How do you prevent swirls. I have had my truck(2003 F150 Super) a few months now and I was going to wax it soon. I have always manged to leave swirls in every other vehicle I have ever had. I do not want to do that to this truck. Any suggestions?

 

It is nearly impossible to completely eliminate swirls. However, with the proper washing and drying techniques and tools, you can minimize them to a great extent. There have been many posts in this forum on the subject. You may want to spend some time searching and reading through them.

In the meantime, here are some quick tips...

Use a high quality car wash.
Use "several" high quality wash mitts (sheepskin or 100% Cotton).
Use the "two bucket" method to wash.
Wash only a panel at a time... then rinse the mitt clean in the rinse bucket & with the hose.
Use only the best drying towels.
Use a good QD with lubrication in your drying process.
Take proper care of your wash mitts and towels... during, and after the washing/drying process.

Same goes for polishing and waxing... use hight quality detailing tools, and take care of them.

 

I find that going through the car wash (touchless) is the best way. I wash my truck all the time and swirls come back quick no matter what. The old lady pays $10 a week and drives in this thing and after 3 years, hardly any swirls. My truck is dark blue, so you notice quick. You almost have to wash in laundry your wash mit and chamois before each time. Also, Meguire's swirl remover works great, as both a pre wax cleaner and swirl remover. Follow up with a coat of Tech wax or my choice Nanowax by Eagle One and it will knock you on your *** it will be so nice. Give it a whirl.

 

Also, forgot to say, these waxing techniques really prolong the swirling, but it does come back. Good advice too comes from the guy that posted above me. Good luck.

 

Great question Robin... just to add to what Boss mentioned...

I concur 100% with Boss's stance on never really being able to eliminate them... but, to minimize them, it really helps to understand what they are...

You see, swirls are microscopic scratches in the paint. They appear in a 'circular' pattern typically because of the light reflectivity off of the panel and/or the light source itself. Like most things that scratch, you can imagine the possibilities when it comes to trying to reduce the potential for scratch introduction...

Simple things like what Boss mentioned go a LONG way to reducing the amount of swirls that you will introduce to your paint. Remember, anything that is touching your paint should be of the HIGHEST quality and should've been stored correctly -- storing your towels on the floor in the garage obviously isn't the right way for example.

An ounce of prevention here is one of those things that is worth 10 pounds of removal... or something like that. Using a lot of common sense will minimize your problems but, if you're like all of us, you're going to continue to cause them -- that's because they're nearly unavoidable if you're washing, drying, and taking care of your vehicle... it's a double-edged sword.

RP


Just to add a couple of extra tips:

- Use dedicated towels for dedicated areas. For example, one towel for the roof and hood... one towel for glass ... dry fender flares and lower body panels last and don't allow those towels to be used on other parts of the vehicle (these are typically the most likely places to find some grit that can be picked up in your towel and carried all over your vehicle -- thus scratching it up to a degree).

- Blot your vehicle dry rather than dragging a towel all over it. Further, before drying, flow a low stream of water over your vehicle starting at the top. Sheeting action will drastically minimize your drying time.

- Replace your wash mitts often and use dedicated mitts in dedicated buckets for grungy areas like wells, wheels, and flares. Don't use these mitts/sponges ANYWHERE else nor would I even store them in the same area as your 'good' stuff.

- Storage: Remember your stuff is picking up dirt and such when it's sitting on the shelf in the garage. Store your stuff properly to minimize cross-contamination.

- Invest in a couple of 'grit guard' bucket inserts. These things are simple but very effective! Well worth their price!

- Don't skimp when it comes to paying the bucks for supplies. I think almost everyone here will agree that the detailing world is one where you pretty much get what you pay for... Don't expect a $3 microfiber towel from Target to perform at the same level a $15 towel will perform. Trust me -- microfiber is a market where you should not skimp!

- Have an array of towels. Wash them separately from eachother. Me, for example, I have three levels of towels -- Grunge, Medium, and Tier One. Grunge is used on wheels and wells and engine compartments. Mediums typically get running boards and unpainted parts and pieces. Tier Ones get painted areas. Rotate them frequently (ie: move tier ones downward and dispose of grunge towels). Wash your towels immediately after use and don't use fabric softeners etc.

- Any item (mitt, towel, sponge, etc) that hits the ground should be considered demoted and/or disposed of with the weeks rubbish. While I'm not sure I've tossed a towel for such a drop, I have considered it and, definitely, that towel has managed to get a one way ticket to the 'Grunge' level.

This list could go on forever... bottom line is to utilize copius amounts of common sense.

 

RP added some excellent tips. Here's another one that I tend to overlook...

When you wash your vehicle, get "ALL" the dirt off it. Don't dry a vehicle that has "ANY" dirt left on the paint... period! I am meticulous when I was my vehicles....... gentle, but thorough. If the vehicle is very dirty, I will wash it lightly... twice.

I thought of this as I was washing my vehciles today, and the neighbor was washing is brand new black truck. When he was done, I noticed that it looked like a Zebra with all the missed posts. If he attempts to dry it (or wax it) like that... he will be a "sorry camper" (and asking for my help again)