RobsTL-S

Hey guys, just got back from Costco and picked up one of those $13 California Silicone wipe thigamig for removing water from the car after her bath. Has anyone used one of these before? How is it on the paint? Should I return it and stick to the absorber/chamois?

STi

a lot of people recommand it here
but i just don't trust it that much, i have a bad feeling about dragging things over my paint
but that's only my opinion, many people said it works great, so i guess it's not that expensive, so why not give it a try and tell us how well it works

tdoh

I have it and it does cut down a bit on the amount of time spent on drying off your car. As long as you keep the blade clean it shouldn't mar the surface of your car--that is the one advantage it has over chamois and similar cleaning cloths, namely that it is easier to clean something like the CA Water Blade than it is a chamois, and even a chamois doesn't last forever...

WWW

I have been using it for over a year now and I think it's great for removing water from wide open area like the hood, roof, windows, etc. It gets rid of large amount of water quick but for tight corners, it a different story.

accordv6

I personally wouldn't use it if it was free.....I don't trust any "blades" silicone or not, rubbing against my baby. I'm sure it is okay if you aren't that anal about your car....but I wouldn't try it. I like to use an electric leaf blower to get all the water off before I dry it with a towel....it works really good, you can get all the water out of the mirrors, etc. so it doesn't come flying out when you drive the car

LITypeS

I wouldn't recommend using it. I used it once and it put some scratches on my hood and roof. Luckily I had Zaino and was able to buff it off. Stick to the chamois or 100% cotton towels made by Canon or Fieldcrest.

STi

blowers are definately the way to go! but do it where it's clean, i did it once in my back alley
after the car dried, all the dust got on the car again, what a waste of time

peiqinglong

BE VERY CAREFULY WITH THE CALIFORNIA WATERBLADE. It personally doesn't scratch your car, but if a single particle is on your car and you swipe it...it will scratch your clear coat. Go to autopia-carport.com forums for some horror stories with the car blade. I used to use it until I was taught the errors of my ways with all the swirls i have on my black CL. I would recommend "Big Blue Microfiber Towel" to dry. You can see it here on www.properautocare.com under Microfiber listed as Big Blue. This works so much better.

SimTypeS

If you wash your car in a clean area, and no dust or debris is going to get on your car, it should work fine. But, like people said, if something gets trapped in the blade and you rub it across your paint, it COULD put a minor scratch in it. I use it. I think it's the best for the windows.

NsX Pilot

i personally wouldnt use it either..... i just take the nozzel off my hose n run a stream over the car from top to bottom and it draws most of the beads of water off and then i blot it dry with an absorber and its spotless.

copland007

i've used it a few times for the windows does a good job. i can't stand the awful noise it makes, that's why i stopped using it

edgalang

Maybe you guys dont use it properly. I have mine for almost a year now and I wouldn't go back. Sure if anything gets trapped in it it MAY scratch up the car...but why is that any different than a towel or a chamois? You DO wash your car right? So there *shouldn't be anyhting on the paint...but just to make sure, I clean my blade every swipe I made and rotate it.

Never let it touch the ground (just like the chamois) and you should be fine.

99LagunaTL

I haven't had any problems with it. Just make sure the car is CLEAN and you'll be fine. It sure cuts down drying time .

bigman

Had mine for over a year and have used it on many cars with no problem. just dont hit the car with the handle and you will be fine.

JasonT

I did that more then a few times. That's why I stopped using it. Yes it works, but not in small areas. I also hated the noise it made.

Smelly

I've used the blade for a while also and have had no problems with it except for the one time the handle hit the car. It left a long streak of plastic from the handle on the car. After an hours worth the work to remove the residue, it was okay.

Anyways, I use the blade for the big open areas (hood, windows) and then go back with a chamois. Works pretty good, but still takes me a solid 45 minutes to totally dry my car.

garylee55

I've been using mine for 3 years now, and on a black car and I don't have a single scratch from it...it works fine.

RobsTL-S

well....I used it tonight based on most of your posts. It worked pretty good. I see what your saying with the noise. I rinsed it several times to make sure that no debris was stuck on it. I guess it saved some time. I also use an absorber. With the two I washed and dried the exterior including wheels in about an hour. Thanks for all your thoughts!!