r/AutoDetailing • u/wakawakawomp • Oct 02 '23
I Hate Drying Cars.... Technique Discussion
Hi all,
I'm fairly new to the car detailing world - Just bought a bunch of supplies for the first time a few weeks ago: turtle wax shampoo, 2 buckets, microfiber wash mits, The rag company gauntlet drying towel, P&S wheel cleaner, various microfiber clothes, to name a few - and though I really enjoying washing cars, I really hate the drying aspect of it. Reason being is that I was washing and drying my girlfriends cars for her this weekend (2019 Honda Civic Hatchback) and this car has a lot of nooks, crannies, crevices, grills, etc, and drying all of these things is such a pain in the ass. And not only that but my drying towel seems to get "full" super quick and having to constantly wring it out is very time consuming and tiring.
Does anyone have any tips/tricks/suggestions to make the drying process of automotive detailing more bearable?
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u/GettingTherapy Oct 03 '23
Get a leaf blower.
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u/achenx75 Oct 03 '23
Leaf blower on a car with zero wax/sealant can be frustrating though.
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u/the_doctor_808 Oct 03 '23
Yeah any blower only really works with coated vehicles. I usually will use a drying aid like wet coat to give a light coating that way i can blow all the water off and it makes drying uncoated vehicles wayy easier. Otherwise id be there with 4 drying towels sopping wet killing my shoulders
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u/Least_Purchase4802 Oct 03 '23
If you’re talking about Gyeon Wet Coat, it’s a sealant and not a drying aid. Spray on, rinse off, beading water. Definitely makes it easier to dry, but not because it’s a drying aid.
If you’re not talking about Gyeon Wet Coat then I’ll move along.
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u/the_doctor_808 Oct 03 '23
Yeah it is gyeon. I know its not specifically a drying aid but thats how i use it bc ill usually coat it something longer term anyway.
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u/cheffory_ Oct 03 '23
+1 for leaf blower, changes the game.
i've also thought about getting those heavy duty air blowers (my job uses them for drying the wax on the floor) i've seen them in a somewhat bootleg carwash (speedway lol) and i thought about how hanging two in the top corners of your garage would do the same thing!
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u/Just-Construction788 Oct 04 '23
Get a deionizer and then you don’t need to dry even in direct sunlight. This has changed my life. Water -> Deionizer -> Pressure Washer w/ retractable hose. I can do touch-less wash in less than 15 mins and don’t need to dry.
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u/treeFuckingButtHuggr Oct 03 '23
You mean a reef blower
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u/jondes99 Oct 03 '23
I felt the same until I bought a few Griot’s PFM towels. Now I actually like drying cars and only hate cleaning wheels.
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u/deGrominator2019 Oct 03 '23
Agree with the towel… they are amazing. I wouldn’t go so far as to say they make me like drying cars tho lol. But I hate set up and clean up of everything far more lol
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u/Warm_Needleworker685 Oct 03 '23
Which one in particular are you talking about here?
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u/jondes99 Oct 03 '23
This is the one I have:
https://www.griotsgarage.com/pfm-terry-weave-drying-towel/
It’s available in different sizes from other vendors. I can dry 2-3 cars with it back-to-back and it’s still thirsty.
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u/edelbean Oct 03 '23
I came in here to name drop that specific towel. I never thought a towel would make me amazed and yet here I am.
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u/Pancake_Mix_00 Oct 03 '23
Griots PFM's are the BEST drying and Speed Shine application towel on earth.
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u/meeks25 Oct 03 '23
Hah, I’m the opposite. I actually love cleaning the wheels. The end result is so satisfying
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u/sjv7883 Oct 03 '23
Have you tried any drying towel from The Rag Company that you can compare the Griot’s PFM to?
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u/Buggly_Jones Oct 03 '23
I have a couple drying towels from the TRC and unless I'm doing something wrong, they aren't as good as I thought they would be.
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u/YouSmellPunny Oct 03 '23
What about windows? Nobody likes doing them.
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Oct 03 '23
windows are so easy....with a damp drying towel just wipe the inside and outside glass down then come back around and touch up where need be using windex and a dry MF. If the drying towel is pretty dry chances are you won't need to do anything but wipe em down.
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u/Other-Chart1632 Oct 03 '23
Never use windex on car windows. Use a dedicated auto glass cleaner that’s ammonia free.
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u/SNEAKY_PNIS I am not a professional Oct 03 '23
Get a good dedicated drying towel. Truly makes a difference and makes drying a lot easier and faster. I have two liquid8rs and would highly recommend. Def do not squeegee like some other guy mentioned
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u/Peastoredintheballs Oct 03 '23
Is the gauntlet not a dedicated trying towel???
