You’ve taken all precautions to ensure that you do not generate swirl marks with improper washing technique. Your pride and joy is all cleaned up and ready to be dried. For years, the chamois was the go-to for car guys. But…is it still the best? Drying car paint safely -how can you do it?
It’s hard to say what causes more problems and swirl marks, bad washing or bad drying technique. In truth, either could be worse than the other. The bottom line is, when you rub dirt across your paint, swirl marks are made. Let’s ignore washing for a moment and discuss the way improper drying can ruin your day.
The goal for the car enthusiast and is to keep the swirl marks out and the shine in. By not rubbing dirt into paint, you succeed.
If you’re going to use drying towels, you want to have a fair amount of nap in the towel. What the nap does is give any debris that was either missed or blown on the paint since being wash a way off the paint. This is the area that chamois towels fail. The nature of a chamois is that it has practically no nap. When you are dragging it across the surface, every bit of debris is against the paint.
A nice microfiber towel will provide a good nap as well as a proper blend of polyester and nylon that will be softer than a chamois.
Waffle weave towels have gained traction over the last few years for drying cars as well. They just may be the king of absorption. But with less nap than a microfiber towel, it’s not the king of gentle necessarily.
I’ve seen where owners had wonderful microfiber towels but did not keep up on keeping them clean. This is as bad as it gets. When that towel is dirty you have 2 choices. Clean it properly or throw it away. There is no absolute answer as to which is your best option. But there is definitely a time to put a towel to rest forever. I dry a car and then put the towel aside for washing. But I have more towels than I can use in 3 weeks without washing once…
While drying with microfiber towels, move in straight lines. I find that over time(years) micro marring in straight lines is easier to repair and less noticeable. The less pressure you can apply, the better.
Another option that I opt for more so than towel drying is using an electric leaf blower. I find electrics are a better choice over gas-powered due to the risk of fuels or oil leaking while blowing or over a car. Electric blowers are lighter and easier on the ears.
Because leaf blowers do not touch the paint at all, the argument could be made that there is no better way to dry. You’re not touching the paint and there is no risk of damage through touching. I saw someone say a number of years ago how dangerous using a leaf blower was because it would shoot debris at paint at a high velocity. That doesn’t hold water for me. I’ve used one for years on freshly corrected paint and never had a single issue. Beyond that, what is going to be blown at a car….a pecan? I don’t see a speck of sand doing damage that route.
One of the nicest benefits to a leaf blower is that it dries out the crevices better than anything towel will.
There may be no single car detailing tool as polarizing as a water blade. Some hate and swear at them and others love and swear by them. I’ve seen success and failure. In my opinion, success depends on how thorough the wash is. The silicone itself will not scratch clear coat as it’s not near as hard. But if dirt gets lodged between the silicone and the paint, you’re going to have a bad day. A thorough wash will not leave debris on the surface but if it’s windy, it may not matter as debris can be blown on after the fact. If you use one, beware of it’s limitations.
Common sense will prevail most of the time while drying your car. Taking all of this information into consideration will mean you can make an informed decision moving forward on drying your paint. My .02 is keep a number of options available to yourself when preparing for a wash and dry. If one of them gets ruled out you can have a quality back up. But whatever you do, please don’t use a chamois.
Still not comfortable that you can safely dry your paint after a wash? Contact the professional car detailers at Detailed Designs Auto Spa. We are a professional car detailing shop that takes pride in proper car care in the Atlanta area.
By Jean-Claude Corcoran
