Micro Scratch/Swirl Avoidable?

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Elka

New member
Are micro scratches and swirls that happen during washing and waxing a fact of life? I feel like whatever I do or use they are unavoidable, especially on a dark color car. I can only see them under bright sun light, but I am still curious, whether I can avoid them.

Any thoughts?
 
Technique is something that will mitigate swirls as will proper lubricity of the carwash on the paint and quality wash mitts. But it has been my experience that any time that you touch the paint you are subject to adding swirls and marring. Minimizing those marrs and swirls is the goal that I strive for.
 
Washing and drying will cause swirls. But like CW said, proper technique will lessen those swirls dramatically. Swirls and scratches aren't only caused by washing though. The elements you encounter while driving will have no regard for your freshly cleaned and polished finish. Sand, rocks, hail, leaves, twigs and trash on the road are unavoidable at times and will swirl and scratch it up pretty quickly.
 
audiboy said:
Washing and drying will cause swirls. But like CW said, proper technique will lessen those swirls dramatically. Swirls and scratches aren't only caused by washing though. The elements you encounter while driving will have no regard for your freshly cleaned and polished finish. Sand, rocks, hail, leaves, twigs and trash on the road are unavoidable at times and will swirl and scratch it up pretty quickly.
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Chiming in with Audiboy and cwcad here: Elka - driving your car out of the garage will cause swirls. I know what I am talking about, because over here in New Mexico the cars get sandblasted and sunbaked. I have given up on perfect on my daily driver and I am going for "as good as possible" as cwcad says.
BUT Elka has a point when talking about avoidability too guys: shouldn't several layers of product (sealer and wax) at least offer some protection against the finest microswirls?
 
I agree with the responses already given. The most realistic thing you can do on a daily driver is try and get a technique going that will minmize the marring as much as possible. There's just too many things that can happen to keep one 100% marr free all the time when you drive it.
 
Elka said:
Are micro scratches and swirls that happen during washing and waxing a fact of life? I feel like whatever I do or use they are unavoidable, especially on a dark color car. I can only see them under bright sun light, but I am still curious, whether I can avoid them.

Any thoughts?
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You have some great advice giving so far, but I would like to understand what you are currently using to wash and dry your ride?

The towels and mitt that you use will make all the difference in the end
 
Thank you for all your ideas and posts.

Well... I have been taking my car to a good hand-wash place, where they use good mitts and good products. I will be starting to wash it myself soon. I bought washing materials, suggested here. My feeling is most scratches happen when I do QD after washes (that is my feeling, not a fact). I use MF and the BMW quick wax product. By the way the scratches are literally impossible to see unless the car is under bright sun light, so I guess I will have get used to them.
 
Elka said:
Thank you for all your ideas and posts.

Well... I have been taking my car to a good hand-wash place, where they use good mitts and good products. I will be starting to wash it myself soon. I bought washing materials, suggested here. My feeling is most scratches happen when I do QD after washes (that is my feeling, not a fact). I use MF and the BMW quick wax product. By the way the scratches are literally impossible to see unless the car is under bright sun light, so I guess I will have get used to them.
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Elka

I have a jet black BMW and yes its close to impossible to get around the micro marring....I use all the best washing stuffing on the market as well as techniques...I will say that I have reduced them to very little..but compared to other cars of the same year I look brand new!!!!

Just as a foot note...I would look using a glaze between polish and wax stages...most of them have fillers and can hide /mask the tiny little swirls...I know that's cheating..but with a jet black car you have to use everything in your arsenal to achieve the best results
 
I'd second the glaze. My vehicle is 3 years old now and is black. It gets driven very often and sees a lot of miles. The last full detail that I did, I used a glaze and I really like the effect that it produced. I was able to remove the majority of swirls/scratches through polishing and the glaze took care of the rest with the fillers.
 
audiboy said:
I'd second the glaze. My vehicle is 3 years old now and is black. It gets driven very often and sees a lot of miles. The last full detail that I did, I used a glaze and I really like the effect that it produced. I was able to remove the majority of swirls/scratches through polishing and the glaze took care of the rest with the fillers.
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Thanks I'm using the FK1 pink hand glaze currently works good for me
 
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