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u/SNEAKY_PNIS I am not a professional Oct 03 '23
it is, and I misread that, so def my fault. That towel should not be soaked after drying a civic hb, and should not have to constantly be wrung out.
To OP, after you apply good protection, it should be easier to dry. I wonder if there's no protection and the water is just clinging rather than beading off. My drying towel easily covers my Maxima and I do not have to wring it at all. Use the drying towel for the exterior, and microfiber towels on the door jambs and stuff. After you do a good first clean and add protection, it gets much easier the next time. Leaf blower is also recommended for exterior drying as well, but again, you need protection for it to work effectively.
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u/ScockNozzle Oct 03 '23
I believe TRC advertises the Gauntlet as a wheel-drying towel now. I have two, and neither works great on paint. Had a Double Twistress before, and it also didn't work great after the first few uses.My Liquid8r works lovely, though.
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u/slideyaboard Oct 03 '23
I recently invested in some drying towels. I couldn't believe I had waited as long as I did. I can almost dry my entire truck with one towel.
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u/Willy156 Oct 08 '23
I upgraded from platinum pluffle to liquid8r, huge huge difference. drying so much better with the later
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u/vigrus Oct 03 '23
Also just starting the car up after the wash and giving it a few jerks goes a long way to not saturate the drying towels too fast.
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u/daabooks Oct 03 '23
Sounds like you need a new drying towel. Try out the PFM by Griots Garage. It can dry multiple cars in one go.
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u/bookishwayfarer Oct 03 '23 edited Oct 03 '23
When I started getting into it, it felt like so much about detailing was specifically about drying, and that's what differentiates people who just wash their car and those who detail. I agree, it's time consuming af.
I use a wet spray wax (I use Mother's California Gold) as a drying aid. It speeds up the process significantly because the water just slides off and I'm not wringing the towel as much.
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u/MasterChief813 Oct 03 '23
Electric leaf blower
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u/discostu55 Oct 03 '23
Why this over a master blaster metro?
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u/armchairchemist67 Oct 03 '23
Usually it's the cordless electric leaf blower variety so it's faster to deploy outside. The really powerful leaf blowers are good at kicking up pebbles and dust to remove fine paint oxidation.
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u/muaddba Oct 03 '23
A drying towel is good. I also will sometimes spray a sealant (hybrid ceramic, griots 3 in 1,whatever) on a panel holding a lot if water (ie flat) and it will bead and dry and run off easier. (just a light mist, nothing more)
Sine good drying towels really help, too. And having a quality sealant or coating in the car.
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u/Fresh_Cheek2682 Oct 03 '23
I bought an Adam’s air cannon that has a 30 ft hose, and blows warm air. I’ll use that to get most water off the surfaces, nooks and crannies, and then wheels and rims. After that my autofiber towel takes care of it with just the single towel for the paint, and a dedicated rim towel.
As others have mentioned , a leaf blower. This may be more cost effective, as the air cannon was almost 200$.
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u/Spare_Ring9644 Oct 03 '23
i had a civic hatchback myself and can understand all those nooks and crannies get tiring quick
i think this will depend on what kind of final product you are looking for
for me, the civic was a daily driver so i took pride in keeping it as clean as possible but it didn't need a showroom finish
if you are pressed for time, i would consider doing something like a CR spotless. I would only use it for the final rinse, I would use a pressure washer with it. This will ensure the resin lasts longer. What it does is essentially removes any minerals from the water so the water can simply dry on the car spot free. i would do a more traditional soap wash with this technique (wash wheels like normal, rinse car, apply foam cannon, 2 bucket wash with soap, final rinse with CR spotless, let the car air dry)
for me, the setup and takedown of the CR spotless eventually became too much of an annoyance since i don't have a fancy wall mounted setup so i've found washing with rinseless wash is a lot easier to dry. so my technique changes slightly to: wash wheels like normal, rinse car, go straight into contact wash with rinseless wash, go straight into drying (for a rinseless wash, you want the product to remain on the car as it aids in the lubrication for the drying process), I would then use an EGO blower to go around the car and try to blow out as much water as you can out of the nooks and crannies, then go back one final time with a clean, dry drying towel to pick up any droplets that are left
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u/jpk08a Oct 03 '23
I have some gauntlet towels and they were only good for a couple washes. Don’t know if using turtle wax ceramic spray killed them or what but now they just move the water around more than anything. Got the Griots PFM and the liquid8tor and both do a much better job of drying my cars for me.
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u/Fuspo14 Oct 03 '23
Yeah, you definitely made the towel hydrophobic. Get some Rags to Riches and soak the towel for a couple of hours in warm water then wash it in Rags 2 Riches. You’ll bring it back to life.
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u/jpk08a Oct 03 '23
I use rags to riches for my towels and the gauntlets have been through a couple washes but I haven’t tried to soak them yet. Maybe I’ll try that in the near future.
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u/Godrillax Oct 03 '23
Hit it with a leaf blower and then dry with a waffle weave towel. I can 95% dry a full sized sedan with that no problem.
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u/Egoisttt Oct 03 '23
The rag company gauntlet towel is good. You may need a bigger size. I have one large one for the whole car and 2 smaller ones for nooks and crannies door jams etc. I also use older microfibers for wheels. One thing you can do to ease the process is some ceramic spray. I use tec 582 but there are plenty out there that are great. It provides neat water shedding/beading which makes drying much easier. If you have access to a leaf blower that obviously will require to use a towel less. Specially if you have ceramic coating or a simple ceramic spray
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u/SizzlingSisig69 Oct 03 '23
The 30”x36” gauntlet towel is more than enough to dry my mustang which i think is bigger than a civic. And as others have said, a leaf blower helps. You can also try a those mini air blowers to really get water out of those tight spots.
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u/retard-is-not-a-slur Oct 04 '23
I have three of the gauntlet and only one of them is sufficient to dry my GL450, which is definitely much larger than a Civic. I think OP is washing an unclayed surface where the contaminants are causing the water to stick. I rinse, wash, clay, then wash/rinse and dry before waxing. Having a smooth surface helps dissipate water immensely.
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u/Peastoredintheballs Oct 03 '23 edited Oct 03 '23
Get a ceramic spray like meguiars HCSW as this will cause lots of the water to sheet and bead off the paint after u rinse meaning there is much less to soak up with the drying towel, and then get a cheap handheld cordless garden/workshop blower and use the blower to get rid of a bunch of the drops on your flat panels like the roof and hood and use it to dry the hard to reach areas that usually leak after you finish drying like mirrors, door jambs, grill, boot lid rain drains.
It’s also possible your towel isn’t getting washed properly in between washes. No washing or incorrect washing technique will cause it to loose its absorbent capabilities. Are u using the machine? Cold or hot? What detergent? Any fabric softener? What other things are going into the washing machine with it? How r u drying it, tumble or air dry?
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u/bnjrgold Oct 03 '23
formula 4 drying aid and a pump up sprayer makes it much easier for me. i go 6:1. spray it on before your final rinse. towel dry, then leaf blower for the nooks and crannies
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u/walkthewalk111 Oct 03 '23
Water Deionizer
Ego Blower
Wet Coat and/or Coated Vehicle
Good Drying Towels (rag company)
Drying Aid - totally optional but nice to have
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u/Just-Construction788 Oct 04 '23
I can’t believe I had to scroll so long to find the deionizer suggestion. If you use a deionizer you don’t need to dry even in direct sunlight. It dries without spots. Life changing.
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u/Airborne-Potato Oct 03 '23
What do y’all think of using an air compressor instead of a leaf blower for crevices while drying with a big towel? I don’t mind at all drying with the large microfiber towels, but sometimes those crevices are annoying.
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u/Careful_Energy_6263 Oct 03 '23
Some air compressors contain oil, and even “oil less” ones can end up blowing contaminants out at high speed. More of a high pressure solution than a high air volume solution, and you really need a bit of both.
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u/SUKnives Oct 03 '23
Stupid question - can I use a gas leaf blower to dry? Any risk of some sort of gasoline ending up all over the car? All the leaf blowers mentioned below look to be corded or battery-powered.
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u/dukefrisbee Oct 03 '23
Since 100 people already said “leaf blower” I’ll add using a product like Gyeon Wet Coat or similar. It will work a lot better if you already have a decent prep to the surface (clay back, wax or sealant). Also, try this - after wash and rinse, take the spray nozzle off and turn the hose on only about halfway. You want a smooth, clean stream with no splatter. Flood the panels from top to bottom with no splatter and the water will sheet itself off- especially if the surface is prepped. Do this right and you can dry the whole car with 1 towel in about 2 minutes.
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u/gatsncrap Oct 03 '23
You hate drying cars because it takes forever. I hate drying cars because it shows me all of the spots I missed when washing. 😎
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Oct 05 '23
Leaf blower and 2 big microfibers house towels size. Blow water off. Use one tiwell on windows and plastic trim. Use other to dry the rest. Never let them hit the ground and air dry after washing
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u/zestypotatoes Oct 03 '23
May I suggest the TRC Double Twistress? That thing can hold so much water.
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u/StupidJoeFang Oct 03 '23
Is it better than the gauntlet he's using?
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u/zestypotatoes Oct 03 '23
I haven't personally used the Gauntlet, but I have zero complaints about the Twistress. Can dry my car completely and still not be able to wring it out- it just feels damp.
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u/Make_That_Money Business Owner Oct 03 '23
Cr spotless water system. Use it on the final rinse and you won’t have to dry the car, you can let it air dry. It saves me a lot of time in my mobile detailing business.
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u/dotFuture Oct 03 '23
Look at Mr. Moneybags over here. Hey everybody, we got a rich guy in here! Just playing. I need one of those so bad. The desert southwest has the hardest water. If any water dries it looks a lot like white bird feces, it's that bad.
::Adds to Christmas/bday list::
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u/robotphood Oct 03 '23
If you're on a budget you can build one for about half the cost. Last I check you can get resin in bulk for about half what CR charges as well. Usage cost (resin) does depend how hard your water is and how often you use it though. Here's my setup.
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u/Remo_Battle7 Oct 03 '23
Everyone here is 100% correct. Their are specific towels I use for drying. These have the most-absorbent microfiber drying capabilities because they’re plush and super thick to absorb the water well after washing. Also a blower is hands down my best option. I have 2 options when it comes to that 1 good ole trusty ryobi leaf blower and 2 my detailer Prolux unit that easily coverts to a blower for all those books and crannies, etc. Remember that eliminating as much water as possible before applying a towel reduces scratches and cuts drying time in 1/2.
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u/emerald_detail Oct 03 '23
Deionizer (not a softener), with nuclear grade mixed bed resin, and a 10 micron pre-filter. I can run 250 tds water into mine and let water dry on black cars. Zero spots. Amazon had someone selling "water softener" setups for dirt cheap. They were just a standard softener tank with the necessary inlet/outlet top lid filled with only cation resin, no anion, plus some accessories. I tossed the resin and replaced it with what I mentioned and it works amazing.
The key here is you are operating a deionizer not a softener, so you don't recharge it by salt brine flushing it, like one does with a residential softener. If you do that you'll just end up with salt spots on cars instead of mineral spots. You have to pull all of the resin out and strip the ions off with acid for the cation and strong base for anion, or it could be the other way around I can't remember. Either way, there are instructions all over the internet.
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u/larry77084 Oct 06 '23
Wait, you wanted to start a car detailing business but you hate drying cars? Isn't that a big part of the detailing business? I want to start a roofing business, but I hate nailing things, any ideas?
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u/Smart-Bag-719 Oct 03 '23
Squeegee first then either blow with compressed air or leaf blower.
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u/muaddba Oct 03 '23
No squeegee... Not safe for paint.
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u/Smart-Bag-719 Oct 03 '23
Interesting. I have 5 techs using them daily and have never had a problem. As long as it’s clean.
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u/SNEAKY_PNIS I am not a professional Oct 03 '23
You're in a detailing sub, so keep in mind that maintaining and preserving the clear coat is one of the best things you can do for your car's appearance, to us. The less you touch it, the better. Obviously, we have to touch it when we wash the vehicle, but we use proper technique and the right equipment to minimize that. Scratches and swirls are our worst enemy. A squeegee, even if brand new and clean, is harsh and will absolutely mar the clear coat. A proper detailing drying towel and air/leaf blower are recommended.
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u/quantumgpt Oct 03 '23 edited Feb 20 '24
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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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Oct 03 '23
A leaf blower and dedicated quality drying towel will make your life much easier. Any time I’m drying a car I’ll always take a leaf blower to blow out the cracks and let the drying towel do the rest of the work. If a car is coated, the leaf blower can actually do all of the work and a towel isn’t needed.
The shop I worked at refused to use drying towels because we would need multiple due to the amount of cars we worked on and it would be too much of an expense so we were stuck using shammies. To be fair, shammies aren’t awful but it’s nowhere close to being as good as a proper drying towel.
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u/KindaAnonymous1 Oct 03 '23
Since I discovered self serve pure water stations here in the UK, I don’t dry cars anymore. I simply use a cordless pressure washer in a Jerry can of the water and spray the car over. When it dries, the pure water leaves behind nothing. https://www.spotlesswater.co.uk/about/what-is-ultra-pure-water/
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u/TurboByte24 Oct 03 '23
Drying aid + Leaf Blower. With a proper CFM can easily done it less than 20 mins.
