everytime i wash my car, i get swirls .

[Keegan_Jacobs]

hi guys,


I have a BLACK 2013 Dodge Challenger Classic . I follow the 5 step method from Meguiar's , these are my products i have .

1. Gold Class Shampoo + Conditioner
2. Swirl X
3. Ultimate Polish
4. Carnouba wax
5. Quick Detailer

These products work great but here is my issue ... After i wash my car and dry it , % 100 i will have swirls all over . I am currently using the 2 bucket method , using Microfiber mitts , drying with microfiber towels but whatever i do , there will be swirls . I have washed my car when the surface is cool and not in the sun , either night time or early morning.

I always start with rinsing my car for 5 minutes and putting soap on it using a water/soap gun so i get the dirt up before i even start touching it with my mitt.

What can i do to not have swirls after step 1 car wash and dry ? Reason i would like to know is because i take my time on step # 2 as i use a DP Polisher and takes me a while to get the whole car completed , just removing the swirl part.

When do the swirls actually get created ?? Is it when i use my microfiber mitt or MIcrofiber towel ?

When i use the mitt , i go in straight lines just so i don't get swirls but that didnt work .

Any tips ?

[SpoolMe]

Re: everytime i wash my car, i get swirls .

I may be scientifically wrong, but it doesnt seem possible NOT to drag dirt across your paint while cleaning it. One thing people do to reduce the amount of dirt is the two bucket method. I actually prefer the one-bucket method with a new MF mitt for each section (never reuse the same mitt, never redip)

[MirandaAutoSpa]

Re: everytime i wash my car, i get swirls .

HI
Has your Challenger had a full correction done to it? Coming from the dealer (I assume you got it from a dealer) they could have used a glaze or polishes with lots of fillers to hide any swirls. Those eventually wear off and reveal the swirls later on.
A good test would be fully correct a panel to perfection and continue your wash method over the entire vehicle as normal. That way you can determine if its your method or just soft clear.
What microfiber towels do you use?
Do you use a blower to air dry? That helps to reduce any contact with the paint.

[Keegan_Jacobs]

Re: everytime i wash my car, i get swirls .

HI
Has your Challenger had a full correction done to it? Coming from the dealer (I assume you got it from a dealer) they could have used a glaze or polishes with lots of fillers to hide any swirls. Those eventually wear off and reveal the swirls later on.
A good test would be fully correct a panel to perfection and continue your wash method over the entire vehicle as normal. That way you can determine if its your method or just soft clear.
What microfiber towels do you use?
Do you use a blower to air dry? That helps to reduce any contact with the paint.

The Supreme Guzzler Waffle Weave By Cobra, 20 x 40 inches - i have 2 of these to dry my car . I don't use blower or air dry ... I use the california jelly blade to take most of the water off before i use the towels . I did get the car from the dealership and thanks for the input , i will correct the panel and wash it to see what is going on .

I'm thinking its either my microfiber mitt or it has to be my towels . Both are sort of new though and i use GRIT GUARDS and 2 bucket method so i am not sure what is going on .

I think u make a good point on drying with air dry or blower instead of touching it with towels .

I have used my mitt on both lower panel and upper panel but washing it and using grit guards to take off the contamination real good , can that cause it ? i wouldn't think so but i started using 2 different mitts , one on top panel and one on bottom .

How many times can i use the mitt ? im thinking as long as its clean , i can keep using it right ?

[Murr1525]

Re: everytime i wash my car, i get swirls .

Yes, this may take a little experimenting to really figure out.

But you say you move all of your wash mitts and towels in straight lines only to avoid swirls? Are the marks you see after washing in straight lines, or are they all random?

[Keegan_Jacobs]

Re: everytime i wash my car, i get swirls .

Yes, this may take a little experimenting to really figure out.

But you say you move all of your wash mitts and towels in straight lines only to avoid swirls? Are the marks you see after washing in straight lines, or are they all random?

really not sure when the swirls are appearing as i wash early in the morning or late in the evening . TOday i washed early morning before sunrise . I only see them ofcourse when i take the ride outside in the sun .

