I tell ya guys, dark colors is a pita after owning silver most of my life.

any suggestions on what kinda towel to use when washing-drying off your car ? and what about upkeep to minimize swirls ?

 

THIS IS WHY I HATE BLACK....but in any case I had a black altima so.... Use a Chammy Cloth to dry it and only microfiber cloths for excess... I would clean my car chammy it then go for a quick drive then rewipe excess water with microfiber

 

Don't use a "chammy". Only use microfiber (and a brand name microfiber at that) For drying, try looking for a waffle weave microfiber towel. If you want your black to stay black you have to use the best.

 

Try looking in the "detailing" section of the forums. They have some great info.

 

A soft cotton towel with the tags removed. I use a white bath towel that shows any grime I missed during the wash. You don't need microfiber. In fact, it's a step down because it isn't nearly as effective at absorbing water. Likewise for a chamois.

I'll quote myself from an earlier thread:

"Swirls are just abrasions in the clearcoat. They're caused by any action that drags dirt over the finish, or by contact with an abrasive cloth like polyester. If you're serious about preserving your finish, you wash the car yourself with separate wash and rinse buckets in rinse/wash/dry sequence, with multiple terrycloth or microfiber towels with no tags, proper car soap, a top to bottom approach, and a horizontal rubbing motion. And if you're not washing it, you don't clean it, ever, for any reason. Without a proper rinse, even special detailing sprays will just scrape dirt.

You get rid of swirls with an abrasive compound. For mild swirls, a single application of a cleaner wax may be enough. For heavy swirls, you'd use a light polishing agent before waxing. This used to require an electric rotary polisher, a tool best left to professionals because it can burn paint. That's much less likely to happen with a random orbital, so if you've got one, you can do both steps yourself with little practice.

Maintenance doesn't differ with the paint color. Keep the car waxed or sealed. Wax lasts a month or two. Sealants like Zaino can last as long as 6 months, but applying the stuff with the requisite curing agents will take most of the day. What's on top of the wax won't be clean if the car is kept outdoors, but the wax will protect the paint for when you get around to washing it."

 

Hmm.... I won't start an arguement in here. Just know that there is the adequate way of doing things and the optimal way of doing things. If you do the research it will become fairly clear. Meguiar's Online is a great forum if you had some spare time.

 

what about those shammy's ? like shamwow material ?

those things dry up really good, but will it b bad for paint ?

 

Short answer is yes, don't use shammy's or shamwows or bath towels. There are softer materials that may not be quite as absorbent but will be easier on the paint.

 

above is correct, NEVER use a Shamwow or bath towel on your car! When I see someone doing that I shake my head, thenI usually tell them what I'm about to share with you guys. There is a synthetic shammy called the Absorber and it is by far the best thing you can use to dry your car!!! Its made from PVA (poly-vinyl). It holds a ton of water and wont leave any water spots. More importantly it wont leave any scratches at all! Works great on the glass too! My last 4 cars were black and I have been detailing for years. I'm telling you guys all need an Absorber shammy!! Wait till you see the results Another tip is to use the spray "wax as you dry" spray it directly onto the Absorber, wring it out and then shammy your car. The results will amaze you! Heres a link for the Absorber:

http://www.jbrp.com/AutoAnything-Cou...ber-XL-2-Pack/

 

ps. When shammying your car, never do circles, always follow the contours of the car. if you happen to drop your shammy, make sure you rinse it out thoroughly or better yet pressure wash it before continuing~

 

YOU CAN USE a Shammy cloth a 20$ 2ftx2ft cloth is FINE for black I worked at a car dealership for 3 years, owned a black car, and my uncle owns a body shop....

 

I have had a few absorbers. I trashed them after one scratched my car. Waffle weave towel or bust. http://www.autogeek.net/mictow.html

Why would you spray the spray wax on the absorber? Seems pointless

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/

 

Fair enough, I will say I don't have any credentials for getting paid to detail. But I will say that I have never received as clean as a finish from a dealer or body shop as I can achieve with the right tools.

 

so those shammy absorbers are ok!! cool!

I seriously can't use those cotton towels because it will take forever to soak up and dry, those shammy's work so well!

 

ya this is the one I just bought, glad it's ok to use.

 

After 2 years of detailing my 09 Max every weekend, I can say that using high grade microfiber is the best for me. Use one to get most of the water off and a second to finish drying right behind it. I have found that the best microfiber is from Korea and spending a couple of extra dollars gets you a lot better quality from one brand to the next. Works for me.

 

It must have gotten dirt on it to leave a scratch, when the Absorber & the paint surface are clean scratches dont happen.

In regards to the spray wax on the Absorber, please just take my word for it and try it. It slides like silk on glass and leaves the surface spot free. I learned this trick over the years and now I always do it. I'm not bragging or anything when I say I have detailed very expensive cars over the years and I'm only sharing products & techniques that have worked best for me. Detailing is a passion for me, I enjoy it and take great pride in it.

 

This and similar hoodoo is nonsense. Pure cotton won't scratch paint. If it's a crappy towel with some other material for a weave, tags, or threading, that's a problem, but none of that has anything to do with whether it's a bath towel.

Here's Meguiars:

"Always use a microfiber polishing cloth like the Meguiar's Supreme Shine Microfiber or a 100% cotton, terry cloth towel for removing cleaners, polishes, and waxes."

The Zaino guy says the same thing. Microfiber hasn't existed forever. People have been prepping show cars with cotton for fifty years. I've got dozens of microfiber cloths from various makes and consider them excellent for wax removal and useless for drying. Until they're damp, they just move water around.

Detailing really isn't that complicated. Wash and dry the car in such a way that you don't rub dirt into the finish. Wax it with a decent wax. Remove the wax with something soft. It doesn't matter if the car is black, orange, or neon, it's all the same process.

 

of course it does. 98% of bath towels are NOT soft enough to use for drying your car, unless you really dont care about the finish on your paint. I suppose if you bought the highest quality cotton towel & never let it touch the ground it would be different. Keep in mind I'm probably the most fussy detailer there is, basically OCD, lol. I have professional detailing credentials that I wont get into but as I stated above, I'm just sharing the products & techniques that have worked best for me.

the bottom line is, people have different definitions of detailing. some people are happy to hose their car down and wipe the dash. while others, like me, use a tooth brush on the under carriage on a regular basis.

 

I assumed it would be obvious not to use any cloth that had touched the ground. Perhaps not. If the towel is sufficient quality that you would trust the label, then the only percentage that matters is whether it's 100% cotton. If it is, it won't scratch the car.

It's not difficult to verify. Clean the car, check the paint in a hidden area with a flashlight, then rub a towel against it and check again. I do my entire car with a white cotton terrycloth towel, but if you don't trust that, by all means find out for yourself.

 

I've used a shammy for years and never had an issue....I never use it dry always damp and it dries streak free.

 

I always use sandpaper to get the heavy particles off...then a finer sandpaper to get smaller dirt. If you still have dirt on your car - flathead screwdrivers have all the wedging power you will need to pick it off....or the backend of a hammer. It's a very nice. To dry I always use my wife's sister and wipe her back on the car - we all know she has the hairiest back in armenia. Her hair absorb like sponge.

 

ya I've heard screwdrivers & hammers work magic! thanks for shedding some humor on the topic I needed a good laugh

 

 

First off some people have NO IDEA what they are talking about and should not post on stuff they have no idea about!

Best course of action if you want to not put swirls in while drying or washing is to use a lambs wool mitt and do back and forth motions making sure to try and not go over the same spot twice ( more chance to induce swirls). After you rinse all the soap off take the nozzle off and sheet the water off your car. This will remove a lot of water with water. I do not wipe my car dry. I pat it dry with a 100% made in the USA microfiber.

There is much more you can do but this will get you started...

 

Here is what I use, Zaino products. I am a fan! I have never seen a shine so deep. I am very impressed with their stuff

I have used a brushed car wash for 3 yrs now, 2 yrs on my acura and 1 year on my max. I use it during the winters, when its too cold for me to do it. And maybe a few times throughout the year if i am in a hurry. It has NEVER ONCE left any swirls

Its like any car you have to take care of it!!! Black just shows everything. It looks so sweet all cleaned up, but looks like junk when its dirty or with swirls and marks, and it shows everything

 

YOUR DRUNK. Take a pic for me with the sun hitting the paint and one with your flash at night time and post them.

 

haha good one! those are cheater pics

 

Nope I don't drink. And why would I lie about that. Sorry you don't believe me, but its true. I have had great luck with the car wash. I do clay bar and use a very mild polish on my car once a year and put that "wax" polymer on all from zaino twice a year. Maybe that keeps the swirls from showing up, or removes the small ones that were there.