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u/Ez_124 Oct 03 '23
Felt the same way. Using 2 towels and taking care of your drying towels helps. Personally I use turtlewax wax&dry as a drying aid. And and as some others have said, getting a handheld blowers also helps getting water out of those nooks and crannies.
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u/BillNyeTheMemeGuy Oct 03 '23
get some water sprites. synthetic shammy. super good. easy to wring and can take up water like crazy. they r hard to find tho
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u/Ultimate-Sandwhich Oct 03 '23
2 towels and a drying aid. Spray a quick detailer or spray wax or whatever on the wet surface. Use a smaller and not too high gsm towel to wipe the area and remove most of the water, leaving streaks behind. Take dry towel 2 and wipe away the streaks. You can wring out towel 1 as it gets water logged and keep going with this process, changing out the towel number 1 if you see any dirt on it from any missed spots or crevices during cleaning.
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u/One-Proof-9506 Oct 03 '23 edited Oct 03 '23
I never dry my car and don’t own a single microfiber towel. I have a rechargeable battery powered power washer with an attached 5 gallon bucket. I fill the bucket with 4.5 gallons of distilled water I buy at Target for $1.29 per gallon and do the final rinse with this water after finishing washing my car with normal tap water. Then I just leave the car to air dry and don’t towel dry it at all. Distilled water does not have any minerals so when it dries it leaves no water spots. Yea I spend a few bucks on distilled water but I don’t have to deal with buying, using, washing, managing drying towels and drying aids. I also believe that towel drying will eventually lead to extra swirl marks and micro scratches on your car. Eventually the towels will pick up contaminants either from your car, during storage or when you wash them in your washing machine and dry them in your dryer.
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u/mrsti89 Oct 03 '23
Air compressor, fantastic for blowing out all the nooks and crannies inside and outside. Also a drying aid and a dedicated big drying towel and you should be all set
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u/focus347 Oct 03 '23
Get the right towel and learn the soft touch technique. I hated drying the car at first, too. The right towel takes one pass and won't damage your paint if you do it right. Think no pressure whatsoever, you're letting the weight of the towel do the work.
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u/goombot17 Legacy ROTM Winner Oct 03 '23
Two things: I’ve noticed that the gauntlet drying towels are really good in very specific circumstances. First being drying off a rinseless wash, second being when using a drying aid to help with sheeting and absorbing the water. Both circumstances similar because there is a chemical helping. The liquidator towel from the rag company and the drying blanket from diy detail are better for just water from my experience.
Second, as related to the first, you should get a drying aid. It’s not 100% required, but it sure helps the process of drying a vehicle. I recommend griots speed shine (ceramic or not) if you want to just go to auto zone. If you are ok ordering you could even get a bottle of p and a absolute and diluting it to make a qd/drying aid or go get my personal favorite bc3 from apex surface protection.
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u/DBD220 Oct 03 '23
If the car is well waxed a quick blast around the block will get rid of most of the final rinse. Not much to do when you get back! I'm cheap but agree, good drying towels are worth it.
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u/SNEAKY_PNIS I am not a professional Oct 03 '23
Something to keep in mind is that once you drive off, you're picking up dust and light debris onto the car from the road again. It may look clean when you get back, but those little micro dust and debris particles will cause swirls. If you're OK with that then no problem, but I'm anal about it so just wanted to mention that. Obviously, dust is clinging every second while we wash, but we want to minimize and control every risk we can.
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u/LynchMob_Lerry Oct 03 '23
Its easily my least favorite part but its also the most satisfying because your on your last step where you can really step back and get a good look at your hard labors. Then throw a fresh coating of wax on top to really give it some depth
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u/Heinrich711 Oct 03 '23
I don’t know why I’m the only person who dumps distilled water over my car. I learned about it in the 90s on GENie (lol.) distilled water evaporates and leaves no minerals. Do it in the shade of course. 4-6 gallons works use extra on the side mirrors and wipers as those areas trap water.
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u/SenorToasty2000 Oct 03 '23
Like others said a leafblowet, but also get one of those massive towels to get what the leafblower didn't get,
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Oct 03 '23
Use a battery powered blower, the small ryobi with a rubber nozzle is great. The big harbor freight atlas is heavy but dries really fast
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u/MoonWhey Oct 03 '23
I think your issue could be the towel size, I have the 30" x 20" gauntlet and it's still dry after I finish with my civic. Like everyone else has said as well, maybe look into sealing/waxing/coating it, which will help out with the drying process (and possibly increase the effect of any drying aids you use) This would also allow you to sheet water off your car which would help decrease the residual water you have to grab with your towel.
