996tt_sc said:
I have 2 black vehicles and swirl marks are a constant battle. A "car wash" whether its touchless or not will leave numerous amounts of swirl marks in your clearcoat. I would recommend doing it yourself. Wash with a genuine sheepskin mit and polish/wax with a good microfiber towel.
Always wash a dark car with how the wind flows over your vehicle. Don't wash in circles or up and down. Wash how the wind would flow over your vehicle.....basically side to side.
Outstanding advice...couldn't have said it better myself. Never, and I mean NEVER, wash or dry or wax in circular motions. I've never heard "the way the wind blows over the car" but it makes sense. Always front to back. Also, when waxing you never want to push too hard unless you're polishing but then you should be using a machine or paying someone to do it right as most people aren't familiar with the proper use of buffing or polishing machines. Microfiber is KEY as well. They are the best thing to hit the detailer's cart in a long time. Use them for everything! Washing, drying, windows, interior, wax and polish application, and buffing. Every once in a while, Sam's Club has a bulk package of 25 16"x16" towels for under $10. Buy 2 packages and use as many as you like each time you wash and wax. Wash them with detergent; NO FABRIC SOFTENER! It leaves a residue in the towels that smears. I called Sam's to see if they had the towels and the guy said they are seasonal and should be back in the stores after Christmas. Stock up because it's an incredible deal!
Another good washing tip is to use 2 buckets to wash. Fill one with cold water and one with soapy water. Rinse each time you go to re-suds your mit. It keeps all the dirt and particles in the rinse bucket so you're not cleaning your truck with dirty water. The best thing going for drying is a squegee (spelling?) like the California Blade, which happens to be what I use. You can get them just about anywhere. If you've never used them before, don't be afraid. It's made of super soft and relatively thin silicone rubber. It's IMPOSSIBLE to scratch your paint with it. When you're using it, it squeaks and squeals but trust me, it's not scratching. It removes the bulk of the water and usually 2 or 3 of the microfiber towels is all you need to finish drying the rest. The idea is to limit the amount of towel contact with your paint.
I like to finish everything off with a good in-between quick detailer like Meguire's or similar. If you wash your truck once a week then wax it once a month and you'll be amazed how easy it is to maintain. Lastly, everyone has their own methods to cleaning; these are just mine. Pick and choose the things you like and do what makes you comfortable and gets the results you want. By the way, I just used Zymol wax on my Smoke Titan and let me tell how bad*ss this stuff is. You can actually see where you left off, it makes that much of a difference. One coat down and the shine and feel are fantastic. Oh, and I clay barred the paint first....big plus I feel. Sorry for the long post but I get a kick out cleaning my truck and offering suggestions. Cleaning vehicles is relaxing in my opinion and seeing the end result is a real joy. Happy cleaning! :cheers:
