# How to dry my car?



## theador (Mar 18, 2014)

So all my life I've used a chamois leather. Then I wondered: "is this removing my wax?"

Is it?

How do you dry your car? I've got some aqua wax that I will start using as soon as I've finished claying, polishing and waxing every panel, but in the meantime, Mr Chamois is drying the car. Should I just use microfibres instead? Also, on another forum, I saw a lot of people saying they finish with WW. I have no idea what WW stands for, I'm thinking Wet Wax.


----------



## K.M (Dec 19, 2013)

Possibly Monster Microfibre drying towel (http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washi...bre-purple-monster-edgeless-xl/prod_1297.html)


----------



## Ge03 (Jul 19, 2011)

I use an open hose to sheet of most of the water.


----------



## theador (Mar 18, 2014)

Ge03 said:


> I use an open hose to sheet of most of the water.


And then air dry?


----------



## WAZ92 (Mar 26, 2014)

I use a drying towel. Microfiber.


----------



## superd (Sep 23, 2013)

Im no expert or have too much experience but personally i blow dry using a aelous doggie dryer, after youve spent hours/days polishing your pride n joy you dont wanna be touching the paint too much; at least thats how ive interpreted the info on here, dont get too caught up with what to get and what not to get like I did, do your research find YOUR way and stick with it mate


----------



## Jon Allum (Aug 18, 2012)

Hi there,

I have never heard of a wax or sealant being stripped during the drying process. I suspect that this is not occuring. I would suggest the greatest concern when drying a car is marring the finish. A chamois tends to catch and drag particles over the paint and this inflicts light and sometimes heavy scratches into the paint. I would suggest using a specialist drying towel such as a PB Luxury Drying Towel. I would buy two of these, 3 if you have a large large car.

The next option is to air dry with something like a Metro Vac. This only really works on large surfaces when they bead. Otherwise it is best reserved for panel gaps, grilles, badges and wheels.

I hope this helps,

Jon


----------



## theador (Mar 18, 2014)

I think the drying towel is probably the way forward for me.

Thanks guys


----------



## theador (Mar 18, 2014)

And do you wipe with the towel or just kind of lay it on?


----------



## superd (Sep 23, 2013)

theador said:


> And do you wipe with the towel or just kind of lay it on?


Pat dry


----------



## RS ROB (Jan 21, 2008)

Try these waffles really good to be honest.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121351193725?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649


----------



## theador (Mar 18, 2014)

That looks pretty good! I'll give that a go.

Is one enough?



RS ROB said:


> Try these waffles really good to be honest.
> 
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121351193725?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649


----------



## robbieD (May 12, 2014)

WW = Waffle Weave

I would only use the waffles on glass as it can have the same effect as using a chamois on the paint and inflict marring. 

Would use a nice deep pile microfibre like the Monster Towels. Having 2 is always handy if you've got one in the wash etc.

Pat drying takes a long time so I lay the towel on and just drag it across.


----------



## phillipnoke (Apr 1, 2011)

AS quick as possible


----------



## Shermo (Mar 17, 2014)

Pretty sure those waffle cloths are the same as from here but with the prices boosted by 300%!
http://www.paragonmicrofibre.com/cloths

I just bought a couple and also a 'Microfibre Marine Drying Towel', they were recommended to me by the guy who detailed my car.


----------



## RS ROB (Jan 21, 2008)

Shermo said:


> Pretty sure those waffle cloths are the same as from here but with the prices boosted by 300%!
> http://www.paragonmicrofibre.com/cloths
> 
> I just bought a couple and also a 'Microfibre Marine Drying Towel', they were recommended to me by the guy who detailed my car.


Not much cheaper from these to be honest,

Item description	Remove	Qty	Unit Price	Totals
Waffle ClothWaffle Cloth
80x60 cm - Blue	Submit	
Update
£2.75	£ 2.75
Subtotal	£2.75
Delivery	£5.00
Vat (20%)	£1.55
Grand Total	£9.30


----------



## RS ROB (Jan 21, 2008)

Anyone used the Diamond Weave Microfibre Towel?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121351189480?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649


----------



## theador (Mar 18, 2014)

Great find!



Shermo said:


> Pretty sure those waffle cloths are the same as from here but with the prices boosted by 300%!
> http://www.paragonmicrofibre.com/cloths
> 
> I just bought a couple and also a 'Microfibre Marine Drying Towel', they were recommended to me by the guy who detailed my car.


----------



## Shermo (Mar 17, 2014)

RS ROB said:


> Not much cheaper from these to be honest,
> 
> Item description	Remove	Qty	Unit Price	Totals
> Waffle ClothWaffle Cloth
> ...


It is if you are buying a couple as the £5 postage covered 3 items for me.


----------



## theador (Mar 18, 2014)

Bought the Microfibre marine drying towel and a couple of their microfibre cloths, so yes £5 does seem rather steep for something that will inevitably be delivered as a small parcel for a couple of quids, but still not too bad for the three items 



Shermo said:


> It is if you are buying a couple as the £5 postage covered 3 items for me.


----------



## Rayaan (Jun 1, 2014)

Ive used a chamois all my life too and Ive got to say, I haven't had any marring from it whatsoever. My car is 2 years old and has very minor swirls, they can't even be seen with bright lights and I have a Lexus with very soft paint. 

I dont believe that microfiber cloths are any better than a chamois as long as its used correctly.

Basically dont wipe the car with it - pat it down and you wont get any marring regardless.


----------



## horned yo (Feb 10, 2009)

Use a bit of Demon Shine after you have washed the car for that extra bit of sparkle when you are drying it. Cheap as chips and leaves a little bit of protection.


----------



## Rich5ltr (Mar 29, 2006)

Being an old codger I used to swear by using a chammy leather, then my son-in-law convinced me to try a drying towel and wow it's much better. The only snag is that I find I need to use two to get the whole car dry. Indeed, I don't poses a chammy any more.


----------



## Lee O (Jun 1, 2014)

As a couple of people have mentioned WW stands for waffle weave, these are a short pile towel and I personally find them great on glass. A chamois has no pile so any grit and dust left behind will be pulled across the pain and cause marring. A microfibre towel is made up of polyester and polyamide (I'm a geek and remember crazy stuff, sorry!). The polyamide is the absorbant quality so a good drying towel should have a medium pile and about a 70% polyester 30% polyamide mix. This is what I use and I can't fault it. This is all my preference by the way and no where as knowledgeable as some of the guys on here.


----------



## Clean ocd (Mar 29, 2014)

Di vessel and leave too dry 1 option 
Air blower / or leaf blower 
Asda drying towel are decent for the price


----------



## kcass (Aug 24, 2010)

as previous posts have commented,i use a open end hose,then a couple of microfibre drying towels and pat dry.job done.


----------



## theador (Mar 18, 2014)

Ha, well I'm clearly in the 'old codger' group too as my experience of the cheaper 'man made chamois' was always poor when I was younger, and therefore always reverted back to chamois. It just feels like there's so much friction and drag happening with the chamois that it must be pulling up the wax, and worse, picking some of the dirt from wheel arches etc. And dragging it across paintwork.



Rich5ltr said:


> Being an old codger I used to swear by using a chammy leather, then my son-in-law convinced me to try a drying towel and wow it's much better. The only snag is that I find I need to use two to get the whole car dry. Indeed, I don't poses a chammy any more.


----------



## theador (Mar 18, 2014)

kcass said:


> as previous posts have commented,i use a open end hose,then a couple of microfibre drying towels and pat dry.job done.


I have a BMW E91 tourer and a Volvo 850 estate that need drying, I'm looking for a quick fix :-D


----------



## _Steven67 (Apr 8, 2014)

I feel that to obtain better results you want to touch the car as little as possible and that's why I think it's a good idea to use something like a leaf blower to blow dry the car.


----------



## 7and911 (Mar 2, 2014)

Move to Glasgow.... I never need to dry the car, it is raining all time


----------



## Muscleflex (Jun 10, 2014)

When I was into detailing my new Clio years ago, I used to use just micro fibre cloth bought from poundland - it used to dry the car no problem.


----------



## Muscleflex (Jun 10, 2014)

_Steven67 said:


> I feel that to obtain better results you want to touch the car as little as possible and that's why I think it's a good idea to use something like a leaf blower to blow dry the car.


Is this serious?? if so that's cool! I have a leaf blower at home!


----------



## RS ROB (Jan 21, 2008)

Muscleflex said:


> Is this serious?? if so that's cool! I have a leaf blower at home!


Yea seems a few use them.


----------



## KEV. (Oct 22, 2007)

I've just got in from washing my new (to me) Q7 and it got me thinking about my drying technique. This was my 1st wash since buying it and decided to use a new woolly mammoth. 
I found the mammoth quite difficult to use due to its size and possibly made worse by the larger deposits of water. 

I will end up using a couple of drying towels but I'm finding nobody mentions removing water using a flexible blade , these are probably frowned upon by most but I find it quite useful using it on large flat areas and glass. I've heard of people mention dragging grit over the paint but when there is a large area of water it glides, and its wiped after each pass. You can feel the friction on dry areas which isn't where I use it, the towels are used here.

Opinions on my method?


----------



## MiGomes (Oct 10, 2014)

I use a vaccum cleaner with blow function. Way better than WW towels. Not faster though..


----------



## whiteclio59 (Aug 13, 2013)

Metro vac sidekick with a extension hose then go over with a towel that's my method


----------



## elementour (Jun 8, 2008)

KEV. said:


> I will end up using a couple of drying towels but I'm finding nobody mentions removing water using a flexible blade


I believe you can get banned from this forum for saying things like that


----------



## GleemSpray (Jan 26, 2014)

KEV. said:


> I will end up using a couple of drying towels but I'm finding nobody mentions removing water using a flexible blade , these are probably frowned upon by most but I find it quite useful using it on large flat areas and glass. I've heard of people mention dragging grit over the paint but when there is a large area of water it glides, and its wiped after each pass. You can feel the friction on dry areas which isn't where I use it, the towels are used here.
> 
> Opinions on my method?





elementour said:


> I believe you can get banned from this forum for saying things like that


 Flexi blades CAN be used safely, provided you use the same level of care as with MF cloths. I have used one for probably 7 (?) years on several cars and never had a single scratch.

*The car has to be completely cleaned and rinsed before you use the blade *Otherwise, if the car is in anyway dirty, you run the risk of grit scratching - same as MF towels or chammy leathers

1st of all you need a decent quality blade made of surgical silicon, so its quite soft. I use the AutoGlym hydra flexi blade.

2nd leave the blade to soak in hot water whilst you wash the car - this will make it super soft and bendy. I leave mine in a tall measuring jug full of really hot water.

3rd Only drag it very lightly across the paint - just hold it with fingertips and don't press down as you don't need to - hold it at an angle and gently gather and pull a wave of water off the paint.

Make sure you rinse the blade after every pass. You can also run it through your fingertips then rinse it to clear any dirt.

4th really important this - don't try to dry the whole car with it, you only want to use it to get most of the water off - think about where you are using it and gently pull large stripes of water off the flat panels to clear most of the water then use a towel to pat dry the other parts.

You can use a blade to dry the roof, door panels and bonnet and some parts of hatchbacks and wings - this will cover about 80% of the paint surface.

Honestly, if you use them correctly they don't squeak or scratch and the paint is left perfectly clean and dry.


----------

