ZeeQuick

iTrader: (2)

All the sites i see about detailing cars seem to say to dry it off with a cotton cloth. I have always used a shammy. This one kid i knew (who was an idiot anyway) used to use a windshield wiper. What is the best method?

Kevin V 2002 SS

I use an electric leaf blower to remove most of it and finish with a 100% cotton towel. I do have the California water blade and the Absorber for when I'm out of town and I still take a few cotton towels.

JonSS

iTrader: (2)

I hear excellent things about the California Blade...

But I use a leaf blower, and a cotton towel for touch ups. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

Jon
www.ignitionsyndicate.com/members

RICHS_Z28

i use the absorber and a 100% cotton cloth.
i feel like the karate kid when i wash my car.
WIPE ON WIPE OFF. my car is black so i do it like that. otherwise i have water streaks all over the car.....

MadIceV8

iTrader: (12)

Absorber!
Then touch ups with 100% cotton cloth.

zZAndrusZz

I don't guess anyone uses all natural chamois cloth anymore. That's what I use on my black Z, if I use the absorber I get streaks. I do have the water blade too, so I use the blade to get most off, and then chamois the rest. Chamois is a little more expensive, but I love it. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

DWS44 2K2HAWK

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by zZAndrusZz:
<strong>I don't guess anyone uses all natural chamois cloth anymore. That's what I use on my black Z, if I use the absorber I get streaks. I do have the water blade too, so I use the blade to get most off, and then chamois the rest. Chamois is a little more expensive, but I love it. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" /> </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I've always been told that using a chamois can easily cause alot of swirls/scratches since they pickup any kind of dirt left on the car and drag it across the finish. I sheet the water off by taking the nozzle off the hose (sheets off nicely thanks to Zaino) and use cotton diapers for what is left.

RedSS

Don't ya hate the water that leaks out on the back bumper no matter how much drying ya do!!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="gr_images/icons/mad.gif" />

Bionik

I agree, the rear bumper on the TA is a total bitch. The water just keeps draining from behind those taillights. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="gr_images/icons/mad.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="gr_images/icons/mad.gif" />

Joe "Preachers Sheets" DIESO

iTrader: (4)

Cotton - good but needs to be wrung out ALOT!

Microfibers - awesome material, holds 8 times it's weight in water and it is almost swirl proof.

Leaf blower - best way to aviod swirls yet the ground beneath you needs to be dirt free.

Cali water blade - good but once spec of dirt can cause a scratch that will give you nightmares. Just run your finger down the blade after every pass.

Air dry - this is a no no, leaves hard water spots that something require an abrasive polish to correct.

Take your pick, I have found microfibers to be best.

alexWS6

the water blade, then the absorber. works great.

has anyone noticed the cali. water blade's edges will leave ungodly white marks if its not used on flat surfaces , like the ram air hood for example?

Joe "Preachers Sheets" DIESO

iTrader: (4)

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by alexWS6:
<strong>the water blade, then the absorber. works great.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Your dead on, thats a killer combo. I would just add in a microfiber for the smaller areas. Like where the door meets the mirrors (argh, what a pain).

The only thing with that method is you are making so much contact with your car. Test for yourself, get your car swirl free and use your method for a month and notice how many swirls have appeared. Now get rid of all your swirls and just use soft clean microfibers for a month and notice how many swirls you did not create. I am sure the results will surprise you. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="gr_images/icons/cool.gif" />

TrickdoutWS6

GO For the ABSORBER thats all i use and it makes drying so much easier and quicker too

NataSS Inc

iTrader: (9)

I use an leaf blower and a 100% cotton towel. The blower takes time but it gets all of the water out of the cracks that normally seeps out later leaving streaks and its fun to use. The neighbors look at me a bit funny until they see how easy it is to swirl a black car. Last 2 times I have washed my car I have seen neighbors using thier blowers!

2002 Trans Am

California Wiper Blade and 100% fieldcrest made in the USA cotton towels.....Works pretty good.
I have a leaf blower, i'll try that next week.
Also anyone have more info on microfibers, I have no clue wht that is. A web site would help

Joe "Preachers Sheets" DIESO

iTrader: (4)

I used to have Feildcrest towels until I went to microfibers. Once you start using them you get pretty much hooked. Soaks up more water, wipes residue off with less swipes, spreads product more even. Going from cotton to microfiber will lessen your work time and make detailing alot more enjoyable.

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Microfiber is a revolutionary man made fiber that can be processed, woven and finished in a variety of different ways to achieve a specific result. Unprocessed (fibers not split) Microfiber, woven in a flat weave, has very poor water absorption characteristics. In fact, it is used to manufacture water resistant clothing. The same Microfiber thread, processed by splitting the individual threads and weaving in a loop or waffle pattern, is now super absorbent. It will absorb over seven times its weight in fluids!

Microfiber is a man-made product that combines two basic fibers, Polyester and Polyamide (a nylon by-product). These fibers are usually “split” and formed into a woven fabric of 80% Polyester (the scrubbing and cleaning fiber), and 20% Polyamide (the absorbing and quick drying fiber).

These threads are very small in diameter making them super soft. Rated in denier, the unit for measuring fineness of fabric, a strand of cotton has a rating of 200. A human hair has a denier of 20 and a strand of silk has a denier of 8. Microfiber has a denier of 0.01 to 0.02! At minimum, 100 times finer than a human hair. Softer than silk, yet bull-dog tough, split Microfiber cloth attracts dust, grime, oily films and salt residues like a magnet.

The unique surface structure of split Microfiber cloth contain hundreds of thousands of micro fiber “hooks” per square inch! These micro-hooks grab, lift, and hold dust and grime without the need for cleaning solutions. Microfiber cloth can be used damp or dry. Used dry, Microfiber cloth works like a chamois. The super absorbent weaves holds up to seven times its weight in fluid and will not scratch paint, glass, acrylics or plastic window tint films.

What's the difference between a $2.00 Microfiber towel and a $15 or $20 Microfiber towel?

With demand for Microfiber products increasing monthly, factories in Korea and China are now flooding the American market with very cheap "Microfiber" products. There is a huge difference between inexpensive and quality Microfiber:

1. The strands are not split. 70 to 75% of inexpensive Microfiber now coming out of Korea and China is unprocessed, non-split Microfiber. Unless you want a water-resistant material, unprocessed, non-split Microfiber is worthless! Many of you have seen packages showing a drawing of a snowflake-looking fiber with wedges around the perimeter scooping up dust particles. While this looks great it is a picture of non-split, unprocessed Microfiber! Processed, split Microfiber looks like a tangle of spaghetti ends. The reason for the abundance of this fabric is simple. Machines that produce the raw Microfiber thread can be purchased for under $100.000. The machines that do the splitting and processing of the thread into the Microfiber "hooks" cost over $1,000,000. Only the largest fabric producers in Korea can afford these machines and according to industry insiders, few of these machines exist in China.

2. The Microfiber threads are larger. The industry standard for Microfiber is a denier of 0.02 or smaller. We have found some "Microfiber" cloths coming out of China with a denier of 0.5. This is fine but 50 times larger than the best Microfiber thread. Chinese and inexpensive Korean Microfiber products have very poor absorption and scrubbing qualities.

There are also differences between quality, processed and split Microfiber products:

1. The ratio of the blend. While 80% Polyester and 20% Polyamide is typical, a 70/30 blend that contains more Polyamide fibers can be more expensive.

2. The density of the fibers per square inch. At 221,000 fibers per square inch, our Magic Towel contains the maximum density commercially available with today’s technology. This density translates into greater cleaning power. A cloth with 50,000 fibers per square inch can cost less but will not clean as well.

3. The thickness or “plushness” of the towel. The thicker the towel the more it will grab, lift and hold grime and residues.

4. The finish on the cloth. Depending on the specific task the cloth is designed to perform, the fiber ends can be tightly “hooked” (better for grabbing and holding grime and residues), feathered (best for general glass cleaning), or finely polished, like suede (best for cleaning eye glasses and optical glass). Newer weaves include a waffle weave, cross hatch and zigzag weave which are relatively obscure.

5. Quality of construction. Like anything else, it costs more to make a quality Microfiber cloth. The largest Microfiber producers do the final splitting and finishing in clean-room-like environments. These are the finest, lint-free towels.

Why do some Microfiber towels leave a trail of fine, lint-like fibers?

The best Microfiber towels are split to produce millions and millions of tiny fiber "hooks" on the surface of the towel. If the weave is too broad or the pile is too high, some of these fibers break off when the towel is used. This can be excessive if the manufacturer is trying to produce an inexpensive, split towel and is using a wide weave to reduce the amount of Microfiber in the towel. Unfortunately it is a common practice among mills to try and increase their profits by skimping on the amount of Microfiber used in the weave. We have rejected thousands and thousands of towels when we find our towels have an excessive lint problem. Our suppliers now know that we are very picky so they rarely try to get something past us.

In some cases, like our Viper Detailing Cloths, the weave and pile that works best for polishing and buffing has a tendency to shed some fibers. We keep this to a minimum by increasing the density of the weave which adds to the cost of the towel. The few fibers that come off are not a problem when the towel is used for general detailing and we do not recommend these towels be used to clean glass.

Ironically, the least expensive, un-split Microfiber towels do not leave a fiber trail because the fibers are not split! Just because a towel is lint free does not mean it is a quality towel!

Lastly, some lint can be picked up in the manufacturing process because the air at the factory is saturated with fine Microfiber particles. This can be completely eliminated by doing the splitting and finishing in a special clean room but this also adds to the cost of the finished product.

HOW DO I CHOOSE THE MICROFIBER CLOTH BEST FOR ME?

We have evaluated dozens and dozens of Microfiber cloths and selected three that fill specific detailing requirements:

The Microfiber Magic Towel. This is the highest quality, plushest, Microfiber towel we could find. It is a 70% blend of Polyester and a 30% blend of Polyamide. The Magic Towel absorbs over seven (7) times it’s weight in water yet dries in 1/3 the time of ordinary cleaning towels. With 221,000 fibers per square inch, The Magic Towel will clean virtually any stain from any surface. It wipes most glass streak-free with just water, quickly removes polish residues and buffs wax to a brilliant shine. If you want one Microfiber towel for a variety of tasks, this is the one to choose.

The Viper Microfiber Glass Cleaning Cloth. This is a high grade, 80/20 blend of Polyester and Polyamide specially designed to clean glass. Standard Microfiber cloths use fibers that are “hooked” on the ends. These hooks actually “scrape” across the surface grabbing and holding dirt particles and surface films. The Viper Glass Cleaning Cloth’s fibers are “feathered” on the end, not “hooked”. This produces a cloth with substantially greater absorption. Grime and oily films are vacuumed off the surface by capillary action.

The Viper Glass Cleaning Cloth cleans glass and plastic surfaces better than any other Microfiber product except the Magic Towel and leaves less droplet residues. The cloth can be used wet, with just water, or dry with your favorite glass cleaning solution. This cloth should not be used for general detailing or removing wax or polish residues. This would clog the fiber ends and damage the cloth’s effectiveness.

Viper Microfiber Detailing Cloths. This is the best $5.00 Microfiber towel you can buy with over 190,000 micro fibers per square inch. These are separate strands, 100 times finer than a human hair, not just the split-end count other manufacturers advertise! Our Viper Microfiber Cloths are an 80/20 blend of Polyester and Polyamide with “hooked” ends for grabbing and holding residues and grime.

These are great towels for applying polish and one step cleaner/protectants (like Klasse) and for removing wax and polish residues. They leave a polished, streak-free surface with a mirror-bright shine. Use our Viper Cloths with spray-and-wipe “quick detail” products. Even black cars will come out haze and steak free! Used dry, they will wipe the dash, instrument panel, console, seats and interior panels clean and lint free.

These are not the best towels to use on glass and clear plastic. We chose a weave and finish best suited for polishing and removing residues. These towels may leave a slight fiber trail if used on glass.

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.

REMEMBER: WET - WRING - WIPE!

PROPER CARE:

If the towel becomes too dirty, it will begin to “streak”. It is then time to wash the towel. This is easily done by just throwing the cloth into any washing machine and washing with any soap or detergent. The only restriction is to NEVER USE any type of FABRIC SOFTENER or BLEACH. The towel will treat the fabric softener as if it was dirt. It will try to store the tiny particles of the softener in the towel fibers. This will clog up the micro fibers and render the towel ineffective.

For best results always wash Microfiber products separate from other towels. They will attract lint in the wash water which can leave lint residues when next used.

You may also dry Microfiber cloths in any dryer, just be sure that the dryer does not dry at temperatures above 235 degrees F., as Microfiber will melt if heated too high.

BIGBOS

I use the absorber and 100% white cotton towels, followed by lots of ZAINO.. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

BlueByU

I use the water blade followed by a 100% cotton towel and to get that annoying river of water out of the rear bumper, I take my air nozzle on my air compressor and run it allong the bottom of the tailights and then dry the rear bumper.

2002 Trans Am

So where do I get one?

MTWallet

three to four fieldcrest towels...one to take off most of the h20, then dry off using the rest.