Are you completely drying your car?!?

joyriide1113

joyriide1113

There is no cure!
One of my biggest most challenging petpeeves when it comes to washing my car is drying the friggin' car.

It has gotten so bad that I take about 2 hours to fully finish a regular weekly clean up on the exterior of my car.

Sure when I clean my sisters, mothers, fathers, ect. cars on the weekends, it only takes me about an hour to fully finish, given that I did everything proper and used good techniques. But when its my own car, I go crazy blowing the water out of cracks, drying trunk and door jams, ect. I find that it reduces water runs drastically but not completely.

Are you guys being as anal as I am?

Do you just learn to live with the small runs of water or what?

Thanks,
Joy
 
Unfortinatly YES! it also takes me a good 3 hours to compleatly dry my car I use a air compressor with 90psi to blow the water out of all the tight areas.Lets not forget the wheels ! :bow
 
Oh yes. I hate applying tire dressing to a tire with a bit of water. Once the dressing dries it shows the streak. haha!

We're NUTS!
 
I find the easiest way to dry the car, is to use a californa blade if you want (i dont like it on my paint im a little anal) but i have a leef blower that i blow over the whole car like a giant hand dryer. I then use some cheaper mfs that i bought at canadain tire (they work really well i have yet to have a problem with them) then i used the air compresseor when i can borrow one and get the tight spots, from there i just use an adams WW MF, i find i can do it all in less then a half hour. I get as much water off b4 the WW (sometimes i use two) and have had no problems with my paint, no swirls and im left with a nice clean, dry car
and as to the run off normaly i will drive the car around the green if its nice enough, if not i keep a small mf in the glove box so when i see the run off i can quickly get it. Its an added 30 seconds but makes it look good
 
CalgaryDetail said:
I find the easiest way to dry the car, is to use a californa blade if you want (i dont like it on my paint im a little anal) but i have a leef blower that i blow over the whole car like a giant hand dryer. I then use some cheaper mfs that i bought at canadain tire (they work really well i have yet to have a problem with them) then i used the air compresseor when i can borrow one and get the tight spots, from there i just use an adams WW MF, i find i can do it all in less then a half hour. I get as much water off b4 the WW (sometimes i use two) and have had no problems with my paint, no swirls and im left with a nice clean, dry car
and as to the run off normaly i will drive the car around the green if its nice enough, if not i keep a small mf in the glove box so when i see the run off i can quickly get it. Its an added 30 seconds but makes it look good
Click to expand...

Its not the drying process with my Waffleweaves that make it soo long, but its the added measure caused by my ocd (lol) of getting all the water gone.

I can get the car dried with a waffle weave in 15 minutes. That includes a qd spray.
 
I do the same thing and it takes me at least two hours. I use my metro blaster to get most of the water off and concentrate on the windows, mirrors, seams, license plate door sills, weatherstrip, wheels, tires, wipers, door handles and all other H20 holding menaces!
Then I finish off with a soft WW and get the door edges, cargo door and under the hood. I hate drips!
I sort of miss the days when a thorough drying was driving really fast :rofl
Now I have added the foam gun and boars hair brush for seams and I am looking at a solid three hours until I get to the QD.
 
I also use my air compressor to blow out all the knooks and crannies along with the wheels. Lug nut areas etc.

Richard
 
I'm not as picky as some on this board. I don't go as far as blowing out cracks,drying under the hood, etc. everytime i wash it. I dry the car, dry the door jambs and i'm done. Whatever water drips from the mirrors or molding i'm not to worried about. Why spend all that time drying the car when in a few hours its gonna have some bugs on the front end,dust all over it, dirt in the wells.

Now on the friday afternoon wash for the weekend, i make sure i get most the water from the jambs,moldings and such. Basicaly make it as perfect as i can withou spending hours on it.
 
You guys think you have problems I have 99 Ford F350 crew cab dually. Alot of surface area and nooks and crannies. About 3.5 hrs start to finish on a regular wash.:bump
 
I start my drying process with a CWB. I'm very careful with it by going slow, keeping it clean, going over an area only once, and using it primarily for horizontal surfaces.

Then, I use the blower port of a dedicated shop vac to blow vertical surfaces and the hard to dry places. The shop vac is not as good as a leaf blower but it is quieter and since I like to start my washing early on weekend mornings, quiet is important to maintain harmony with the wife and neighbors.

Then, I use one of the many fine absorbing towels, etc to over missed spots.

Then, I use the shop vac to go around the crevices again.

Then, I again use one of the many fine absorbing towels to fine missed spots.

Then, I continue those two last steps over and over again until I'm exhausted.


Edited to add:

Actually I start the drying process with a sheeting rinse.
 
joyriide1113 said:
It has gotten so bad that I take about 2 hours to fully finish a regular weekly clean up on the exterior of my car.


Are you guys being as anal as I am?
Click to expand...


Yes I am anal with this and it takes me 2.5 to 3 hours to do a full wash and dry of the car. The exterior isn't that much of a problem when I sheet the water and then use a water blade on the glass and a waffle weave on the paint. It's the little nooks and tight spaces that take the time. I also use compressed air to blow them out. I dry everything under the hood and give it a wipe down while I am in there. I do the door and trunk jambs, wheel lug nuts , etc.
 
Anthony A said:
Yes I am anal with this and it takes me 2.5 to 3 hours to do a full wash and dry of the car. The exterior isn't that much of a problem when I sheet the water and then use a water blade on the glass and a waffle weave on the paint. It's the little nooks and tight spaces that take the time. I also use compressed air to blow them out. I dry everything under the hood and give it a wipe down while I am in there. I do the door and trunk jambs, wheel lug nuts , etc.
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Yep me to I think it is easier to maintain the truck and cars by doing all these steps each time.

Richard
 
Takes me about an hour...if I'm going somewhere shortly after, I'll just bring a towel and some QD and wipe off the water that comes out of the cracks. Usually I wash at night, so the car just sits in the garage and the water doesn't really run out.
 
Well, as usual, I'm different. :D
I usually use a qd as I wipe off the remaining water after sheeting what I can (Including drying door jambs etc.), then go for a quick drive (few blocks) and then use S+W+G to wipe off any water trails that formed. I'd say I'm done drying in under half an hour, drive included.
Of course, I live a couple blocks from both a cement company and a grain elevator, so I don't expect a pristine clean for very long. :(
 
joyriide1113 said:
One of my biggest most challenging petpeeves when it comes to washing my car is drying the friggin' car.

It has gotten so bad that I take about 2 hours to fully finish a regular weekly clean up on the exterior of my car.

Sure when I clean my sisters, mothers, fathers, etc. cars on the weekends, it only takes me about an hour to fully finish, given that I did everything proper and used good techniques. But when its my own car, I go crazy blowing the water out of cracks, drying trunk and door jams, etc. I find that it reduces water runs drastically but not completely.

Are you guys being as anal as I am?

Do you just learn to live with the small runs of water or what?

Thanks,
Joy
Click to expand...


I haven't read this whole thread but after the wash and first pass with the MF towel....I move it into the garage and use a leaf blower to blow out the water from cracks and unders elbems, etc....this seems to take about 90 to 95% of the water...Some areas like under my lience plate never really dry, but this method really helps allot
 
Geez that's long

I do my large sedan with one pakshak ww towel and use an air compressor to blow the water out of side mirrors and tail lights
I use an ultra soft WW to do the door jambs, underside of hood and trunk
All in under 30 minutes with absolutely no water drips

my latest thing is using 1Z raindance and acrylic jett (mixed together) on each panel before I start drying
This gets drying and QD'ing done in one step, cuts drying time and enhances gloss a tad

You will find that if you use just the right amount of pressure with the no nozzle rinse that you will reduce the remaining water even more
If you can hear the body make noise from the water touching it then it's too much pressure and will leave more water on the car

Also the slicker the paint is the quicker the water will sheet off
 
Mirrors seem to be my downfall.

Seems like no matter how much I blow them out I always manage to get a drip. Usually about two hours later.
 
On my Murano I have the same problem I move the mirror in and out while hitting it with the leaf blower then hit the inside the best that I can this seems to work for me.
 
TrueDetailer said:
I'm not as picky as some on this board. I don't go as far as blowing out cracks,drying under the hood, etc. everytime i wash it. I dry the car, dry the door jambs and i'm done. Whatever water drips from the mirrors or molding i'm not to worried about.
Click to expand...

Yea im about the same
 
Matt@Autogeek said:
if I'm going somewhere shortly after, I'll just bring a towel and some QD and wipe off the water that comes out of the cracks. Usually I wash at night, so the car just sits in the garage and the water doesn't really run out.
Click to expand...


Oh man I thought I was the only one that did that hahahah
 
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