Stoney

My detailer says that the slight marks on my car are due to washing or drying (not his recent polishing job). He thinks drying.

These are very very fine, close sets of parallel scratches that are straightish (not swirly like an orbital polisher), but have that foggy, 3-d appearance similar to swirl marks. They are not the bright spider-web scratches, but are finer, closer, and dimmer, and come in sets that create a hazy 3D appearance. Definitely either from the washing step or the drying step, I believe.

Washing, I'm using the finest microfiber mits available, and keep them religiously clean. But, my initial rinse is not high-pressure, so it may leave more grit and dust than it should. That dust, but not the mitts, could cause these scraches.

My drying step uses fine-quality waffle-weave towels from Griots and a similar blue "The Big Guy" from AutoFanatics.

My detailer thinks the waffle weave is the problem. But, for the first year or so that I used them, I never saw a problem. Perhaps, they have become a bit stiff (maybe I didn't dry them correctly, or should I dampen them)?
My Griot's towels: <a href="http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog.jsp?SKUupsell=11117">Griot's Garage - MICRO FIBER DRYING TOWEL</a>
My blue one: <a href="http://store.yahoo.com/autofanatics1/miccham.html">AutoFanatics.com - Microfiber Chamois (towel, actually) - The Big Guy</a>
Similar one (softer?): <a href="http://microfibertech.com/greyWaffle-weave.html">Grey Waffle-Weave Microfiber Auto Drying Towel</a>.

They say that I should use a microfiber synthetic chamois like they use, which has a very soft feel, tends to pill up slightly with time, and is used wet. (It is not the firm, smooth synthetic chamois that is cheaper and not microfiber.) But I haven't seen any thing like this. The closest description I find is Griot's:
<a href="http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog.jsp?&SKU=11005">Griot's Garage - MICRO FIBER SYNTHETIC CHAMOIS</a>

Questions:
1. Are my scratched due to washing, or drying? (Perhaps incomplete washing that results in abrasion when drying?)
2. If the latter, where can I find such a soft microfiber synthetic chamois?

Thanks for your thoughts!

RKA

My *guess* is that it's not the waffle weave drying towel, but the microfiber wash mitt. Microfiber has a tendency to collect and trap dirt. I'm not so sure I'd want it for a wash mitt. I use wool wash mitts instead. they are very good at releasing dirt, and they are very soft and gentle on the paint.

Regarding drying towels...I've used the Griot's microfiber chamois, and I returned it. It was too much money, and I didn't find that it left the paint spotless when it was done. I've since moved on to a two step routine...I have old synthetic chamois I bought from Brookstone a long time ago. They are since very pilled, and don't dry the paint completely, but they absorb the bulk of the water, and they are very soft and gentle on the paint. I then follow up with the Big Blue drying towel (waffle weave). I do drag it on the paint, but obviously, the best technique is to "blot" out the remain water spots. I've had no issues with swirling when using this, but I do not have the expectation that ZERO swirls will occur on my paint over time. Once a year I'll go over the paint to deal with minor imperfections as best as I can.

If you're dead set on buying a microfiber chamois, I don't know any other place other than Griot's that carries it. My feeling is that this won't solve your problem.

Troy H

When I saw your car at Sears Point last year, it looked great. Right up until you left, like the rest of us. I still have two chips in the windshield from the beautiful mud/gravel mix coming off cars ahead of me, and I left EARLY!!

Seriously, it sounds like you're making a mountain out of a molehill. Like Raj said, you can't expect your finish to stay swirl free over time. You can only mitigate them by careful washing and drying (which you're obviously doing) and a good 2/3 times a year detailing.

BSOD

so when you dip it back in the bucket (or even after washing it in the washer/dryer) it still holds on to a lot of particles, which will scratch your paint. I have one that I bought initally for washing, but noticed that problem, so just occasionally use it to dust/wipe the interior. Personally, I prefer a 100% cotton wash mitt (from Viking), but some folks prefer a sheepskin one.

As for drying, the waffle-weave MF towels (whether from Griots/CMA/etc - I think they're all from the same mfg'er) work pretty good. Recently switched to a BBDT from CMA (used to use a P21S Super Absorbing Drying Towel), and like it much better. Only problem/hitch is that I have trouble wringing out the damn thing, so I need to do the water-flow thing before drying.

6sidua

more so during the washing but to a small amount even with drying/waxing if you use them.

it's not cheap but the natural hair (boars hair?) brush griots sells is the least abrasive thing you can use to wash your car...
mitts are fine but usually still carry the 2 bucket or 2 mitt caution..because wool fibers still trap a little bit of mineral stuff (dirt)

so the hair brush brings the least abrasive back from the bucket, and because the hairs are really long, you are less likely to "press" dirt into the paint. also the hair ends are continually broken down (wear out) so no sharp edges like might be found on a nylon bristle brush..

as for drying and air hose, followed by cotton is still best. microfiber is still a plastic. acrylic paint to and the surface is still softer than the polyamines/polyesters in microfiber. and because cotton (cellulose) fibers dont trap dirt, a washed towel rinsed twice is clean. microfiber need to be rinsed 4-7 cycles to get the most dirt out and dispite the hype it is still abrasive. best used for glass or rougher surfaces..of course a new thick micro pulled across the car without pressure will wick water away, but who doesn't go back and rub it some??

sausesq9

I thought microfiber mitts were the ****? Like the one at the place you recommended a while pack which I ordered:

http://microfibertech.com/superPack.html

I'm using a 7 dollar Target lambs wool mit now, it seems to be working great. So you're telling us that is better than the one in that super detailing kit?

Troy H

Your mitt from Target is the way to go.

Troy H

as kind to the finish as the microfiber towels I'm using now.

Yet again, real world experience trumps theoretical musings.

sausesq9

I stand corrected. Any suggested uses for that mitt then?

JohnLZ7W

altho I've started using Swiffers so the MF mitt probably won't be used for anything now.