Water Sheeting Drying Technique

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ButtzWRX

New member
I had been using the CWB to dry my car, but decided to try the water sheeting method as an alternative as it is 100% less likely to swirl or scratch.



I failed miserably and I have no clue where I went wrong. I thoroughly washed the car and the lightly went over it with a soft spray to get all of the soap off. Then I took the nozzle off and started at the top with a flow of water. The water sheeted real nicely and I had a waterfall coming off of my car. I thought that was pretty cool, but no matter how hard I tried, I still had water on the car?!?!?!



And I don't mean just a few spots, it was enough that after towel drying with my MF, it was soaked after just the top of the car.



Canb somebody steer me to the proper technique for this or is it just practice?



Thanks,

Matt
 
Well, did you get off more water than if you didn't use this technique ? The first time I tried it, I didn't have such great results. After some practice you kinda learn the curves of your car and the angles.

Also, what do you have on your car ? When my Zaino is fresh, the dry with water technique works great for me. When the Zaino is a little weaker, it gets a little streaky.
 
I've got S100 over Z2 over Klasse. And it was probably an improvement over not using that technique, but was nowhere near the 90% dry I have heard people mention here.
 
Yea I've never seen that great results from this either. I am now a big fan of wash -> blow some of the water off and out of the cracks with the compressor -> Waffle Weave dry.
 
ButtzWRX said:
I had been using the CWB to dry my car, but decided to try the water sheeting method as an alternative as it is 100% less likely to swirl or scratch.



I failed miserably and I have no clue where I went wrong. I thoroughly washed the car and the lightly went over it with a soft spray to get all of the soap off. Then I took the nozzle off and started at the top with a flow of water. The water sheeted real nicely and I had a waterfall coming off of my car. I thought that was pretty cool, but no matter how hard I tried, I still had water on the car?!?!?!



And I don't mean just a few spots, it was enough that after towel drying with my MF, it was soaked after just the top of the car.



Canb somebody steer me to the proper technique for this or is it just practice?



Thanks,

Matt
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I am having a good success with this technique. You start from the top as you said but you follow the water with the hose. This will give some good speed to the water and it will slip from the roof and hood. Just don't move the hose to fast.



It works on my car.



:xyxthumbs



SK2003TypeS said:
The first time I tried it, I didn't have such great results. After some practice you kinda learn the curves of your car and the angles.
Click to expand...



This is very true. You will learn how to direct the water. Then I folow with my leaf blower for mirrors and cracks and dry spots with MF.

:xyxthumbs
 
Ok, I was trying to follow the stream, but perhaps I was going too fast. I am not giving up yet, but I was rather discouraged.



Thanks for the help.
 
The speed of moving the hose and the amount of water that flows are factors. As far as 90%, I don't get that. Maybe 70% ?? For me, it's better than not using the technique. Speeds up my process a little.

I don't use a leaf blower or compressed air (I have both). I'm able to get by with WW and MF towels.
 
ButtzWRX, I've been really happy with the water-sheeting method. But I do it on a car that's pretty slick with Zaino. What's on your paint?? Maybe it's just not slick enough to work with this method??



It does take me some time to do the water-sheeting method, and as others have noted, you gotta get to know your car's curves and angles. I have to work pretty slowly, sorta "chasing" the water off the car. Sometimes I find that a panel still has lots of water, so I reapply the technique.



Also, you mention drying with MFs. I follow the water-sheeting with a waffleweave from MF Tech. It's one THIRSTY towel! :bow
 
I have used the sheeting for years with good luck. You need to have a good coat of wax on the car so the water beads and the water volume and angle of the hose both make a difference.



One thing I do also is I take a dampened Absorber and hold it by the 2 long side corners and just drag it over the flat panels of the car as I walk around. This pulls of the majority of the remaining large water beads.



I then can dry the total body work ( Windows/hood/roof/trunk/doord/fenders ) with one small MF towel that I bought from Meguiars. I use a seperate towel for the grill and lower valances.



Total drying time including door/trunk edges and wheels is less than 15 min.



I tried the compressed air and it took more time to drag the hose out and put away than I saved.. The leaf blower.. well I just found unless the area around the car was well wetted down I risked blowing stuff up onthe car. May werk great in super clean country.
 
Jesstzn said:
leaf blower.. well I just found unless the area around the car was well wetted down I risked blowing stuff up onthe car. May werk great in super clean country.
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You gotta blow off the area you're going to be using to wash first, that way nothing can blow up onto the car.
 
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