[bassplayrr]

California Dusters are real bad for paint.

As a blanket statement I disagree. It dependings on the use. While dragging something across your paint isn't always the best idea, I've found the use of a California Duster, lightly, on a regularly waxed car causes absolutely no damage or swirling. Of course, the car must only be dusty and not dirty, but it works. Also the greener/yellower the dust the more pollen that makes up said dust which is more abrasive. I definitely wouldn't recommend the CD on a car covered in large amounts of pollen.

 

[VTEC Mini]

As a blanket statement I disagree. It dependings on the use. While dragging something across your paint isn't always the best idea, I've found the use of a California Duster, lightly, on a regularly waxed car causes absolutely no damage or swirling. Of course, the car must only be dusty and not dirty, but it works. Also the greener/yellower the dust the more pollen that makes up said dust which is more abrasive. I definitely wouldn't recommend the CD on a car covered in large amounts of pollen.

Thats all fine and good. I however, it being a show car, kept my '04 MINI polished waxed and detailed and the longest it went with out a bath was two weeks. I used to use the CD on it between washes and I found after getting the paint pristine after using the CD a couple of times the swirl marks came back and the more I used it the greater the swirl marks. I contacted Adams and they told me to use there super plush Micro fiber towels with some Detail Spray. Not only would it "snap back" the shine but I never had a swirl mark ever. The CD went straight into the can. Besides, why would you want to take the chance of scratching the paint? Do you always know what is in the dust?

The best way to look for paint damage is fluorescent lighting either a hand held wand or the ones they use in parking lots at night. They can tell you a different story than you see in the sun.

 

[bassplayrr]

Obviously wiping down the vehicle with a detailing spray is even better, and of course someone at Adams is going to push their own product, but that doesn't mean the CD is without its place. I'm not always able to take the time to wipe my car down with a spray. In those instances, and between wipe-downs/details, the CD is perfect and leaves no visible swirling/scratches.

 

[VTEC Mini]

Obviously wiping down the vehicle with a detailing spray is even better, and of course someone at Adams is going to push their own product, but that doesn't mean the CD is without its place. I'm not always able to take the time to wipe my car down with a spray. In those instances, and between wipe-downs/details, the CD is perfect and leaves no visible swirling/scratches.

I have used real life experience in both- Spray and wipe doesn't take that much longer- maybe two minutes at the most, does a better job, no sweep marks, no scratches or swirls and restores shine.

To each his own But I will never let a CD touch any of my cars.

 

[bassplayrr]

I have used real life experience in both- Spray and wipe doesn't take that much longer- maybe two minutes at the most, does a better job, no sweep marks, no scratches or swirls and restores shine.

To each his own But I will never let a CD touch any of my cars.

With how much my co-workers already tease me for the quick dusting of my car when leaving the office, I don't even want to know what they'd put me through for a 2 minute detail spray wipe-down. :blush:

 

[fireballer44]

I used to use a car duster and didn't have any trouble. However since then my duster has gotten dirty and all and it fell on the floor a couple times so it has become a toolbox / garage duster for the most part. Usually wash my car every other week. Used to be weekly but at that time it spent 100% of the time outside now its in the garage whenever I'm home.

I will say the #1 thing I've learned over the years of detailing cars is to keep your rags clean. That's really my #1 concern. If I drop it on the ground its in the bucket to be washed before it goes back on the car.

I noticed some very very light swirls on my car I think either the factory or the dealer did it. They are too big (radially) for something I would have done as I do 100% of my work by hand and I'm pretty confident it wasn't me. If they get any worse I'll have to spring for a porter cable..I've always avoided it afraid I'd mess up my paint. That and whenever I had a car I didn't care as much about I was always too broke at the time to buy one. I really need a guinea pig car.

 

[VTEC Mini]

With how much my co-workers already tease me for the quick dusting of my car when leaving the office, I don't even want to know what they'd put me through for a 2 minute detail spray wipe-down. :blush:

Just tell them the voices in your head are telling you it's not clean enough- works for me:iough:.:blink::spaz::spinning:.

 

[bizzybear]

:rotfl:

 

[VTEC Mini]

I used to use a car duster and didn't have any trouble. However since then my duster has gotten dirty and all and it fell on the floor a couple times so it has become a toolbox / garage duster for the most part. Usually wash my car every other week. Used to be weekly but at that time it spent 100% of the time outside now its in the garage whenever I'm home.

