Should I or shouldn`t I? QD after a quick drive?

S

Striker

Active member
I`ve always been stuck with this and it`s like a personal first world problem.

I`ve got a couple black cars, both are nice day cars only, weekend cruisers types.

Both have sealants on them.

I washed the mustang the day before- took it for a spin that totalled perhaps 15 kilometres give or take and it went right into the garage.

I just bought my favourite off the shelf QD (Megs UQD) and I`m debating on going home tonight and giving it a wipe down with it.

Thoughts?


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Striker- If I did that after any 15K drive (thinking..."beautiful, clear day with zero dust anywhere"), I`d mar it up so badly I`d probably have to do a complete Full-Correction Detail before I drove it again. No matter how carefully/gently I tried to do it, and I`d need well over an hour to take the requisite care, I`d cause visible damage (no matter what the color or how hard the paint).

Around the block to knock surface-rust off the rotors, or even down the street to the gas station...something like that I might do a spot-QDing to remove any waterspots. But anything more than that is a recipe for marring IME.

But then, look how many people do Rinseless Washes without any apparent problems...YMMV and all that, and different people have different thresholds for what they can live with, or even notice.
 
i usually do a rinsless wash.
I have a premixed rinsless wash 2 gallon bucket.
I spray and clean/dry each panel with a new MF towel side (fold ins 4`s)
do the tires/wheels.
if needed i do a quick interior touch up.


FYI:
I use De-ionized water so no water spots (usually)
I sometimes use a blower to dry the car (I am a big proponent of less touching the car is more)

Regards
 
I wouldn`t use a QD after a drive. It doesn`t make sense to detail the car unless you thought that something has already settled on the paint during the drive, and if it did, there is a good possibility that you`ll introduce some paint marring during the QD.

I would wait until there is visible contamination, and then wash the car.
 
I`m a water only type of guy, QD is for dust accumulation in the garage, not road grime & debris. You always want a lubdricant to lift + float the abrasive off the surface. To me it`s like going down a water slide with no water...
 
The Driver- Heh heh, there`s a whole `nother topic that`s consumed my resources! Living in a woods (think "Deep Woods Off") with a, uhm..."comes-and-goes water feature" (AKA Our Own Private Swamp), I could sure give *him* a challenge! Accumulatorette jokes that she doesn`t have to worry about `em as long as I`m around as they sure go for ME :(
 
Don`t do it... Only touch the paint if you can wash it the right way. QD`ing is BS on a car with any type of dirt on it.

Basically, if you aren`t using water to rinse off the majority of dirt off your paint before you touch it - you are scratching it..
 
I agree with the comments already placed in this thread. I don`t believe using a detailing mist/spray frequently is in the best interests of your paint. That said, if you`re going to a car show a product like Spray & Wipe might just be the ticket. Ask our local Car Show guys (Ron, Brandt) what they use.
 
Do you look at your paint with special lighting looking for swirls, if so, don`t do it.

For me it depends. On a car I plan to keep forever, no. On a car I`m using as a daily driver sure. I really let my guard down on my wife`s TSX. It was a 3 year lease and I did unspeakable things to it. Dirty wash water, crappy rags, waterless washes and lots of after rain QDs. Even with the soft Honda paint, it looked great after three years and no garage and no polishing. Did it have light marring, you bet it did.
 
Different people, even different Autopians, have different standards as to what`s acceptable. Gotta do what`s right for *YOU*.
 
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