how to wash a car properly
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Registered User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 36
From: seattle
how to wash a car properly
well i was just washing my car today and i keep getting water spots on my car....after i was it i take it for a spin and then towel dry, but maybe this isn't the most effective way of doing this, because while your driving the smaller drops dry up thus, the water spots... maybe i should take one section of the car at a time i dunno.... what things do you guys use to dry your car? and what methods? i got a black sti and water marks sucks....also after washing my car, i still got a lil bit of dirt on the car...am i not leaving the soap on there long enough? not using enough soap? how long do i leave the soap on there before rinsing? ........black is a pain to keep clean.....
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You should get a 100% white cotton towel or a microfiber towel to dry off the car BEFORE you drive it. If you drive the car, dirt (even if you do not see it) will get on the car. Then, when you dry it, you are rubbing the dirt onto your paint which will leave very tiny swirl marks (scratches.)
Wash the car out of direct sunlight, and keep it very wet all the time until you are actually towel drying it.
A clay bar can remove water spots.
Here is a tip from Sal Zaino, maker of Zaino Car Polish, about towels:
I prefer 100% Cotton Towels Large White Bath Size (only use Cannon or Fieldcrest name brands) for washing, drying and polishing. I don't like sponges natural or synthetic or any wash mits, since they all can scratch.
Another great tip is to use a Toro 210mph Electric leaf blower. Dries your car in about 5 minutes.... without even touching the paint surface....
I prefer 100% Cotton Towels to dry the car. Chamois or the Absorber and especially the Water Blade are flat and could trap a piece of dirt and scratch the paint finish. Towels have nap and are much safer and forgiving. Even if it were to pickup a piece of dirt, the nap would cushion it.
Again Towels must be 100% Made in USA. Name Brand (Cannon or Fieldcrest Towels)
You must use only white. Not colored towels..... colored towels are not to be used because the dye leaves a chemical residue on the paint finish. Always wash your towels first before using. Use Liquid detergent and rinse twice.
When washing your towels. Only use Liquid detergent such as All or Tide, etc. Do not use Bleach, Powdered Detergents or any kind of fabric softner. They will leave a chemical residue on the towels which will transfer to your paint finish. Make sure to run rinse cycle twice to remove all detergent.
You should cut the selvages(borders) off the perimeter of the towels. This selvage contains nylon and polyester stitching that could possibly scratch your paint finish. The towels will fray a little once this is done. But it's better to play it safe.
Drying the towels on high heat will make them hold a static charge. I use the regular heat setting and remove them a little damp and let them air dry. You can fluff the towel real good when it's dry to make it softer.
As the towels get older they will lose there nap and absorbency and will have to be replaced.
Where to buy towels........
Cannon & Fieldcrest make a lower quality version of their towels for K-Mart, Walmart and other big discount chains. These towels say 100% Cotton but that is not, totally true. The nap is 100% cotton but the backing material has polyester blend in it. So if you press a little to hard on the towel you can get some fine scratches or swirls. The point I'm trying to make is if a Cannon or Fieldcrest towel is selling in a discount store for $6.00 or less (approximately) it is not the good stuff. I buy all my Cannon & Fieldcrest towels in the Bath & Linen shops in the bigger stores in the mall. I pay anywhere from $10 to $20 per towel.
These are the real deal. I buy about 3 or 4 towels and they usually last me about a year.
Wash the car out of direct sunlight, and keep it very wet all the time until you are actually towel drying it.
A clay bar can remove water spots.
Here is a tip from Sal Zaino, maker of Zaino Car Polish, about towels:
I prefer 100% Cotton Towels Large White Bath Size (only use Cannon or Fieldcrest name brands) for washing, drying and polishing. I don't like sponges natural or synthetic or any wash mits, since they all can scratch.
Another great tip is to use a Toro 210mph Electric leaf blower. Dries your car in about 5 minutes.... without even touching the paint surface....
I prefer 100% Cotton Towels to dry the car. Chamois or the Absorber and especially the Water Blade are flat and could trap a piece of dirt and scratch the paint finish. Towels have nap and are much safer and forgiving. Even if it were to pickup a piece of dirt, the nap would cushion it.
Again Towels must be 100% Made in USA. Name Brand (Cannon or Fieldcrest Towels)
You must use only white. Not colored towels..... colored towels are not to be used because the dye leaves a chemical residue on the paint finish. Always wash your towels first before using. Use Liquid detergent and rinse twice.