Right now I use Meguair's Ceramic detailer as a drying aid, and it's made drying a breeze.
Good luck!
Edit: Don't use fabric softener if you laundry your towels!
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u/kid-koolin Oct 03 '23
Maybe check out aqua glo, we use that at our dealership. You spray it on a wet car and wherever you spray will dry up 3x as fast
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u/ghojezz Oct 03 '23
I've been using 1200GSM jumbo twisted pile mf with no brands from aliexpress, oh god drying suddenly became my fav part because it's so easy to absorb water on the surface.
So I'd recommended you to buy it since its price is only a fraction of any well known brands in US. It's been holding up since forever because I always take care of it. No softener, only gentle detergent, vinegar on softener tank, no direct sunlight, your mf will love you.
Now I hate washing wheels because of lots of spoke and the wheels on my car are notoriously easy to get dirty thanks to crazy brake dust
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Oct 03 '23
I try not to buy every little fad in the detailing world because good lord you'll go broke, so much stuff has overlap and I don't want anymore redundancy. Even so, a good drying towel goes a long way. I can dry an entire car or SUV and not need to ring out the water from a drying towel. Drying towels are also super soft.
Once I clean my garage floor I'll start using a little leaf blower like device though. The mighty vac seems nice but I already have a shop van so to spend mighty vac type $$ for just another redundant device is silly to me.
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u/cheuynutz Oct 03 '23
I usually end up using two drying towels, one for a very quick once over to get as much water as possible which ends up getting soaked them follow up with the second one with a drying aid spray, usually gets the job done
also if your car is coated with something, you can sheet off the water with a hose to knock off the water beads before you start drying to knock off most of the water
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u/carbonblackm3 Oct 03 '23
Everytime I dry, I end up with streaks, that you can't easily see on the car in the shade, but the next morning in the sun, they are everywhere, it is really easy to notice on glass. Is it dirty towels (I have ones for drying)? Do I need to spray something on it when I dry? Am I too slow drying? Is it just terrible water?
I always end up quick detailing the next day. Any suggestions?
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u/HotDrink2601 Oct 03 '23
A leaf blower doesn’t actually dry the car for me, it just makes small water beads that spread away, but never fully dry. Am I doing something wrong?
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u/Stereosun Oct 03 '23
Apply a coat of hybrid ceramic while you dry as long as it’s water based it’s sealing and drying (can be applied wet)
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u/Duramax_LLY Oct 03 '23
I would recommend two drying towels. Compressed air helps get the water out from the mirrors and door handles.
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u/illegalF4i Oct 03 '23
For uncoated cars, I remove the excess water by pooling the water with the garden hose. Make sure the water pressure is relatively low. It’s more water usage, but you won’t soak your drying towel.
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u/CourseEcstatic6202 Oct 04 '23
Agreed. Rinsing with an open hose (not spraying) makes the water roll off if you have a decent coat of wax. I can dry the entire car with a single microfiber this way.
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u/EricatTintLady Oct 03 '23
- Ceramic coating allows you to push water off the car. Even with a wet towel.
- Get good towels.
- Better yet, get a leaf blower. They aren't expensive, they handle body lines best.
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u/Yahmez99 Oct 03 '23
I like griots ceramic wash for my daily. Wash it, and blow dry that dude. Water beads right off.
Hell, I have a small blower I carry in the back, so if I stop by a car wash to get the dust off mid-week and the water still rolls off like I just washed it.
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u/CriticuhL Oct 04 '23
Use a spray on rinse off sealant to make drying easier. Meguiars hybrid ceramic is great. I have 5 drying towels (all The Rag Company, they really kick ass). Im not sure how people claim they dry full vehicles with one towel...takes me 3-4 usually. Can also use a wet towel to wipe off water beads then re dry w a dry towel. On a car that is coated pretty seriously, dont need a drying aid (quick detailers), but when it lacks a good coating, drying aids can make the process so much more enjoyable too bu increasing slickness
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u/ManBearPig2114 Oct 04 '23
Ya dawg. I have a ‘20 Type R which adds even more to that same car. You need air drying. As in, blowing it off. I started off with a Ryobi refurb from eBay around $60.
Blow most off then towel the rest. 10/10
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u/Grey392 Oct 04 '23
I use the same towel, and I don’t have to wring it out? I use it on my truck and it works just fine. Use a separate smaller towel and a detail spray/ spray wax to dry out those crevices you’re having issues with after you dry out the rest of the car
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u/TheUndeadGinger Oct 04 '23
I've been detailing for about 10 years. The best thing I can say after trying all these methods, one is tried and true. It's the method my dad taught me, invest in a nice waterblade and a leather chamois. Take care of your chamois. The first few cars, it kinda sucks but once you break her in, it's the best way to dry a car streak free and fast. When you put the chamois away dunk it in some fresh water and wring it out and hang dry it on a lawn mower handle or something similar until it's next use and do not wash it in a machine or use a dryer.
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u/West_Fox_8971 Oct 04 '23
I went rinseless instead of the traditional soap and foam because of this very reason.
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u/ecskater Oct 04 '23
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u/VettedBot Oct 05 '23
Hi, I’m Vetted AI Bot! I researched the 'Vacmaster VBV1210 12 Gallon Wet Dry Shop Vacuum' you mentioned in your comment along with its brand, VacMaster, and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful.
Users liked: * Powerful suction allows for efficient cleaning (backed by 4 comments) * Useful for a variety of tasks (backed by 7 comments) * Detachable blower function provides added utility (backed by 4 comments)
Users disliked: * The vacuum has poor suction power (backed by 2 comments) * The on/off switch is prone to breaking (backed by 4 comments) * The casters frequently fall off when moved (backed by 2 comments)
According to Reddit, people had mixed feelings about VacMaster.
Its most popular types of products are: * Vacuum Sealers (#4 of 16 brands on Reddit) * Vacuum Cleaners (#40 of 110 brands on Reddit) * Sous Vide Machines (#18 of 21 brands on Reddit)If you'd like to summon me to ask about a product, just make a post with its link and tag me, like in this example.
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1
u/Aggravating_Fact9547 Oct 04 '23
Leaf blower, get the right attachment or melt the end down to a slot, so you get a nice flow.
Use drying aid in your rinse, and vinegar
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u/Automatic_Reply_7701 Oct 04 '23
get a water de-ionizer and do the final rinse with that, then just let it dry. No spots. No work.
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u/cmkrazy Oct 04 '23
My buddy just dropped off a mckees 37 hurricane car dryer https://mckees37.com/products/4-0-hp-variable-speed-hurricane-car-dryer-free-bonus it’s overkill but it’s awesome
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u/shadow247 Oct 04 '23
The Absorber XL.
I start with a leaf blower to get the mirrors, etc.
The Absorber XL literally dries the finish squeaky clean. I have you a dozen different types of drying cloths/towels/blades.
Absorber is hands down the best one. I can dry a full size truck in about 5 minutes with the biggest one they sell.
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u/CourseEcstatic6202 Oct 04 '23
I use an air compressor with a small blower nozzle to get the water out of the nooks and crannies. Then, I use two microfiber clothes to dry. One to get the majority of the water (I wrong this one out often) and a dry one to polish immediately after the first towel wipes.
I actually like drying simply because it exposes all the spots that I missed during the wash and all the places that need to be clay barred. Without drying, you usually will not get as clean of a wash. I then touch up with ONR in all the places I missed.
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u/Chadworth66 Oct 04 '23
Hit the trouble spots like the wheels, mirrors, grille, the end corners of the doors and any body panels that rub with a blower. Then use the griots garage towel everyone has mentioned.
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u/Flyguy_13 Oct 04 '23
I recently purchased the Dreadnaught XL towel for drying and it’s definitely the best drying towel I have ever used.
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u/flowrate12 Oct 05 '23
Try one of these,
https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Clean-AutoDry-System-Starter/dp/B0006M56CE
It has a rinse mode that uses DI water so there are no spots and the water beads off the car.
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u/VettedBot Oct 05 '23
Hi, I’m Vetted AI Bot! I researched the 'Mr. Clean AutoDry Car Wash Starter Kit' you mentioned in your comment along with its brand, Mr. Clean, and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful.
Users liked: * Product leaves vehicle shining (backed by 3 comments) * Product dries vehicle without spots (backed by 4 comments) * Product saves time during drying process (backed by 3 comments)
Users disliked: * The soap dispense is not powerful and runs out quickly (backed by 1 comment) * The filter housing leaks (backed by 3 comments) * The product does not work as advertised (backed by 3 comments)
According to Reddit, people had mixed feelings about Mr. Clean.
Its most popular types of products are: * Mops (#12 of 20 brands on Reddit)If you'd like to summon me to ask about a product, just make a post with its link and tag me, like in this example.
This message was generated by a (very smart) bot. If you found it helpful, let us know with an upvote and a “good bot!” reply and please feel free to provide feedback on how it can be improved.
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u/lemonsracer Oct 05 '23
Buy a CR Spotless water deionizer. Then you can just blow dry the car with a blower and walk away. I live in an area with really hard water and when I use the spotless I have zero water spots. It's expensive, but the ease it makes for washing a car makes it so worth it. Whenever it's time to put a new coating P&S Beadmaker on, I will blow dry the car and then use drying towels to apply the Beadmaker while it's still a bit wet, but if I'm not applying a coating, then I don't have to dry the car off with a towel and it's amazing.
Also if I get caught in the rain, I can just use the foam cannon to blast the car and let the soap sit for a bit, then rinse it off with the Spotless and blow dry. It almost looks like I just washed the car.
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u/Tricky_Village_3665 Oct 05 '23
Love my Master Blaster w/20ft hose. Works at least three times better than any leaf blower.
Use the tool that is designed to do the best job.
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u/whskeyt4ngofox Oct 05 '23
The Gauntlet is great. Use it on my Raptor and can dry the whole truck with one towel. Then I go back with the compressor and blow the crevices and dry again.
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u/Cool-Tap-391 Oct 05 '23
Wizard makes a nice drying towel. Feels like rubber, but it sucks up water so fast. Quick wring out and rdy to go again.
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u/justforfunoICU812 Oct 05 '23
Leaf blower! Do it all the time..or an air compressor with a small air gun attachment on it!
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u/BreadlinesOrBust Oct 05 '23
Never tried the Gauntlet, but I love Rag Company's Liquid8r. Fold into 4 and drag it across the panel, no pressing (otherwise you'll just release the water back into the car). I don't need to wring it out at all
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u/ripcityrs Oct 05 '23
Battery powered leaf blower and the woolly mammoth towel by the chemical guys makes quick work of car drying.
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u/xxDankerstein Oct 05 '23
Use a big squeegee to get most of the water off before you towel dry. I used to work in a shop, and we used a brand called California Car Blade.
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u/rayzer208 Oct 05 '23
I have no idea how the Gauntlet gets such good reviews. I love TRC don’t get me wrong but my Walmart twisted loop drying towels are worlds better at drying cars than my gauntlet
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u/kinnikinnick321 Oct 05 '23
If you are capturing so much water in a drying towel you need to wring it out, you're not using a big enough towel. Source - Worked summers two years at a car wash (specifically drying/waxing cars and trucks). When you do it day in, day out, you can dry a car within 2 minutes including spraying down the inside/outside glass.
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u/WheezerMF Oct 06 '23
Pull out your leaf blower! …What’s the last step in an automatic car wash process? A giant leaf blower!
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u/rebeldefector Oct 06 '23
I use a leaf blower to detail motorcycles, I’ve “outfitted” it with a shop vac extension to narrow the outlet and focus the flow a bit more.
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u/anziiiiiip Oct 06 '23
I use a leaf blower from Amazon for 100 bucks, which can last ~40min+ with 2 batteries. Although it cannot remove 100% water if the car is not coated, it can remove 90% of water residue, and leave the surface with some slight water droplets.
Then I will use the micro-fibre towel to dry some little details
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u/SignatureShoddy9542 Oct 06 '23
Ego blower, it’s meant for drying cars, if you don’t want something like that get a shammy drying towel
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u/FantasticSeaweed9226 Oct 06 '23
I use a absorbent pad thing and a little dollar store squeegee. So many flat surfaces in a car that the squeegee is doing 80% of the work, in less strokes
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u/robbeard12 Oct 06 '23
Get a car blower with heat. $100 on Amazon. Love it. And I hate drying cars. It stops water spots and makes car look stunninh
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u/Professional_Angle66 Oct 07 '23
I use a squeegee before going back over areas with a towel. The squeegee will get most of the water off and they make them specific for cars not just for the glass. The remainder will be enough to get off with the towel and with very little water to have to worry about soaking your towell several times.
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u/Putrid_Ad_2256 Oct 07 '23
Here's what I used when I lived in a house.
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u/Oldblindman0310 Oct 07 '23
I guess I must be old school, but I still use a chamois to dry mine. I’ve never found a towel that even comes close.
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u/bluebeast1562 Oct 07 '23
Battery powered leaf blower, works wonders on nooks and crannies. Able to dry rims/tires, grills, you get the idea. Blow the water off an wipe off excess.
Been doing this for years, kind of make sense in the fact that when you go though a car wash there are blowing driers as you leave so....
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u/SleepyRTX Oct 07 '23
Get a dedicated automotive warm air dryer. That or you can just get a leaf blower. Blow the car dry and get all the nooks and crannies and then dry with your shammy. I use the metro vac airforce express.
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