Just wondering how many do you ppl normally use for a car wash.

Personally. i use 2 generic sponges for the soap.
2 chamois for the dry. 1 towl for the rims. 1 for the glass.

As for waxing.. i never done it yet. so dont know what i should pick up for that.



question: is it safe to dry you car with microfiber towels? I heard they leave squirl marks. Thats why i use the chamois.

 

i have 1 mr clean auto dry, one big chamois from sam's club, and 30 regular towels. i also picked up this car wash kit which came with a tire brush a car wash brush, and detailing accessories.

if you're new at wxing, i suggest you do it sometime on a nice night. You'll have plenty of time for the wax to set and you won't have to worry about it drying on you. you'll need one applicator pad, and several towels. I use 11 (one for each section of the car.)

 

I believe the micro fiber towels can be used to dry the car. Most people use it when they wax their car by hand to polish up the wax coats. As far as the numer of towels I use the absorber to dry off. I have another absorber to wipe my wheels down with (it's worn out so I just use it for wheels). When I wax it depends on what is needed. I would say if you are going to do a full wax job clay bar and all. I have a different towel for each stage of my waxing routine. I don't want the residue form the last stage. I mark each of my towels.

 

A waffle weave microfiber will dry your car best. Regular MF will work, too. It ought not cause swirls. Make sure you remove the tag if there is one.

I use a water blade for most of the water and finish with the waffle weave.

Stay away from a chamois. They can hold small amounts of grit and can actually scratch the surface as you dry. Some people also believe that a chamois will remove some wax when drying.

 

Is that Absorber towel bad? it feels like it kinda drags across the finish sometimes, also seems to be kinda dirty at times?

 

A lot of people like The Absorber. It's a synthetic chamois. I've never tried it so I can't say how it is. As with anything that touches the paint, it ought to be free of any kind of dirt. Best thing to do would be to rinse it before drying the car and again if/when it looks dirty.

 

That's a good point about the absorber. I have seen people using the pressure washer to clean the absorber to remove the dirt and when they finish spraying it it looks brand new. I just wonder if they are pushing fine particles deeper into the the absorber. I just use my absorber on the wheels now to clean them off. It does dry a car very fast though. I guess if it could be tested after power washing to see if it eliminates the grit then it would be great. I would suggest that if you use it to power wash it before and after you use it. The absorber doesn't make a claim that it won't scratch paint. I guess test would be in order.

 

after reading about the chamois. I got rid of them. I guess my new setup would be. 2sponges to soap up, 2 buckets. 5 mircofibers ( 1 each corner and 1 for the lower parts) 1 wiper blade for windows and 1 terry cloth for windows.

I feel happy with my cleaning set. Well maybe if i can find something better to apply soap with. instead of the sponges.

 

I use a good quality sheepskin mitt. Another option is a cotton chenille mitt. These 2 are the best for reducing the risk of scratches/swirls when washing the car. The 2 bucket method is the best idea, too.

 

i have a cotton mitt-like thing. not really a mitt, but more like a big pad that conforms to your hand really well. you just hold it. works very well and applies soap nicely.

 

use a good synthetic chamois and powerwash it before and after the use...alos, after washing and rinse your car, take a winter windshield wiper blade to take off the excess amount of water on your car...next, take the chmois to remove the rest...it'll be more quicker and it doesn't affect the finish...

 

The Absorber is not too bad but the thing I personally don't like about it is that it will microbead when drying which means that I would have to spend extra time following up with a waffle weave to get rid of the remaining moisture.

 

One thing you can get OTC is the Meguiar's Plush Chenille Mitt. I also recommend the ones by Viking. I have seen the Vikings at AutoZone.