I will say the #1 thing I've learned over the years of detailing cars is to keep your rags clean. That's really my #1 concern. If I drop it on the ground its in the bucket to be washed before it goes back on the car.

I noticed some very very light swirls on my car I think either the factory or the dealer did it. They are too big (radially) for something I would have done as I do 100% of my work by hand and I'm pretty confident it wasn't me. If they get any worse I'll have to spring for a porter cable..I've always avoided it afraid I'd mess up my paint. That and whenever I had a car I didn't care as much about I was always too broke at the time to buy one. I really need a guinea pig car.

I know I keep talking about Adams but there porter cables are amazing and are idiot proof. During his Demo he took a porter cable pushed down so hard on the hood it was bowing the sheet metal and he held it in place with it turned on and then proceeded to move it while exerting this extra force as he polished the hood- there was no burning or damage to the paint. Of coarse you don't need that much force but he was trying to show with his products you really can't screw anything up unless of coarse you dipped your buffing pads in a sand box before use.

BMW was really bad about adding swirl marks which really surprised me. On the many times I had to take the MINI in for repair I would explicitly tell them not to wash it..... It didn't always work out that way:cursing:.

Just a helpful tip; When you wash your Micro fiber towels use liquid detergent not powder and do not use dryer sheets or any type of fabric softener in the dryer.

 

[bizzybear]

Just a helpful tip; When you wash your Micro fiber towels use liquid detergent not powder and do not use dryer sheets or any type of fabric softener in the dryer.

good tip but i'd like to add DO NOT DRY THEM IN A MACHINE!!! Just let them air dry... using a dryer does something to the fibers where eventually if done enough WILL add swirls to your car...

 

[VTEC Mini]

good tip but i'd like to add DO NOT DRY THEM IN A MACHINE!!! Just let them air dry... using a dryer does something to the fibers where eventually if done enough WILL add swirls to your car...

I found that can happen with Costco Micro fiber towels but I have not had any issue with Adams towels or other high end towels- like the $20 a towel type:scared::eek2:. But like I preach, "why take the chance....." I will not dry them in the dryer anymore- thanks Bizzy.

 

[bizzybear]

well MOST ppl will not buy expensive towels to use on their cars... and that's just my experience from working in several dealerships and knowing the detailers quite well... not to mention i'm helping a local guy get his high-end detail shop up and running...

 

[fireballer44]

I'm planning to upgrade a bunch of my towels anyway a lot of them are pretty old. I have a couple newer and more expensive ones I use on the body of the car...they've been in the dryer a couple times so I bet they are ok. I'll just start air drying the good ones. A lot of the older ones I never use on paint anyway and they were cheap to start with.

I will say you can really tell the difference between the better microfibers and the cheap ones. These people may not buy them, but still if you ask me the #1 thing I've learned since I've been detailing cars is the towels and applicators are the most important piece. I think that's why when I see an average car that you can tell someone tries to keep nice it's covered in swirls. I'd rather do everything I can to minimize that even if it means spending a little money once on nice towels. It will pay you back in the end when you are getting rid of the car and nice perfect car will bring a lot more money.

But thanks for the tip, no more microfibers in the dryer for me.

 

[CRaZee]

good tip but i'd like to add DO NOT DRY THEM IN A MACHINE!!! Just let them air dry... using a dryer does something to the fibers where eventually if done enough WILL add swirls to your car...

you mean.. DONT use heat in the dryer... or DONT use dryer at all. Since the microfibers are synthetic, I could see where heat would cause them to get hard.. but I wouldnt think that just a room temp spin would do anything (but hey.. I have been wrong before.. at least once.. ask my girlfriend.. she will tell ya!:angry

Comments?

 

[bizzybear]

lol... i'm sure room temp wouldn't hurt them... but i don't think they will help dry them any faster than just hanging them up on a fence or chair or something??

 

[CRaZee]

lol... i'm sure room temp wouldn't hurt them... but i don't think they will help dry them any faster than just hanging them up on a fence or chair or something??

Bizzy :hyper:... movement causes air flow... air flow causes evaporation... dries much faster for those of us in need of that emergency microfiber wipe....

 

[bizzybear]

at:

 

[fireballer44]

:yeahthat:

 

[VTEC Mini]

Bizzy :hyper:... movement causes air flow... air flow causes evaporation... dries much faster for those of us in need of that emergency microfiber wipe....

Plus it is a lot better than running around in your front yard waving it in the air like you just don't care and having your neighbors call the cops and the men in white suits showing up carrying a straight jacket:spaz:.

 

[bizzybear]

:lol: