meguiars drying towel

[fpalattao]

Hi Everyone,

I have always used a natural chamois every time I dry my car. I have had no problems with it but after doing my search it seems like everyone is giving a valid point why meguiars WW microfibre drying towel might be a better choice because any debris that gets trapped on the chamois will scratch the clear coat surface. Now to the question...does the wax/sealant that you apply on your car get removed when you use a chamois and does the WW towel really avoid this.... and how so?

Thanks

Wow I'm learning new things everyday and thanks to everyone again

[fpalattao]

any comments guys?

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by fpalattao
any comments guys?

Sure...

Originally posted by fpalattao
Now to the question...does the wax/sealant that you apply on your car get removed when you use a chamois and does the WW towel really avoid this.... and how so?

If you want to get real technical, (and that's okay), it's possible, and probably, that anytime you touch your car's finish, that at the molecular level, whatever is it is you are touching the surface with, is disrupting the atoms/molecules of the surface to some degree. This would include your layer of wax as well as your paint.

This would be taking place with any type of wiping cloth whether it's a natural chamois, a synthetic chamois, a waffle weave drying towel, or even a cotton towel.

Does that make sense?

This is why we refer to wax as a sacrificial barrier. Your coating of wax sacrifices itself, i.e. it gives up a little bit of itself, so that your paint doesn't have to. Of course this means it's always in a state of wearing off and in order to maintain a certain level of protection, you need to re-apply more wax on an as needed basis. The more abuse your car's finish receives, the more often you will need to re-apply wax. If you wax your car and park it in a garage and close the door, then it will last longer because nothing is physically coming into contact with it, thus it is not wearing off.

Does that make sense?

As to latter two parts of your question,

Different materials will either be more or less aggressive to your car's finish depending upon the material. We know that premium quality microfiber polishing cloths inflict less scratches into the finish than cotton towels, (at least poor quality cotton towels), and other wiping materials, so I think that it's safe to assume that a quality microfiber waffle weave drying towel is also less prone to scratch or micro-abrade the finish and anything applied to the finish such as a wax.



Mike

[fpalattao]

thanks for the reply... your point is well taken.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by fpalattao
thanks for the reply... your point is well taken.

I had to sit here and think on this one for a few minutes...

Mike

[DSG Man]

That's why you need a leaf blower...about 180 MPH or so. Works wonders, and you don't have to touch your car except for a drip here and there.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by DSG Man
That's why you need a leaf blower...about 180 MPH or so. Works wonders, and you don't have to touch your car except for a drip here and there.

Good suggestion.

Is there a particular model that is recommended or preferred?

What is the consensus among serious enthusiasts as to the best bang for the buck?

Mike

[magnus]

I don't remember whether it was here on MO, or at Autopia.com, but someone said they preferred using a wet/dry vacuum with a piece of felt attached to the tip of the hose (to protect the paint if touched).

As soon as my local Home Depot opens (only 1 month to go), I'm running out to buy the Ridgid 4 gallon wet/dry for my interiors. I am then going to dedicated my old Craftsman 2 gallon to sucking up leftover water in the cracks and crevices.

Just another option...