Drying the car by driving it home when I am not waxing after that.. Advisable?

S

sheltem

New member
Sorry guys for so many questions. But just to check ... cause sometimes between waxes, I would like to wash my car as it is black and gets dirty VERY dirty easily.



but the drying process is the tedious one. I am using a chamios and it is still very long. If I leave the water on and just drive the car home at a "high" speed, will there be watermark left? or will it dry completely?



Because I am not waxing after drying I do not have to worry about dirt on my car as I will not be rubbing anything into the paint after I reach home.
 
Chances are pretty high that you'll end up with waterspots and/or left-over dirt from what the wash missed. Depending on the type of dirt/debris, it may or may not be ok.



Say for example you had some bird poop on the car and you washed it and then drove it home. As you're driving, the water will follow the path of the airflow - so, the water will work it's way across the car. Let's say that there's some bird poop debris left in a puddle of water on your hood...as you drive, the puddle "grows" as it streaks its way backwards across the car.



Eventually, the water will evaporate, leaving the heavier solids behind. So, effectively, you've "spread" the poop (or debris) over the car.



Now, granted, this is a bit "micro" in theory, but, I can't help it. :)



I'd suggest: wash as best you can (with mitt, preferably), drive home and dry carefully. I'd get a nice microfiber waffle-weave towel, or a high quality 100% cotton towel for drying. Leave the chamois for the lawn mower.



And, a little off topic, regarding your wetsanding post - just put a little wax over the abraded area so that it doesn't start to rust immediately. Should be ok for a few weeks.
 
I notice if I leave any water spots, then go driving, the water seams to collect dust and not only leave the minerals in the water, but dust spots as well.



Chamios really takes a long time, and way to much effort imo, especially since it doesn't absorb water nearly as well as a quality microfiber drying towel.



See if you can pick up a big blue drying towel. It will make drying so much easier and more fun.
 
geekysteve said:
...Leave the chamois for the lawn mower...
Click to expand...



LOL! :D



It's funny because it's true. I agree, I used to use a chamois, then moved to an absorber, and I have finally seen the light and use a MF to dry my car.
 
geekysteve said:
Chances are pretty high that you'll end up with waterspots and/or left-over dirt from what the wash missed. Depending on the type of dirt/debris, it may or may not be ok.



Say for example you had some bird poop on the car and you washed it and then drove it home. As you're driving, the water will follow the path of the airflow - so, the water will work it's way across the car. Let's say that there's some bird poop debris left in a puddle of water on your hood...as you drive, the puddle "grows" as it streaks its way backwards across the car.



Eventually, the water will evaporate, leaving the heavier solids behind. So, effectively, you've "spread" the poop (or debris) over the car.



Now, granted, this is a bit "micro" in theory, but, I can't help it. :)



I'd suggest: wash as best you can (with mitt, preferably), drive home and dry carefully. I'd get a nice microfiber waffle-weave towel, or a high quality 100% cotton towel for drying. Leave the chamois for the lawn mower.



And, a little off topic, regarding your wetsanding post - just put a little wax over the abraded area so that it doesn't start to rust immediately. Should be ok for a few weeks.
Click to expand...





Thx man for the wetsanding part :D I have already done that :D



Okie lets talk about drying ... the problem is that I stay in Singapore and a lot of products that are available to you guys are not to me :D

I have try buying towels.. but they DO NOT seem to suck up the water when I wipe across.. it seems to only spread the water around lolz..



and you know 1 big problem .. in Singapore its very hard to find a tap with a hose .. we only have those automated 20cents machine where water will come gushing out and I will have about 2 pails of water so I cannot slowly let the water trickle out and dry the car :(



anyone got tips to help :D Glad to learn from you guys. very helpful people in this forum.



:up :up
 
StyleTEG said:
I notice if I leave any water spots, then go driving, the water seams to collect dust and not only leave the minerals in the water, but dust spots as well.



Chamios really takes a long time, and way to much effort imo, especially since it doesn't absorb water nearly as well as a quality microfiber drying towel.



See if you can pick up a big blue drying towel. It will make drying so much easier and more fun.
Click to expand...



I saw that website b4 .. is the towel that good? :D I never had a chance to use it and now its not accepting orders... I wonder if they do international delivery and how much it will cost :(
 
IndigoGTI said:
LOL! :D



It's funny because it's true. I agree, I used to use a chamois, then moved to an absorber, and I have finally seen the light and use a MF to dry my car.
Click to expand...



What exactly is a Microfiber ... How would I know if a towel is one? it will be stated on the packaging... have not notice 1 b4 ... :D any brands like 3m or autoglym or Meguairs have it? Cause these are the 3 more "accessible" brands in my country :D
 
tradertt said:
and you know 1 big problem .. in Singapore its very hard to find a tap with a hose .. we only have those automated 20cents machine where water will come gushing out and I will have about 2 pails of water so I cannot slowly let the water trickle out and dry the car
Click to expand...



If you're comfortable with it, consider using the California Water Blade to get the majority of the water off and then a single towel will easily get the rest of the water off.



tradertt said:
What exactly is a Microfiber ... How would I know if a towel is one? it will be stated on the packaging... have not notice 1 b4 ... any brands like 3m or autoglym or Meguairs have it? Cause these are the 3 more "accessible" brands in my country
Click to expand...



It'll usually say Microfiber on the packaging. 3M & Meguiar's have MF towels, but I've only seen them available on their websites. Meguiar's calls them "Ultimate Wipes" and 3M calls them their "detailing cloths". Check with Ranney Pak (Autopia SN Pakshak) or Tom Gong (jtintern@hotmail.com) and see if they ship overseas. To find out more info on what Microfiber is, either go to www.pakshak.com or click this link below:



http://www.properautocare.com/micwhatbigde.html



tradertt said:
saw that website b4 .. is the towel that good? I never had a chance to use it and now its not accepting orders... I wonder if they do international delivery and how much it will cost
Click to expand...



It's an excellent towel. You certainly won't have that problem of the water simply being "moved around" when you use this towel. According to their latest newsletter, they got some more BBT's in stock. When was the last time you checked? Not sure if they ship overseas.
 
are they all the same? As in are the equally absorbent?



HOW DO I USE MICROFIBER CLEANING CLOTHS?



Simply wet the cloth with clean water and wring as dry as possible. If the cloth is too wet it will leave streaks. Wipe the cloth over any glass or plastic surface and walk away. Remaining swirl lines and water beads will disappear in seconds! Cleaning solutions are usually not required! Use a dry cloth for dusting, touch-ups or removing oily films. On especially difficult inside windshield films, try using your favorite glass cleaner and wiping the glass with a dry Microfiber cloth. Use a dry cloth to remove polish and wax residues, as a final wipe towel after detailing, or with any spray-and-wipe, quick detail spray.







I thought it was meant to be dry like Big Blue Towel and wipe off .. why does this have to be wet? :D
 
Use the wrung-damn MF method only when you need to clean something, like the windows. However, my personal preference is to use them dry or in the same manner I would a cotton towel. I think the point they are trying to get across is just how streak-free even a damp MF towel is. Whereas, a damp cotton towel will leave a substantial water-trail.



Use a DRY BBT to dry your car after washing (yes, it's Microfiber also).



Not all MF towels are equally absorbant. The BBT towel link you posted is in the form of a Waffle-weave texture and these towels hold the most amount of water. There are several other minor variations that will affect absorbancy, but as a group they are all much more absorbent than cotton.
 
Turtle Wax also sell a MF towel, but I have not used it. Also worth checking local shops. They seem to be sold in the kitchen sections.



Steven
 
tradertt said:
... the problem is that I stay in Singapore and a lot of products that are available to you guys are not to me :D
Click to expand...
tradertt, in the future it would REALLY help if you were to fill out the "Location" field in your member profile. Mine says "Vancouver, Canada". That way people can see it and suggest solutions with your location in mind. This saves you and the poster time and misunderstanding. :up



As said, drying your car by driving it is not a good idea. Instead, try:



-Buying some high quality, thick 100% cotton terry bath towels. Cheaper, thinner, and polyester-blended towels don't soak up water very well, but higher quality ones do. I say "high quality" because just because the label says "100% cotton" doesn't make it true (get made in the USA/Canada if you can).



-Read this thread, it is your best sure-thing bet The PERFECT Drying Technique :xyxthumbs
 
Looks nice .. read the thread but 1 small problem ... I have a VERY VERY hard time to find a hose ..Mostly we use only buckets of water ... any advice on that? :D
 
"Location: Singapore (Where we don't have a lot of brands that you guys are talking about) Help !! :D "
Click to expand...
LOL :rofl

tradertt said:
Looks nice .. read the thread but 1 small problem ... I have a VERY VERY hard time to find a hose ..Mostly we use only buckets of water ... any advice on that? :D
Click to expand...
:doh Doh, sorry! I don't know then... :( Maybe try a synthetic chamois? You know, the kind that looks like felt cloth and is usually called something funny like "Miracle Cloth" or "Wonder Wipe" or something? :p I still use one of those occasionally and it does soak up water better than a leather chamois in my opinion.



You could also try using a leaf blower. :) I'm serious! Some Autopians do this because its safe and fast... it just gets you wierd stares from the neighbors! :D
 
Lolz ... are leaf blowers very common at your side? :D here I think out of 100% population, I doubt if 1% has a leaf blower. Different in culture :D



Haiz... here we have to do everything the HARD way ... :(

Cloths are lousy, hard to find water, no hose, no leaf blower ....



and CARS ARE DAMN EXPENSIVE.
 
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