...heh heh...

 

The chamois is like anything else. If used the way it is supposed to be, it is the best thing to dry a car. If you have dirt particles to worry about it is because you didn't do a good job washing your car. I've been using chamois to dry my cars over 20 years, and had my share of black and dark colored cars and never had a problem with it. It is a matter of preference I guess.

If you decide to use a chamois, make sure you rinse it good with clear water before using it and after you finish drying your car. Don't use it on the tires. If it falls on the ground, make sure you rinse it good before you use it again.

 

Erm...just chiming in a little late...

I also use Zaino...so take that as you wish. I do use dawn once a year to get the greasy envirosludge off, though...usually when I clay the car. Dawn does not remove Zaino

As Sal would say...100% US made 100% cotton Towels..white only. Cannon or Fieldcrest...available at Wal-Mart or K-Mart...or the wife's old Ralph Lauren stash...

Armor-All ruins more than it helps. Meguiars #40 works great...you can control the amount of shine. I like a matte look, my wife likes shiny. We get both from the same bottle. RTFM.

--Dean

 

Zymol car wash, wool wash mit. Synthetic shamy only. Eagle One Rim care. Wax by a friend who owns a high end Body Shop in Calgary. (supposed to be $4,000 a tin!! Nice wax but I sure wouldn't pay for it!)

Happy Holidays

 

I am surprised that no one has mentioned the fact that terry cloth towels trap fine dirt & grit particles within the loose knitting of the towel. If you are going to use a towel to dry your car find something that is tightly woven so that dirt & grit can't make its way in to the weave. I strongly recommend using something synthetic such as the absorber, not only does it dry well it leaves a look as if the car was polished. I would also like to stress that sponges are no good either for the same reasons. I learned a long time ago what the finish of a car can look like from using the wrong things. I just wanted to give you guys something to think about. I do realize some of you would say you have had no problems using cotton towels, all I can say is you have been lucky. What I know about this has come from months of researching on the web and from personal experience.

 

Dish soap is only okay if you are going to wax immediately after. I find that it works really well on bugs, and even tar and bird crap, but the harshness of it strips the wax, so don't use it unless waxing is the next step.

Oh, and NEVER EVER use ArmorAll on anything with stitching. I used it on a vinyl convertible top once, and had to replace the top within a year because all of the stitching disintegrated. This applies to anything with stitching. It is okay for hard vinyl and plastic surfaces, and is nice on tires if you don't want them ultra-shiny, but use the mildest cleaner you can find (someone suggested soap and water - make it a really WEAK solution) for the dash.

 

Exactly...that's why we use the terry towels. Since the grit is picked up and tucked away by the loose knitting, it's not held against the paint like a tight knit.

--Dean

 

Yep, that sounds alot better than getting a "squeegy" type action from a chamois. But I have to admit, a chamois really dries your car alot faster and better than terry towels. I tend to use both most of the time.

 

Im gonna use a chamios on the windows and towels on body

 

So how do you guys prevent water spots from forming on the window after washing? Use a squeegy or chamios? I used 2 cotton towels to dry the whole car today after washing. The body looks great, but the windows are spotty if you look out while driving.

 

If the windows are spotty, so is the paint - it's just less noticeable.

Best bet is to dry any car completely. I prefer to use a terry cloth towel first, then finish up with a chamois to get all of the water off the car.

Squeegees work well, too, but you'll still need to finish up with something really absorbent, like the chamois. They even make very soft squeegees that can contour to curves better to get the water off of body panels.

 

Forgive me if this has been covered before, but a great way to start off drying is with an already half-dry, spotless car.

Sheet water across the body before you bring out the towels. Take the nozzle off your hose and turn down the water just a little so you get a nice gentle stream. Rinse the car top to bottom one last time, letting the water sheet off the car. This way, you don't get tiny little water drops all over the car...your car is now half-dry, maybe more if you've got a good polymer or wax. Now use your towels or chamois to dry the car.

After you dry the windows, crumple up some newspaper and "polish" the windows...they will be spot and streak-free.

--Dean

 

I've heard about this technique.... does it really work good? I'd imagine you'd have to find a page with not much ink on it right?

 

Thanks for all the tips! Keep them coming!

How about glass cleaners like Windex? is it safe to use on car windows?

 

Jury is out on whether the beneficial element of newspaper is the paper or the ink. Just use a normal page...I've stayed away from coupon flyers and stayed mainly with black and white pages, mostly out of superstition than anything else.

As for Windex...it should be safe, but I'm too afraid of getting it on my paint, trim, vinyl or clear plastic. I spray it on the rag first, not the window.

--Dean