I use that car wash in the winter only when its below freezing. I hand wash it in my drive way 90% of them time. Winters here aren't too long.

Just trying to help with your question BB, I guess that's what i get for trying to help you out by telling you what I use, that has been successful for me anyway

 

Again take a picture with the flash so the flash reflects off your paint (straight ahead shot) and prove me wrong... Otherwise DO NOT post false statements... I think I can speak for the rest of the board when I say I am sick of reading false information!

 

I mean I can take a pic of my 1976 beater truck from that angle and it will look like there are no scratches or swirls...

 

Those are just some pics I took after I got done cleaning it last fall. No need to be mean about it. Just trying to help a guy out. If I get a chance I will take a pic. I doubt it will be good enough for you though

 

It will be plenty good enough... it will show the swirls that are in your paint. I am not being mean, I am sick of reading false information. This forum is meant to help the members, posting false information does not help.

 

Bump for pics

 

Maxxxspeed....

You have an amazing way of calling people out and telling them that they are wrong and asking for proof. Ie.. Do you have pics? Just because you don't agree with them or think you have a better way, the other person is not necessarily wrong.

You did the same thing on the post for DVD motion non navi post. You posted and waited 3 days and no one responded to you. Then you bumped yourself and I ended up trying to help you and you called me out saying that I was guessing and someone should post that knows how to really do it. You then asked for proof via pics and I did one better and gave you two videos.

It's people like you that give forums a bad wrap. If you have the answers, then why ask for help? Don't ask for suggestions and DIYs when you just play devil's advocate on all replies.

Go back and read your posts and see how rude you come across. You are the single reason I won't post the DVD DIY. You take your dash apart and start splicing since you know there is an easier way for non navi maximas.

And no, you don't speak for the rest of us. We all are adults and we can all speak our minds just fine on our own.

 

again thank you for posting this in 2 places. I replied to the other one. I am not rude. I am blunt. Point. Blank. Period.

GUESSES AND FALSE INFORMATION DO NOT HELP THE MEMBERS OF THIS FORUM. Fact and truthfulness do. Posting just to post information that you may not know for fact does not help members.

For example, if i posted saying sand paper if great for your paint, someone would call me out ( I WOULD HOPE!), and if I KNEW I was right I would defend it by posting pics, ect... until I was proven wrong I would stand by my opinion. I am trying to help the guy out by showing him, with his OWN PICTURES, that he in fact, does not have all of the information to make the assumption he did. Taking pictures out of a direct line of visible light does not show all of the imperfections in the paint. That is all.

 

Its not what you say, its how you say it and come across. The example of sand paper to paint is a stretch compared to no swirls from a product.

Not going to get into a shouting match with you. Like I said before, its hard to want to help someone like yourself because if someone posts and is wrong or isnt within your scope of reason, you dont disagree and make points, you come out, bash, ridicule and make them feel stupid. Being straight and blunt is one thing, you just come across like a *&#^. Just chill a bit and we can all co-exist. You cool with that?

 

Thank you MooShoo. I will get you some pics, but like I said above I don't think that it will be good enough for you. Saying using sand paper on your car isn't the same thing that I am talking about, not at all.

Anyway its not worth talking to you about this. I am sorry you feel the need to belittle people.

I am just trying to help this guy/girl out. This product and what I have done has worked great for me. And I was just stating what I usually do. I am just trying to help out, which is what this forum is all about. And I did post pics, but not good enough for you.

Anyway I am done with this, sorry it came to this. I will post up some pics after a while. I have been very very busy lately.

 

They werent good enough for the OP either...

I am not trying to belittle anyone... All i was trying to do was show you that there is in fact swirls in your paint, and to say that there are not is wrong. That is all.

Do what you want. Just trying to help you out..which is, like you said, what this forum is all about.

 

Ok I finally got back home and had some time to snap a few pics. These are going to be the last ones. My paint looks great I think. I hope this is what you were looking for. I am just trying to help out, by saying what products I use and how I keep up with my cleaning and maint of my car. BBmax, I am sorry if you felt mislead, that was not my intentions.

Anyway here they are.







Sorry the last one is just dusty. I am still working on finishing my basement, and I was making shelves. Hence the saw dust

On a worse note we had golf ball sized hail sunday night. My truck was out and no full coverage Anyway its getting repainted soon by a local body shop school. But it still hurts. Its a 96 and has 94,000 miles. My grandpa bought it new, so really just one owner.