Best way to dry a Black/Dark car?

[Rogan01]

Is "the Absorver" OK to use for drying a black car? Will it leave swirls?

What would be the best way/product to dry a black car?

[prbrianpr]

Re: Best way to dry a Black/Dark car?

My car is white but I use the waffle weave drying towel because the absorver and the other chamois are very flat so when drying if tiny "rocks" or dirt not are removed then when the chamois caught it, it will be riding along your paint and making swirls. the waffle weave can caught it and hide this particles inside it more easy than chamois. After all is made of micro fiber. Also fo a car after 3-4 uses of waffle weave or after washing the waffle weave it absorb a lot. I only dry all my car without taking the water out the waffle weave.

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Best way to dry a Black/Dark car?

The color of the car doesn't matter. Swirls and cobwebs appear on all paint colors, it's just easier to see them on darker colors because of the contrast between the base coat and clear coat when the light refracts off of it.

As for drying methods, use the least invasive method as possible. My own method is to "pat" dry the car using waffle weave microfiber drying towels. The idea is that patting the towel eliminates the friction resulting from dragging a towel across the painted surfaces. This follows a flood rinse which serves to remove most of the standing water from the surface of the paint.

For horizontal surfaces, I lay several towels across the surface and lightly pat or bat the towels with my open palms. For vertical surfaces, fold the towel into quarters. Gather up the open ends in your free hand and lightly bat the towel against the paint.

[Rogan01]

Re: Best way to dry a Black/Dark car?

Great answer and very detailed!

What kind of towel (type and/or brand name) is best for initial drying and minimizing swirls on a new but swirled black/dark car?

Thanks - Just got swirlx and colorx.

The color of the car doesn't matter. Swirls and cobwebs appear on all paint colors, it's just easier to see them on darker colors because of the contrast between the base coat and clear coat when the light refracts off of it.

As for drying methods, use the least invasive method as possible. My own method is to "pat" dry the car using waffle weave microfiber drying towels. The idea is that patting the towel eliminates the friction resulting from dragging a towel across the painted surfaces. This follows a flood rinse which serves to remove most of the standing water from the surface of the paint.

For horizontal surfaces, I lay several towels across the surface and lightly pat or bat the towels with my open palms. For vertical surfaces, fold the towel into quarters. Gather up the open ends in your free hand and lightly bat the towel against the paint.

[neuralfraud]

Re: Best way to dry a Black/Dark car?

Rogan,

as said, a waffle-weave microfiber towel is your best choice for two reasons, simple - easy to find, safe - very gentle and will prevent particles from simply being dragged against the surface. If you want a specific towel, I personally use the Meguiar's "Water Magnet". This is a fine quality waffle-weave type microfiber cloth that absorbs very well.

I personally own a black Pontiac G8 and that is what I use to dry it. As long as you wash properly, you shouldn't need to worry about particles.

The best way to dry a car is to simply rinse the car with low pressure water directly from a hose (no nozzle) to promote sheeting which will remove 95% of the water, then you could gently pat the remaining water to absorb it. After that is done, unless you need to clay the car immediately afterwards, you can use a quick detailer to remove any water residue/spotting and leave a high gloss shine!

Hope that helps.

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Best way to dry a Black/Dark car?

Great answer and very detailed!

What kind of towel (type and/or brand name) is best for initial drying and minimizing swirls on a new but swirled black/dark car?

Thanks - Just got swirlx and colorx.

I use Meguiars water magnets as described and linked in the above post by neuralfraud.

Also, do yourself a favor and watch this video by Mike Phillips. How to Wash Your Car Show Car Style. If I remember correctly, this video is where I first learned of the pat drying method.

[Rogan01]

Re: Best way to dry a Black/Dark car?

Thank you. I will look for that product!

Is The Absorber harsh on the finish or OK?

[fredcandetail]

Re: Best way to dry a Black/Dark car?

Personally I dont like the Megs WW for drying my personal vehicle... My finish is always near perfect and with the soap I use it is Sooooo slick that a good cobra mf 75/25 is all I need. Tried the pay down method but it's a little time consuming for me.
If you wash your vehicle and remove all the dirt and rinse and flood followed with a spritz if QD or UQW it will make drying so much easier. Not sure what it is about the these additives but my mf holds and wipes water away much better. Not saying cobra mf pick it up in one pass but I do get about 90% and then a quick wring of the towel and it's all nice and clear as the additive finishes streak free
Just my two cents

[akimel]

Re: Best way to dry a Black/Dark car?

I often use the Absorber, but I do not rub it on the paint; I blot the water.

[TLMitchell]

Re: Best way to dry a Black/Dark car?

Is The Absorber harsh on the finish or OK?

I keep an Absorber around for large areas of non-painted surfaces like tonneau covers. I quit using them when I discovered WW MFs. I never did find them to remove the last traces of moisture and found they picked up and retained any slight grit that may have been missed.

The "best" way of drying, IMO, is the one that gives the least chance of swirling or marring... which means the less touching you do the less chance you have of incurring any marks. I have a detachable blower on my Shop Vac and use it to blow the water off after rinsing. I used to flood-rinse but when blowing the water off it skeedaddles across a finish with decent LSP on it better when it beads. A blower also allows you to blow out the door jambs and other nooks and crannies. Nothing worse than driving down the road in a recently washed black vehicle with dribbles running down the side from mirrors and trim leaving watermarks.

I finish off any residue with a WW in each hand... one high quality and one utility WW for rockers, fender lips, jambs and places where some stray grunge might be lurking. The WWs never get wet enough to ring out since the blower takes care of the bulk of the water.

On darker vehicles I often finish-wipe using a QD or UQW for a better, more polished result.

TL

[Marc (NJ)]

Re: Best way to dry a Black/Dark car?

the "best" way of drying, imo, is the one that gives the least chance of swirling or marring... Which means the less touching you do the less chance you have of incurring any marks. I have a detachable blower on my shop vac and use it to blow the water off after rinsing. I used to flood-rinse but when blowing the water off it skeedaddles across a finish with decent lsp on it better when it beads. A blower also allows you to blow out the door jambs and other nooks and crannies. Nothing worse than driving down the road in a recently washed black vehicle with dribbles running down the side from mirrors and trim leaving watermarks.tl

+1

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Best way to dry a Black/Dark car?

I use Meguiars water magnets as described and linked in the above post by neuralfraud.

Also, do yourself a favor and watch this video by Mike Phillips. How to Wash Your Car Show Car Style. If I remember correctly, this video is where I first learned of the pat drying method.

Yep, had it right. About 20 minutes into the video, Mike demonstrates the blot (pat) drying method.

As others have already mentioned, the best way to dry the car is to remove all standing or residual water from the painted surfaces. This includes flood rinsing (which sounds contradictory but actually works) followed by air blowing with a shop vac or leaf blower, or some other compressed air source, finished up by towel drying.

I have several Megs water magnets that I have used for over two years with very good results. I use two larger marine water magnets blue in color) to blot dry the roof, hood, and trunk, and several gold stander sized water magnets to dry the vertical surfaces. I also use a few cheaper, generic brand water magnets to dry the door jambs, gas door, trunk and hood linings, and underneath the bumpers and rocker panels.

The last part of my drying process is to use small pieces of sham wow to dry those little nooks and crevices that hold residual water and create a spray pattern on your doors the first time you drive your car following a wash. See my thread: Eliminating post-wash water streaking from mirrors and door handles

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Best way to dry a Black/Dark car?

And who better to demonstrate than the site pros? Check this out and it should answer any remaining questions you might have.

Meguiar's Quik Tips Video Series - Washing

After viewing the video clip you can scroll down for a step by step refresher, complete with still images shot during the filming of the video.




Please keep in mind that this video, and the others in the series, are not designed to be definitive how to guides but rather, as the name implies, Quik Tips that address the most common questions and mistakes associated with each topic.



Washing is a vital step in keeping your car looking it's best. Unfortunately, when using the wrong product or technique you can easily remove your wax protection or possibly create swirls. So when washing your car, never use household detergents as they can strip wax protection and promote oxidation ...always use a premium carwash like Meguiar's Ultimate Wash & Wax, Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner, NXT Generation Car Wash, or Deep Crystal Car Wash. Before washing, make sure your car is in the shade and the surface is cool to the touch.

Begin by mixing your wash solution in a clean bucket using the proper dilution, then fill a 2nd clean bucket with plain water.


Before washing, rinse the entire vehicle to remove any loose debris.


Using our Microfiber Wash Mitt, begin washing and rinsing one section at a time, working from the top down.


When your mitt becomes dirty, simply rinse it out in the bucket of plain water before retrieving fresh suds.




Once you've washed and rinsed the entire car...it's time for a final rinse using a flow of water rather than a spray. This is done by removing the nozzle and letting the water flow across all surfaces which will allow the water to run off and leaving you less water to dry. This is what a traditional final rinse leaves - plenty of water beading on the surface means a lot of water to dry off.


After taking the nozzle off the hose and simply flowing water over the surface the majority of beads are sheeted away and there is less water to dry.


Dry any remaining water using Meguiar's Water Magnet waffle weave microfiber drying towel...and don't forget the door jambs!




Remember….washing weekly using the right products and technique will ensure your car is free of contaminants and looks it best...all the time!