While driving home this evening, I was thinking about tomorrow's car wash and general clean-up.

Back in my pre-TL days, I used to occasionally take my cars to an automatic carwash. After the final rinse, usually a giant blower would move most of the surface water off the car; leaving one of the lot yahoos to towel down the remaining water.

What would be wrong with taking my air compressor, putting on a spray nozzle and blasting most of the water off the TL?

Practical or hair-brained?

 

Try this with a leaf blower, only make sure there is no hidden debris that might shoot out and scratch your paint.

 

You are still taking a chance on damaging the paint, either with the air compressor or the leaf blower.

I usually just use one clean towel to remove most of the water, and then another clean towel to finish the drying. I have found that using a chamois will remove a lot of the wax, but maybe that is just my experience.

If I am feeling too lazy to do the first drying operation, I will drive the car around the block, which gets rid of most of the water and makes the final drying easier.

You must have a good wax job, because that is what makes the water bead up and stay on the car. If the wax job is bad, or not done at all, the water just kind of rolls of, which makes it easier to dry but doesn't look as good when finished.

 

Get some microfiber towels at car parts store or WalMart, etc. Wash them first with liquid detergent and rinse with some vinegar - dry with no/little heat.

Use the leaf blower to clear water from cracks and crevices and the majority off the panels of the car. Remember to start on the roof and work the air down towards the ground, or you'll be there all day chasing water around your car

Once you have most of the water off the car, and AFTER you have washed the microfibers and used some vinegar in the rinse cycle - you would blot or gently wipe the rest of the water off your car.

Microfiber towels are super absorbing towels - much better and softer than cotton towels or even chamois.

I've been using this technique since I bought the car in March and I don't have any washing / drying induced scratches.

 

Any particles in the air would hit really hard and maybe pock mark the clearcoat. I'd just use towels.

 

Hey Ron, I don't think that driving around the block before drying is a good idea. Even a short trip like that could put tiny debris onto the car's surface, which could easily be unknowingly rubbed in during subsequent drying.

I use a chamois on both of my cars (and use a microfiber-coated sponge to wash), and I don't have a single swirl mark or scratch.

 

Just a bit hare-brained.

I'd use a towel.

 

Jeff, it sounds like a good idea, but its execution would be less than ideal for the reasons stated above. I use a California water remover (e.g. squeegee) that I keep clean to avoid scratching and one towel. Cuts the drying time in 3/4s and I've never scratched the paint, even on my black 2G TL.

HTH

 

I've used the leaf blower many times and other than the neighbors and neighborhood gardener's thinking I'm a nut it works great but it's never saved me any time.
It's great for blowing all that water that collects in the side mirror(s) that always used to drain for like a half hour after I dried the car.
Also speeds up the drying of the wheels and tires allowing you to treat them much sooner and get the whole process down to a reasonable time of 90 minute to totally clean the inside/out/trunk and engine compartment.

 

I hope you are using a electric leaf blower. The oil/gas mixures can leave a mess. I notice that the Air coming out of the leaf blower (if mixed wrong) is BLUE. That means that the OIL from the mixture is burning and coming out the blower end. That means OIL is getting on the car . I saw my friend do this with his M3 and told him. He stopped that day. Even with a proper mixture, I am sure you are getting some OIL on the car. Then you need to start washing all over again.

 

Good suggestions all ... in fact, I use a California blade now to get most of the water, getting the rest with microfine cloths. I was just curious whther the compressor/nozzle could replace the blade - especially on the mirrors, tires and other hard to get places.

It's 7AM, sun's in good non-direct position and I'm off to the driveway.

Happy Washing!

<----- BTW, the Team WD Mascot also helps loosen the dirt on the tires!

 

Like Neuronbob I use a California squeegee (Pep Boys ~$15) and one old cotton bath towel. Fast and effective. The towel never even gets that wet. After the squeegee I dry all the glass first and then work the rest from the top down. It's all very scientific.

 

Thanks for the concern 04TLMan about using a gas leaf blower. Having had the smarts to buy the TL that wisdom allows that I know to use an electric blower.
The image of someone using the gas powered blower is a kick...does sound like something someone would try and realize that it just spits stuff all over the car.
Oh, I bought my blower for use only on the car. It'll never see grass and leaves.
And it's great to blow out the interior of older cars. Having done this to our '01 Mercedes you would not believe the dust that flew out of the rear seat area...wow!

 

I use an Absorber like a blanket to pull it over the horizontal panels - then i squeegee the rest and thwe windows with a Cali Blade. Final wipe down with the Absorber, then Z-12 and I am done.

I figure if a cheap-axx commercial carwask uses a blower, it has to be the worst way to dry - of course, after all those harsh detergents and the "scratchless" filthy wash tentacles, the blower is the least of one's worries. I never use a commercial cleaner, except for the beater cars.

The good cars are in a heated/AC'd garage, with filtered, lukewarm water for washing. Is that anal or what? No scratches or mineral deposits on my cars.

 

the zaino guys say that a leafblower works well

they also reccomend against the cali blade being used on the body of the car.

 

Z5 sales must be down. I love Zaino, but much of what is posted about them and by them is just plain silly. It is like the Druids or the Gnostics have retirned to power. Ayatollah Sal rules! (Hey, they know polish, but that does not make them experts in mechanical devices).

I have used squeegees for years, with absolutely no problems. And my first one was one I made from parts I got from the Lab - not the softer silicone rubber of today. The Cali Blade is made from the stuff sex toyz are made of (someone told me that - yeah, that's right).

Any dirt or crud from the blower will be hitting the paint at 100 mph or so; even a gnat can become a missile, and sheet metal damage is damage forever. Flesh can heal.