Whenever I go to an automatic car wash, the mirror housings always collect a ton of water that I can never seem to completely get rid of when drying off the car. So when I drive off, the soap/water that is left inside the mirrors always gets blown out and leaves streaks down the side of my freshly cleaned car. I've tried sticking paper towels in behind the mirrors to try to absorb the water, but I can never get all of it.

Does anyone have a good solution or tip for this?

 

After the wash I coast over to the vacuum station and throw in a couple of quarters, do the inside of the car and trunk and by time I'm done I run the vacuum around the mirrors and get any remaining water out.

 

I CANNOT STAND THIS! I thought I was the only **** person about this, I keep a quick detailer bottle in the trunk with a micro fiber towel solely for this reason alone. I drive a ways and where ever my first stop is I'm in the parking lot giving it the once over. If I go to the full service places I go and ask the guys to take the compressed air and blast out the mirrors.

 

Happens to me all the time! And hate it!!
The vacuum trick sounds like it may work

 

Drive around the corner and clean it up, or take an electric leaf blower and air it out. Either way, you'll need to have a quick detailer to wipe up the remaining water as some spots of the car are inaccessible by hand.

 

When I was a detailer at a dealership many years ago we would use compressed air from the shop compressor to blow dry the car prior to drying it off completely. A cheap DIY method is to purchase an ELECTRIC powered leaf blower from your local Home Depot to blow the water from those problematic areas. Be sure to only use an electric or battery powered blower as the gas unit will blow gas exhaust fumes all over your freshly cleaned car.

 

Think smaller, portable. A can of compressed air. Even comes with that tiny straw for tough to reach spots.

 

Same here.

 

Happens to me all the time vacuum trick works well, but I also keep a microfiber in the trunk

 

This is what i do in winter months. During the summer I wash on my own in the driveway.

 

Thanks for the tips! Seems like keeping a can of compressed air handy would be a pretty good idea.