I have a brand new TSX CGP/QTZ and I have been doing everything to prevent swirls, but yesterday when i was drying it off after a wash I noticed some tiny streaks/swirls on the hood. Not many but its only two weeks old!

What am I doing wrong?! I am by no means an expert at washing. I practically never washed my honda before buying this car, but I have been reading on here a lot to figure out the best method.

I have washed the car three times since I bought it, and with the second wash I waxed it with Mcguires NXT spray wax.

I am using a sheepskin wash mit that I bought from walmart for like 10 bucks, and I am using a "Black Magic" drying cloth, that was brand new the first time i dried the car. I am using turtle wax soap, that is a bit old, but i have a ton of it and i am trying to get rid of it.

When i waxed the car I used a microfiber applicater, and I used a microfiber cloth to buff off the wax.

The things that I think might be causing the problem are:
1) Using a high pressure water hose (I live in an apartment with no outside foset, just a public car washing facility where all they have is high pressure)
2) I am rinsing off the mit every so often, but not after every swipe. I bring a bucket full of fresh cold water from my house to keep it from getting sudsy to rinse the mit in.
3) I am using warm water with the soap, and cold water to rinse the car (its my only option).

Any ideas?

 

I can understand your situation and living in a complex is restricts your from performing the necessary upkeep of your vehicle. Here's an article by David Bynon of Better Car Care about swirls and what could possibly cause them. Another good article is "How To Wash and Dry Your Car" from the same site. Another good read is "Proper Washing Techniques" by Exceldetail and "How To Wash Your Car Like A Pro". Just a thought, compare your technique with those mentioned and go from there. IMO, I think swirls are inevitable but can be minimized using the right equipment and proper techniques.

 

thanks for the linkage, hopefully they can all be buffed out, the only problem is i don't have a buffer

 

Perfect excuse to get one ^^.

 

A nice layer of protection will help foreign materials from adhering, thus minimizing removal problems......Less to remove, well, less chance of leaving any marring.......
Use quick detailers to lengthen your wash periods....

 

Time for you to buy a PC polisher. I got rid of all my swirls using it a week ago.

 

What color is your car?

 

When you dry your car and when buffing off your wax, do you do so in circles or straight lines? I do it using the straight lines method. For the hood, roof and boot, I do front-rear and for the doors and quarter panels, I do it top-bottom.

 

Up/Down, Side/Side, or Circular motions make no difference. If you are creating swirls in your paint from the way you polish or dry then it's the wrong technique or product you are using. If this is the case then stop and reevaluate what you are doing. I use all the methods stated above and I have seen no difference in keeping a swirl free finish. After all, we are not polishing wood.

 

I have a CGP exterior and I do swirls as well and straight lines (the arm gets tired of swirls after about thirty minutes).

I am up for another wash this weekend as I am showing it off to more family and friends... The only reason I am washing it so often is because of showing it to everyone. After this trip most everyone I know will have seen the car, so I won't be washing it every 5 days.


I am going to wash out the mit really good before I start washing again this time and I am also going to make sure I rinse it more carfully and more often.

How often should I wax it?

 

There is a difference. I mentioned drying and buffing, not polishing or during waxing. When drying and buffing, you are losing that lubricating layer (water) or thinning down the protection (wax) that prevents swirls. Cheap microfibres and drying chamois will swirl your paint. The orientation of the swirls make it more obvious. On the hood, you notice left to right swirls more than front to back ones. If you have circular swirls, then that is the most obvious.

 

.....Let's see..........Well?.....

I still disagree. Whether someone is drying, buffing, polishing, waxing, etc. there is no particular direction you should have to wipe. If you are drying the car then the towel, microfiber, or chamois will already be wet and thus prevent typical swirling. Now, wiping a dry surface with a dry cloth or towel can and WILL create swirls. Left to right or circular swirls/scratches is all the same to me since they are flaws in the finish. This is poor technique and as I stated previously one should stop and reevlauate what they are doing. I use both premium (Meguiars) and cheap (Costco) microfiber towels and have no issues with creating swirls because I use the right products and techniques.

 

Has anyone tried that mr. clean auto dry system and does it work??

 

There's a couple of Mr. Clean car wash threads:
https://acurazine.com/forums/wash-wax-23/mr-clean-auto-wash-333732/
https://acurazine.com/forums/wash-wax-23/anyone-used-mr-clean-auto-wash-dry-machine-148651/

 

I don't think it's anything that you did wrong. The car pretty much comes without any form of protection when it comes out of the lot. Aside from a quick detailing routine to make it presentable to the buyer, the dealer most likely just applied a coat of generic wax/ cleaner wax on the car and that would have worn out after the first few weeks anyway.

The idea, like what theresident experts here recommend, is to begin your regimen early in the life of the finish. Clay, polish then seal the finish with the right products and it should remain protected for years to come.