I have read endless threads on this topic but still can't seem to get it right. I wash and do the sheeting method to get the majority of the water off before drying. I use a WW mf from excel and a smaller WW as an associate towel. I blot with the large WW and finish drying with the associate towel but can't seem to do it fast enough before the water droplets start to dry up and you all know what that looks like. Also get streaks when doing this. I always have to go over the entire car with something else as a finishing step to get the spots off. I would like to master the technique of just a simple wash and dry WITHOUT any spots or streaks. Oh yeah, i'm washing in the shade as well. Help/tips/suggestions? I know i'm not the only one thinking this....

Thanks.

 

Maybe try some sort of compressed air or electric leaf blower. When the car has a nice layer of wax or sealant on it, with my leaf blower the water just flies off, and also using this method you will not need the associate towel, and you will have alot more luck getting all the water out of the window trim, door handles, badges, mirrors, trunk area..give it a try..

 

I don't have an air compressor or a blower.

Also I have a layer of DG105 on it.

 

I like to use Optimum Instant Detailer or Optimum Spray Wax for this. When there's a little bit of water still on the surface, I'll quickly spray a little of either on the panel and wipe it down. It adds lubrication so that you don't risk marring the delicate NBP finish with a dry towel, and adds a nice gloss to it at the same time. No spots, no streaks...

 

^ Do you find that you can't dry it quick enough and you start to get water spots in some locations before you get there to dry?

 

If so, the OID or the OSW takes care of that problem...

 

EXACTLY............It may be of benefit to add an additional layer of 105 as well. You have to keep that NBP slick at all times.
I use the two towel method on larger cars, but when Im pressed for time on a sedan, I will (after sheeting the water) wipe it down with either the Monterey or Pacific WW's only.
Shade is important, but not always in use!
Try picking up the pace a tad. Im huffin and puffin when Im done.......

 

Do you have a garage?

If so, pull it inside while the car is still wet. I NEVER dry my car off outside because of the hard water spots and streaking. Good luck!

 

Drop the blotting .. its of no benifit if the car if properly washed and rinsed and the water flooded off.. takes too much time .. People are under the impression that wiping with a towel will mar the paint .. it won't if you have a good clean M/F and your car is clean.

Take a Pacific WW towel and hold it by 2 corners on the 36" side and starting on the hood place one hand on the center of the hood and the other near the fender then pull the towel slowly over the hood , windshield, roof, trunk and across the trunk and up the rear window etc ending at the hood .. then holding it the same way pull it down both sides of the car .. next fold the other towel in 1/4 and quickly wipe the car down doing the hood/roof trunk first then the windows and the sides , back , front last. You'll determine the speed .. too fast and you get water trails

Requires some stertching and bending but I'm close to 65 and do it all the time .

 

<----------- Agrees with the wiseman.......
Dale, out of curiosity, how long have you been detailing?

 

I think it has been two months since I washed the TL...

OK.....drying the NBP....Let's see....This paint will mar if you look at it funny. A soft MF and QD is no guarantee that you will not pick up a scratch. Sometimes I just have to and ask myself why I torture myself.

1. I only wash when the sun is low.
2. Hose down car with water sheeting method.
3. Drag WWMF towel by the corners on all horizontal surfaces and as much of the sides without wiping. No pressure on the WWMF!
4. Metro Blaster Sidekick to blow off remaining water from paint, seams, and wheels.
5. QD or SprayWax for final wipedown.

 

Just use Wax As-U-Dry from Eagle One. After you wash the car, drive it around for about 2 minutes to get rid of most of the water, then spray this on as you dry the car - it works great !!

 

You kidding me? With the guys in here?
We're anal!!

 

Todd nailed it. Opt ID&GE. I barely bother drying with ONR, I just follow it up with OID&GE knowing that I'm going to get spots no matter what.

Although I'll be trying distilled water this weekend as an experiment.

 

Since I got my first car when I was 16 and at the higher end levels as detailing evolved .. In reality detailing like we talk about in here hasn't been been around all that long , more sinse the info highway allowed us to share info .. As for me doing it for money .. 5 years .. for pleasure 30 years. Learned a lot from mistakes and following hearsay and wives tales .. I only advise from experience not from " I heard " .

BTW I'll be 65 next month so thats a lot of mistakes to learn from.

 

LMAO............

 

Very true indeed. As two experienced NBP owners, we absolutely know what works with this challenging paint. MF can, will, and does mar the finish if not the right product. I'm sure like me, you've went through a lot of different products and techniques to get it dialed in.

Proper washing and drying technique along with choice of products are paramount with NBP for sure.

 

Actually NBP isn't any different than WDP just that its easier to see the marring if it happens. On WDP you can see the marring if its there by you using the right light, and I do.

Fact is your going to mar any of them if not done right.

Last car I had was a black VW Passat and even tho the clear is pretty hard on those it still marred very easy , just harder to buff out. I learned the hard way on that one.

 

I find that very annoying myself. I had the same thing happen when I worked on the black Mercedes I did the write-up on a few days ago. When drying it, I actually 'installed' new swirls and I wasn't even applying any pressure to the hood. Then it resisted my attempts to polish it...

 

Or extremely suffering from the worst case of OCD known to man!!

 

yeah, maybe I should have said to Zaino the whole car after washing !!!

 

Consensus here?^ Doing it this way, fast enough will eliminate streaking and spotting? Or will I still have to go over it with a spray wax or quick detailer?

Thanks for all the help and suggestions guys.

 

IMO, you should do this anyway.......
I did 951 x 2 yesterday. Nice and slick by days end!

 

Doing a complete car with spray wax...how many of the smaller towels do you typically go through? I use 1 to apply the spray wax to the whole car (1 panel at a time) and I believe I used like 3 other towels to do the buffing/drying of it. This sound about right?

 

I started using the Mr. clean car wash, but only use the rinse with the filter portion. It softens the water and I have not had any streaking or hard water deposits.

 

^ that actually sounds like a good idea. I generally disagree with "wonder products" like that Mr. Clean set, but the water softening filter is a good idea if it works.

 

And again on the SUV this morning. I used one Pacific while drying and applying 951, then used another and went over it again w/951 full strength.
Dang i love that stuff..........Between Duragloss 951 and Optimum Car Wax, your pretty well protected with/after each wash...........

 

You finely mist the 951 on the paint while you are dragging the towel across similar to as mentioned above? And did you use an associate towel or something similar to go over the whole car w/ 951 full strength? One towel to wipe it on and buff it off...? Or one towel to wipe it on and another dry one to buff? Thanks for the comments pat.

 

This is what ONR supposedly does, too. You would be able to add it to anything you use to soften water.

 

I'm all for the OID after or during I dry. Before I had it in my arsenal I found that my car still wouldn't look that great after washing it, even if I dried it quickly. Using OID easily takes away the light water spots/drying streaks and leaves my car looking perfect and glossy. Love it

 

I actually mist an entire side of the SUV with 951, then rather swiftly dry that side. I will repeat the process to the whole SUV breaking it inito 5 areas, driver side, hood, pass side, rear, and roof.
After I have completed this quick dry, I then take the 951 with another Pacific WW and repeat the process but at a slower pace. This ensures maximum coverage and detail. Im actually starting to like using the Pacific for spray waxes better for some reason, the seam to like to glide over the surface easier then a MF.