, tonneau cover, and hood. I try not to use it on the lower parts of the sides, as this is where most of the grit that you are talking about will remain on the vehicle. I then go over the whole truck with the towel, and make sure I get as much water out as I possibly can. If I have an air hose handy, I will also blow out all the crevices also.

 

i actually like the leaf blower idea. as it turns out i invested in a stihl backpack blower back befor christmas. it may be just the ticket at about 1/4 throttle to move the water. i'll give it a try at the next wash and report back.

-matt

 

Excellent points roboots! I agree with you 100%. I've been eyeballing a few oil-less air compressors recently with exactly what you mentioned in mind. It seems it'd be easier to lug an air line out to the truck out of the garage rather than going with a bulky leaf blower (which is clumsy and has gasoline within it that can drip out on the paint). I know that, one of these days, I'm going to be in a hurry or not paying close enough attention and I'm going to put a ding in my truck or a client's vehicle with the blower....

While I rarely use the blower on a client's vehicle (as I always anticipate removing the surface blemishes that are on it when I take possession for the detail), I have on occasion and I've always seen it as a recipe for disaster.

Do they make rubber tipped blower nozzles for an airline? I know it'll still be primarily metal but, any little amount of protection on something like that could be beneficial.

RP

 

They sure do! A buddy of mine runs a detail shop, and he has a couple of them on his air hoses. I have seen them in different forms. There are small rubber nozzles that are a hard rubber about an inch long, which could still scratch. There are also ones that are a couple inches long. My buddy has these on his airhoses, as they are a softer rubber, and leave more room for those little mistakes when getting too close. They also are sometimes smaller on the end to direct the airflow better. I need to get myself a compressor for my house so I can have my own airhose!

 

what about using plasti-dip on your nozzle? it is soft, and conforms to whatever you're dipping. you should probably stick a tooth pick in the end of the nozzle to keep the stuff from plugging it up.

-matt

 

That's a good idea.

 

There's actually an easier way to goof-proof your air gun. I simply took a short length of rubber hose and slipped it over the end. One zip tie to hold it in place and we're off to the races. I find the air gun gets water out of tight places better than the leaf blower. My neighbors on the other hand find the leaf blower much more entertaining.

 

hey,
i just wanted to say thanks to all for this post. i've got a black truck and have been going insane with drying to avoid spots.

flood the truck without spray nozzle, then leaf blower, baby, leaf blower.

sweetest advice. thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I cut a piece of hose ( I used gas line ,just find one that fits snug over the end of the blow gun tip) @18"- 2' long. That way you can hold the blow gun trigger in one hand and bend the hose wherever you want to get into tight places. Great for engine compartment. Be sure to blow out some air first so you don't blow compressor gunk onto the truck. I find that the leaf blower blows too much crap back onto the truck.
I know that a lot of people on this forum don't like the Mr. Clean washer but I've had good luck with it if I need a quick job. You do have to use their soap though and the better the wax finish is, the better the result.

Has anyone tried Flitz on their wheels? That little gizmo that goes in a drill works pretty sweet.

 

I'm still exceedinly anxious for someone to come out with a filter that steps it up a notch over Mr. Clean...

I LOVE the spot free rinse that is available at most wand washes. Deionized water is a joy...

RP

 

Rockpick,
You're right about the de-ionized water at the car wash, but it seems that every time I go to a car wash, either self or full service, I get the truck dry and looking good and then some Bozo nearby blows water all over and the truck spots again.
Either that , or you drive out of the place thru a puddle in the parking lot and it gets all splashed up. I like my driveway best but I drive across the lawn so I don't have to drive thru the puddle at the base of the drive. Drives the wife nuts. beer's colder there too....

 

RockPick,

How long does it take you to air dry your truck with the leaf blower? And is there any concern about blowing dirt particles from the pavement/driveway back onto the truck?