Opinions on a California Duster ?

[thedoc46]

What are peoples / Meguiars opinion on the California Duster ? to me, it seems it does a similar thing to a quick spray of Quick Detailer to remove dust ?

I have one to hand, and every couple of days, i give the car a quick light dusting with one to get the dust off my car... Keeps it looking cleaner in-between its weekly wash for longer.

I wonder what Meguiars stance on it is or if they have any opinions or can give a reason to 'not' use it given its baked in paraffin treatment. Perhaps they even have a similar product, that i may of missed.

I came across it when my neighbor who was dusting his Corvette with one, kinda sold it to me in that it was the next best thing to sliced bread. This dude, though 70, spent every spare moment of his retirement polishing his Red Corvette. The thing was 20yrs old, but looked like it was just driven out of the showroom.

[The Guz]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

I would not use it. They can cause scratches. You are better off using a QD for light dust or a rinseless/waterless wash for heavier dust.

[thedoc46]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

TBH, i wouldn't be using it if there was any dirt / grit so to speak.. Only on light dust / pollen. And i'd never apply any pressure. Usually only after a wax, so the thing literally glides the dust off. I would imagine using QD every other day, could get expensive.

[The Guz]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

I would not even use it on light dust. Dust also causes scratches regardless of using no pressure. Invest in a gallon of QD. If your car sits outside all the time, fighting dust is a losing battle.

[Low83]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

Been using them for years with no problems, key is use them only for light dusting, seen people use them as scrubbers for bugs or spots, a no no.

[thedoc46]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

I would not even use it on light dust. Dust also causes scratches regardless of using no pressure. Invest in a gallon of QD. If your car sits outside all the time, fighting dust is a losing battle.

Thanks is this the stuff ?

http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-D15501-Touch-Spray-Detailer/dp/B0006SH4NC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1425500069&sr=8-3&keywords=quick+detailer

[The Guz]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

You can use that. It's a typical detail spray. You can also use it as clay lube with a 1:1 dilution ration.

You also have this one which is the bulk version of ultimate quik detailer. This one will leave protection behind and is also hydrophobic. This one can not be used as clay lube because the polymers in it are too slick and will not allow the clay bar to do it's job.

http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-M13501-Synthetic-Spray-Detailer/dp/B001GTQMZG/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1425503982&sr=1-1&keywords=meguiars+synthetic+spray+detailer

I have used both and they both work great.

[Meticulous-Detail]

Rinseless or waterless wash n wax with a 700 GSM MF towel is my choice for a wipe down.

[davey g-force]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

I too have been using a CD for years without issues.

As another poster said, I only use it for VERY light dust and apply very light pressure. I have not noticed it creating any scratches, and my car is black.

I use it for light dust accumulated in the garage, and then follow up with a QD.

Yes Meguiars do (or did) have their own version. It's called the Versa Angle Body Duster and is very good. I have both the Megs and the CD.

[Eldorado2k]

If I had a garage queen I wouldn't hesitate to use 1. Unfortunatly my car sits outside and is more suited for rinseless/waterless wash methods..

Speaking with Jason Rose at the Detailing 101 class, when asked about the CD he said he's been using 1 for years on his garage queen and has never had an issue with it harming the paint. It's simply gotten a bad rep due to improper use by the majority of people.

[The Guz]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

My other car is a garage queen and I don't use this at all. I only use a QD for light dust or a rinseless or waterless wash for heavier dust. I used one long ago and I could see it left some waxy residue on the paint with the wax coated strands. That's my experience with it and I will never use one again.

[davey g-force]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

You're quite right about the wax residue - that's why I only use a duster before QD'ing. That way the QD cleans up the streaks.

That residue does get better after you've used the duster several times. I've heard some say to place the duster on some newspaper for a day or two when you first get it - to avoid the residue problem. The newspaper absorbs any excess wax. But to me that defeats the purpose of having the strands coated in parrafin wax in the first place.

[Eldorado2k]

Can I have it?lol.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

If used properly there really isn't a downside to them. Use them incorrectly, however, and things can change pretty quickly. The problem with them, then, is not the tool itself, but user error. Trying to remove anything beyond very light dust starts opening the door to problems. Applying any pressure with them opens the door further. If all you want to do is remove very light dust and you use the tool with just a very light touch, you should be more than fine. Our Ford/SEMA Team has used them for years to maintain the vehicles in the Ford booth at SEMA, and we just don't have any problems with them. Of course, we're only removing very light dust in that situation, but we're using the tool on every car repeatedly throughout the day, for several days. I can recall one specific incident a few years ago at SEMA when I was part of the team; On the final day, after wiping the trunk of a beautiful black and red '32 Roadster dozens of times through the week and following with UQD on a Supreme Shine microfiber, someone asked me how to keep a black car looking good. I simply held up the duster, the bottle of UQD and the towel, and said "with these!". There wasn't a mark on the paint on this '32, yet it had been dusted and wiped almost hourly for 4 days - that's a lot of dusting!

OK, you'll notice that we were using the duster and UQD with a microfiber, and that's kind of important here. If the dust is starting to get a bit heavier, then your use of the duster shouldn't be aggressive enough to get it all off the paint. Remove most of it, then follow with a quick detailer and a microfiber to get the rest.

[Blueline]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

I use mine all the time on my two black cars and no scratches, swirles, etc. Just the ends of the strands are needed, very lightly, and it does as advertised. Frankly I would rather use it, to dust OFF light dust off the finish, than use QD to wipe the dust INTO the finish. I have never used a waterless or rinseless wash, and just the name (waterless/rinseless)and the thought of using it, makes me cringe.