How am I still getting swirls?

[Kyle R]

I'm a little confused to be honest right now. Bear with me, but i'm going to list my entire maintenance system with my 350z.

Wash twice a week- Spray the car with water then liberally apply soap using a gilmour foamaster on the highest "foam setting" and a microfiber wash mitt. I wash the mitt after every wash. I dry the car with the meguiars water magnet towel and 3-5 supreme shine microfiber towels. I also wash these microfibers every time I use them. I do NOT use any dryer sheets in the dryer.

Detailing spray- Switch between a few different sprays every week, but they are all applied after I wash the car and I only use a meguiars supreme shine microfiber when wiping the surface.

Wax- I wax every other week with different waxes, but they are all applied with the meguiars foam pad. Once again, I only use the meguiars supreme shine microfibers to remove the wax.

Polish- I usually polish once a month with m205, the gl110v2 and the meguiars yellow pad. I use supreme shine to remove polish.


The car is always in the garage, never left outside.


My question to you is how do I keep swirling my paint? I feel like I am doing everything right, but I still get minor swirls appearing monthly. Thanks in advance.

[SVT Lightning]

Re: How am I still getting swirls?

It's the nature of black paint. You using the two bucket method with a gritguard?

[Kyle R]

Re: How am I still getting swirls?

It's the nature of black paint. You using the two bucket method with a gritguard?

Honestly, thats what I was thinking. Currently I don't even use a bucket. Just use the foamaster and apply the soap over the entire car and lightly go over the car with the microfiber mitt. I wash the car twice a week, so it really isn't even dirty when I clean it. I would hope this also reduces the chances of my paint swirling.

[davey g-force]

Re: How am I still getting swirls?

Unless you're masking previous swirls and then they are re-appearing after a wash or two?? Have you tried an IPA wipedown prior to applying your LSP, just to make sure all the swirls are actually gone in the first place? Dunno, just offering suggestions.

...Welcome to the world of black cars!

[Kyle R]

Re: How am I still getting swirls?

Unless you're masking previous swirls and then they are re-appearing after a wash or two?? Have you tried an IPA wipedown prior to applying your LSP, just to make sure all the swirls are actually gone in the first place? Dunno, just offering suggestions.

...Welcome to the world of black cars!

I have never tried an IPA wipedown, and I probably should. Do you use a 50/50 dilution with 50% isopropyl alcohol and 50% distilled water?

[BS MXRacer]

Re: How am I still getting swirls?

Most people use 50/50 but could also do like 70/30 in water/alcohol.

[wifpd4]

Re: How am I still getting swirls?

Kyle, I've admired your car from afar the first time I saw it. Please do not accept my comments as expert advice and may not actually help your situation. I've read folks may often use a spray wax after washing rather than a detailer. The detailer is used between washings for light dust removal. I think the spray wax helps lubricate as i dry. I'm also surprised you need a yellow pad when you polish with 205 rather than a black pad. Are you doing that more for swirl removal than polishing?

I use a similar wash routine, except not near as often. I rinse with a low pressure high pressure washer, then the Gilmour with Super Soap and follow that with a two bucket wash of Gold Class if I'm going to polish/wax or Ultimate Wash and Wax if just washing. I then rinse again with low pressure high pressure and then drizzle rinse. Sometimes I air dry with a leaf blower or dry like you do.

I'm obsessive about towels, as you appear to be too. the less I touch the surface the better. I rinse the towels with vinegar after washing and then machine dry. Very soft.

Between snow, ice and salt I get swirls.

[Kyle R]

Re: How am I still getting swirls?

Kyle, I've admired your car from afar the first time I saw it. Please do not accept my comments as expert advice and may not actually help your situation. I've read folks may often use a spray wax after washing rather than a detailer. The detailer is used between washings for light dust removal. I think the spray wax helps lubricate as i dry. I'm also surprised you need a yellow pad when you polish with 205 rather than a black pad. Are you doing that more for swirl removal than polishing?

I use a similar wash routine, except not near as often. I rinse with a low pressure high pressure washer, then the Gilmour with Super Soap and follow that with a two bucket wash of Gold Class if I'm going to polish/wax or Ultimate Wash and Wax if just washing. I then rinse again with low pressure high pressure and then drizzle rinse. Sometimes I air dry with a leaf blower or dry like you do.

I'm obsessive about towels, as you appear to be too. the less I touch the surface the better. I rinse the towels with vinegar after washing and then machine dry. Very soft.

Between snow, ice and salt I get swirls.

Thanks for the reply. I actually ordered a new chemical guys spray wax that should be at my door tomorrow, so I am going to switch over from a spray detailer to a spray wax. I usually use the black pad to apply wax, and the yellow pad for any type of polishing/ swirl removal. Should I try the black pad with m205?

[wifpd4]

Re: How am I still getting swirls?

Kyle, a black pad and 205 is aggressive enough on my delicate paint. Try it and see what you think. I speed it up if needed and slow it down for the final pass. I haven't formed an opinion about Ultimate Polish yet on my car.

A IPA wipe down will be very helpful, as the others have indicated.

Good luck.

[Murr1525]

Re: How am I still getting swirls?

Making sure swirls are gone is good.

But I would be concerned about just touching the paint too much. You may get less swirls if you just wash once a week...

Also, what do you mean you use no bucket? What do you rinse the mitt in? I use the foam gun, but I rinse the mitt in a water+Gritguard bucket after each panel or two.

[Selectchoice]

Re: How am I still getting swirls?

Sounds like it's your wash mitt. Without a bucket (preferrably two buckets and two grit guards), you might be trapping particles in the mitt, however small they are they can still cause swirls.

Also I'd really have a good look at your paint after polishing with M205 on a test spot. See if all the swirls are truly gone. Try the IPA wipedown on the test spot. If you're getting that spot on, then it's something else in your process. Could be a bit of trial and elimination for you.

Personally, it seems you're doing an awful lot to your paint and often. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but every time you touch the paint (or anything/anybody touches your paint) you risk marking the surface.

I have a black car, which is a true daily driver. I am giving it a mild polish with M205 as we speak, however it hasn't been polished at all in 12 months. It's been regularly washed, and maintained (removing contaminants etc) but nothing more than that in nearly a year. Looking at the paint under harsh lighting in my garage there is barely a mark on it. A mild swirl here and there, but that is it.

If you want to polish with M205 that often, I wouldn't think you would need more than a finishing pad.

Good luck!

[SVT Lightning]

Re: How am I still getting swirls?

Honestly, thats what I was thinking. Currently I don't even use a bucket. Just use the foamaster and apply the soap over the entire car and lightly go over the car with the microfiber mitt. I wash the car twice a week, so it really isn't even dirty when I clean it. I would hope this also reduces the chances of my paint swirling.

I think you just figured it out. If you are using the mitt to wash the whole car and not rinsing it out between panels then what little dirt you remove is staying in the mitt. You need to dunk the mitt after every panel and rinse it out.

[smack]

Re: How am I still getting swirls?

With the way you are doing it, a bucket of clean water with a grit gaurd would serve as your cleaning bucket to get rid of the contaminates that are being picked up from the dirty mitt.

[Kyle R]

Re: How am I still getting swirls?

Thanks for all of the replies as usual. From what you have all said, I believe the problem is my wash mitt. After every panel, I will rinse it out and make sure it is clean before it touches the paint. I'll be sure to post up the results in a few weeks to let you all know if the swirls finally stop reappearing. Thanks for all of the help.