# Drying - Towel or Shammy?



## webtechy (Sep 6, 2014)

As per title, what is the recommended way to dry? Presumably use the plastic strip [EDIT: AKA blade - sorry - term wouldn't come to mind!] to quickly get rid of majority of the water, but then towel dry or shammy?


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## Clarkey-88 (Apr 29, 2014)

The recommended way is to use a proper drying towel, I use a Autoglym Aqua Dry (Shammy) as drying towels leave horrible marks on my car, so I have just stuck with that as I have never had any problems with it and always get a good result


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## TheRonin (Mar 12, 2006)

i wouldn't use the plastic strip or a shammy to dry my car, the risk of inflicting scratches and swirls is to high. Use several good quality drying towels and pat the car dry. my preferred towels are microfiber madness dry me crazy towels.


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## Ed_VeeDub (Sep 22, 2008)

don't use the plastic strip! get a good quality deep plush drying towel from Polished Bliss, Clean Your Car, or Chemical Guys etc. and just pat the car dry.


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## shakey85 (Aug 20, 2013)

I've used at least 10 different drying towels and have found that you can't beat a good quality waffle weave drying towel.


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## ffrs1444 (Jun 7, 2008)

Mircrofibre madness drying towel £17 for the large one , but defo was worth it


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## S63 (Jan 5, 2007)

What a strange post. You know how to polish a car, you even bought a paint gauge, yet you don't know the difference between the effects of drying with a leather or a microfibre.

A classic case of running before you can walk?


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## Rabidracoon28 (May 31, 2012)

Pat dry with a towel as shown here


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## Clarkey-88 (Apr 29, 2014)

I honestly don't understand the hatred for chamois lol


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## GleemSpray (Jan 26, 2014)

"Plastic Strip" LOL


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## jack-c (Oct 21, 2012)

Plastic water blade is the worst thing you can use to dry a car. 

The bonnet on my parents m3 looks horrific because of a water blade. Even my dad who doesn't care at all about his paint stopped using it because the scratches were so bad. 

Microfibre towel is all you need.


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

The Metro Vac Airforce blaster is also a great way to dry your car with out the need to touch the paint. great for drying your pet dog, that's if you have one.


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## Clarkey-88 (Apr 29, 2014)

jack-c said:


> Plastic water blade is the worst thing you can use to dry a car.


 Really?? The polish blokes at the local hand car wash use them, so they must be good

:lol:


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## EcosseGP (Jul 5, 2011)

^^ yeah really as others have mentioned the plastic blade however soft leaves scratches and if you press too hard they can be quite deep too ..


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## suspal (Dec 29, 2011)

I'm left speechless,this is a wind up right?


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## jack-c (Oct 21, 2012)

Clarkey-88 said:


> Really?? The polish blokes at the local hand car wash use them, so they must be good
> 
> :lol:


Haha group buy anyone


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## GleemSpray (Jan 26, 2014)

I can honestly say I have never scratched paint with a blade.

But I use a very soft silicon AG one - not a "plastic" one and not a cheap Kent one that is as hard as wood.

I let it soak it in hot water before use so it is super soft and pliant and I clean it before every pass with my finger tips so there is no " _one spec of grit is all it takes_ " moment.

All it then needs is a very light fingertip touch and it removes most of the water in big stripes without any downward pressure and leaves that part of the paint perfectly clean and dry. If you feel and watch what is actually happening, the T shape blade edge gathers up and pushes a wave of water ahead of the blade, so you really don't need any downward pressure at all.

I then finish off with a MF towel.

I have seen the "hand car wash" people swiping them round like a plasterers trowel and that is where the scratch reputation comes from -heavy handed careless use.... and mine never drags or shrieks, like you see on YouTube when some cack handed donkey is dragging it across a car.


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## AudiBuc (Sep 8, 2014)

Chemical guys wooly mammoth is awesome!!


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## Clarkey-88 (Apr 29, 2014)

People that scratch their cars with a chamois or a water blade obviously haven't cleaned the car properly


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## Clarkey-88 (Apr 29, 2014)

AudiBuc said:


> Chemical guys wooly mammoth is awesome!!


Wooly mammoth marred the hell out of my car



I didn't know that you had to pat the car with it though


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## cleancar (Sep 21, 2006)

this is what you need my friend

http://www.i4detailing.co.uk/shop/i4d-uber-xl-yellow-premium-drying-towel.html

A good quality leather chamois are ok but Microfibre towels pat drying significantly reduce the risk of marring paint IMO


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## Megs Lad (Nov 27, 2012)

Waffle weave towels like a meguiars water magnet does whole car in one best drying towels I've ever used ! Or a deep lush drying towel and pat dry job done


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## AudiBuc (Sep 8, 2014)

Clarkey that's terrible, never had a problem with the mammoth at all, we're you rubbing it dry or something? I also have a Meg's water magnet which I'd also recommend


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## Clarkey-88 (Apr 29, 2014)

The towel was dry to begin with yes, when I was wiping the windows with it I heard it screeching if you know what I mean lol it was super soft though, I don't get it.

Meguiars water magnet was the first and only drying towel I bought. I got it quite a few years ago now and to be honest it was even worse!  I used it on my old car and whenever I touched it with the towel if have to go over the car with a coat of SRP to hide all the marks lol I binned it and kept using the aqua dry, was trouble free untill my friend told me to have a go on his mammoth lol


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## Clarkey-88 (Apr 29, 2014)

My previous car was the same colour as my current one (Ford Imperial Blue), when I bought the Megs towel my friend had one too and he never used to get the marks I got, both used it in the same way and both cars were ford paints, he's was Panther Black though. 

Maybe it's just me, I must be retarded or something :wall:

:lol:


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## chefy (May 9, 2011)

I used a shammy for years - nae - decades, until a few years ago when I came on here :thumb:, then I got a towel, cant remember what make, but my only gripe is wringing the dambed thing out, man you need arms like popeye !
So, I recently went back to shammy mode - a real good one tho, and I do as I always did, pat till biggest majority of the water gone, then just lightly wipe with the smooth side of shammy - NO scratches.

Like has aleady been mentioned, if your scratching whilst drying with a shammy, then perhaps car hasnt been cleaned properly ? !!

Blade - No, my wife bought me one a few years ago, use it when I clean the house windows, even then I dont like it.

But, wait - there's a 4th option, which I sometimes do, Leaf Blower, then a wee pat and final wipe with shammy :thumb:


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## webtechy (Sep 6, 2014)

chefy said:


> But, wait - there's a 4th option, which I sometimes do, Leaf Blower, then a wee pat and final wipe with shammy :thumb:


I can see the logic - dare say specific car drying tools like that will come along (if not already)


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## funkysi (Mar 18, 2006)

I've tried a lot of different drying towels and chamois before. What do I use now? I use a small Speedo body chamois. It's absolutely fantastic and has lasted for years. know it's supposed to be used for human skin, but I tell you what, it makes an amazing car chamois.


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## webtechy (Sep 6, 2014)

Indeed there are:

http://www.cardryers.co.uk/


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## _Steven67 (Apr 8, 2014)

I use a combination of a drying towel and a leak blower :thumb: .


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## GleemSpray (Jan 26, 2014)

_Steven67 said:


> I use a combination of a drying towel and a leak blower :thumb: .


isn't a Leak blower the same as a Hosepipe ?


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## andystevens (Dec 12, 2011)

I use the blade on glass & sometimes on the body & or a waffle towel to drag off much water on the flats of the car & gently wipe the sides. I then finish with theAutoglym aqua dry. I think there is too much emphasis on microfiber, I tried the drying towels on my black Evoque but probably scratched more than an aquadry.

If the weather is very warm then you need to get the water off fast and sitting there padding the car is pointless as it is too slow.
I leave my aquadry's permantly in water.


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## Dixondmn (Oct 12, 2007)

When did a Chamois Leather become a Shammy?

I used one for years before DW, but I wouldn't go back.


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## Clarkey-88 (Apr 29, 2014)

Dixondmn said:


> When did a Chamois Leather become a Shammy?


You've never heard somebody call it a shammy?? Lol


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## Dixondmn (Oct 12, 2007)

Clarkey-88 said:


> You've never heard somebody call it a shammy?? Lol


I have indeed, chamois, chamois leather being one and the same, but spelling it phonetically is just wrong.


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## Clarkey-88 (Apr 29, 2014)

Lol There's no problem with him spelling it like that, everybody knows what he meant. For people that can't read properly, I think their brain would melt trying to break down a word like chamois. cha-mo-is wtf is that  

:lol:


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## J4KE45 (Sep 7, 2014)

I blade mine first, and then use autoglym's microfibre drying towel, I used their synthetic shammy for a while buy hated it, just found it pushed the water around the car and that was all! Much prefer the MF towel!


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## Clarkey-88 (Apr 29, 2014)

J4KE45 said:


> I blade mine first, and then use autoglym's microfibre drying towel, I used their synthetic shammy for a while buy hated it, just found it pushed the water around the car and that was all! Much prefer the MF towel!


Autoglyms "shammys" :lol: get better the more you use them, they are pretty pants when they are new. It's like they need to be worn in lol


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## R0B (Aug 27, 2010)

This thread had me digging out an old Autoglym synthetic chamois .

Soaked it for a bit as it had never really been used then dried the car with it

Worked fine


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## Clarkey-88 (Apr 29, 2014)

R0B said:


> This thread had me digging out an old Autoglym synthetic chamois .
> 
> Soaked it for a bit as it had never really been used then dried the car with it
> 
> Worked fine


They work really well with hot water, as you wipe across the panel a trail of steam follows and evaporates very quickly and leaves a streak free finish :thumb:


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