When washing your towels. Only use Liquid detergent such as All or Tide, etc. Do not use Bleach, Powdered Detergents or any kind of fabric softner. They will leave a chemical residue on the towels which will transfer to your paint finish. Make sure to run rinse cycle twice to remove all detergent.
You should cut the selvages(borders) off the perimeter of the towels. This selvage contains nylon and polyester stitching that could possibly scratch your paint finish. The towels will fray a little once this is done. But it's better to play it safe.
Drying the towels on high heat will make them hold a static charge. I use the regular heat setting and remove them a little damp and let them air dry. You can fluff the towel real good when it's dry to make it softer.
As the towels get older they will lose there nap and absorbency and will have to be replaced.
Where to buy towels........
Cannon & Fieldcrest make a lower quality version of their towels for K-Mart, Walmart and other big discount chains. These towels say 100% Cotton but that is not, totally true. The nap is 100% cotton but the backing material has polyester blend in it. So if you press a little to hard on the towel you can get some fine scratches or swirls. The point I'm trying to make is if a Cannon or Fieldcrest towel is selling in a discount store for $6.00 or less (approximately) it is not the good stuff. I buy all my Cannon & Fieldcrest towels in the Bath & Linen shops in the bigger stores in the mall. I pay anywhere from $10 to $20 per towel.
These are the real deal. I buy about 3 or 4 towels and they usually last me about a year.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,537
From: AFK
Car Info: 04' JBP STi 02' WRB Wagon
Taking a car out for a spin to dry is not ineffective, but it does waste some of the work you put into washing the car.
After it rains, you not only have a whole bunch of waterspots, but there is also dirt. Some of that dirt comes from the water droplets themselves, while some of them are actually airborne dust/dirt particles that you drive through.
If the car is wet, the best thing to do is to hand dry it, or use a garden blower to get the water off.
I myself use one microfiber towel that i ring out a few times while going over the car, and then one dry one for the final wipe. It usually takes 3-4 passes before the car is bone dry, but if you're not washing the car in the sun, there will be no waterspots, period.
After it rains, you not only have a whole bunch of waterspots, but there is also dirt. Some of that dirt comes from the water droplets themselves, while some of them are actually airborne dust/dirt particles that you drive through.
If the car is wet, the best thing to do is to hand dry it, or use a garden blower to get the water off.
I myself use one microfiber towel that i ring out a few times while going over the car, and then one dry one for the final wipe. It usually takes 3-4 passes before the car is bone dry, but if you're not washing the car in the sun, there will be no waterspots, period.
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 38
From: CA
Wash your car as quick and as thorough as you can then dry it OUT OF the sun. I can't guarantee you will have all of the water spots gone, but it does help a lot to dry off your car in the shade. Remember, take all the 'big water' off on your first pass then go back and detail all the nooks & crannies and all the spots you missed. Along with the others, I strongly DO NOT recommend taking a 'dry spin' around the block; you will only be attracting more dirt that way and creating DIRTY water spots. If you or any of your buddies have a tap outside for conditioned water(aka "soft water"), washing with it helps to alleviate water spots a bit as well.
-STiLL
-STiLL
Guest
Posts: n/a
buy a car cover to keep dirt off. 
i'm still driving my solara and the color is black. i know what you are feeling, but yeah, buy a car cover. it keeps the car from getting night dust.
just make sure you only put it on after brushing all the dirt off.
i'm still driving my solara and the color is black. i know what you are feeling, but yeah, buy a car cover. it keeps the car from getting night dust.
just make sure you only put it on after brushing all the dirt off.
Registered User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 45
From: Ewa Beach
Car Info: Subaru WRX STI (blue)
wassup ya
i think you shouldn't use terry towel or cotton towel because they leave those lean behind. YOu guys should buy the absorbers. YOu know those things in the kitchen. Also rinse your car very very well becuz those white water spot marks are from the soap... I got a pearl blue sti. my problem is dirt. I need a car cover! where can i get it?! help!
i think you shouldn't use terry towel or cotton towel because they leave those lean behind. YOu guys should buy the absorbers. YOu know those things in the kitchen. Also rinse your car very very well becuz those white water spot marks are from the soap... I got a pearl blue sti. my problem is dirt. I need a car cover! where can i get it?! help!
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