Best QD technique???

[tguil]

I’ve been messing with washing/polishing/waxing/detailing for over for forty years. I’ve used all kinds of products during this time. One group of products that I have never really been comfortable with are the quick detailers. I have no hesitation whatsoever in using them on a freshly washed surface to get rid of streaks, etc. But I have avoided using them on dry dusty surfaces. What is the absolute best way to use a quick detailer on a dusty black surface? I’m interested only in QDing my black Harleys. I’ll stick to using QEW or a regular wash on my black Hemi.

This afternoon after a ride, I QD’d my Super Glide. First I primed a microfiber polishing cloth with the QD and then sprayed additional QD on the painted surface. I wiped off the QD with a dry part of the polishing cloth. Is this the right technique? It seemed to work OK. By the way, I have “real dust�. I have to ride on four miles of gravel road before I get to the highway.

Tom

[Rockpick]

Your technique seems to be correct but, I'd caution you to only use any QD spray under the appropriate conditions. By that, I mean if your paint has a considerable amount of dust on it, a full wash would be more appropriate as it'll provide the necessary amount of lubrication between the contaminants that are sitting on top of the paint and the paint itself.

While a QD spray is a great form of lubrication across the paint, it was never designed to handle 'alot' of dust on the paint or to be a supplement for washing. Improper use along these lines can result in the potential introduction of scratching, swirling, and micromarring of your paint.

So, in summary, if you're in doubt on if to use QD on a dusty finish, it's probably better to go with a full wash. While more time consuming, it's certainly faster than having to go through a full detail to remove the swirls and scratches that you'd have the potential to introduce by short cutting...

Trust me.... been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.

RP