Well i do my best to keep straight lines but some angles of the car make me take some turns here and there .

[Murr1525]

Re: everytime i wash my car, i get swirls .

Well, just saying that if your current swirls are horizontal/straight lines, then maybe you are causing them when washing and drying.

But if you do everything in one direction, and the current swirls are random or in another direction, it would seem like something else is going on to cause them, or they have been there and not completly removed, etc.

As noted above, the best thing may to really focus on one panel, like a fender or something. Correct the paint, IPA wipe after to check work, then polish and wax. Really check it over. Then you can wash and dry, and really focus on one direction, perhaps all vertical, since those would be more obvious to stand out as wrong. Then see if anything shows up.

[Meticulous-Detail]

Re: everytime i wash my car, i get swirls .

Post some pics. Are you sure you are removing the swirls and not just filing them with polishing oils and then washing them off?

[s word]

Re: everytime i wash my car, i get swirls .

Here is the thing. I am pretty certain that the swirls already exist in your paint. The reason I think this is I had the exact same issue before I attended Meguiars 101 class. What I was doing was washing the car, polishing and waxing by hand, then sitting there scratching my head why i have swirls. Well I learned in the class that polishing and waxing does virtually nothing to remove the swirls, unless the product contains fillers. Also claying can be an important step in the process when compounding and polishing.

Working by hand is ok for wax, but compounds (where you will see the best swirl removal) requires a ton of mechanical work, to do your car by hand would be quite a lot of work. Then polishing requires less effort but may require a slight additional amount of pressure. Once compounds remove the swirls, polishes fix any fine swirls left by compounds and smooths the finishes, then the wax can be applied.

And depending on your paint swirl X may just do little to nothing for correcting the paint issues.

My car required the g110v2 DA, microfiber kit plus some pretty aggressive compounds before I saw any swirl removal.

Then once you get your car finished and shiny, then continue with wash/wax regularly and you will not see the swirls pop up for some time.

I truly thought I had the right idea before i attended the meguiars 101 class, but after the class I realized how much i really didn;t know. Technique is everything, tools and chemical combination make a difference, and your own personal knowledge and passion put together the whole package.

Also, look into the flooding drying technique. I don;t suggest the use of a squeegee anywhere on the car, including the window. It is my personal preference but flooding, plus waffle weave towel and a Quick Wax or X-Press Spray wax upon drying will give you great results. X-press spray wax is great and can be used on any surface. Just spray a very light mist on the surface you intend to dry. Then just dry like normal using the waffle weave.

Also wash your towels and wash mits right after use to ensure they are free of dirt for the next wash.

[imz4n]

Re: everytime i wash my car, i get swirls .

I have a thought and question. The swirls you are seeing, are they just on the hood,top and trunk, or do you see the same swirls in the fenders and doors as well? If just on the flat surfaces, you may not realize the amount of pressure you are applying as you dry/wash the car. Just my $0.02 worth.

[Keegan_Jacobs]

Re: everytime i wash my car, i get swirls .

they are mostly on the trunk but i do see some on doors .

im gonna do the test on 1 section . im gonna use Porter Cable 7424 XP to remove the swirls using SWIRL X .

My question is that , when they get removed, should i even POLISH it using Ultimate Polish and wax it using Carnuaba wax cream ?

Or should i just remove the swirls using SWIRL X and then just wash and dry against to see if the swirls come back ? I was liking this way because i want to know what is causing the swirls so i don't think i should do the whole process of polishing and waxing after the swirls get removed right ?

[imz4n]

Re: everytime i wash my car, i get swirls .

I personally do not see a reason to wash after swirl x. If you have good lighting you will see any scratches that are still in the paint. It does not hurt to wash afterwards- IMHO just not necessary.

[Keegan_Jacobs]

Re: everytime i wash my car, i get swirls .

I personally do not see a reason to wash after swirl x. If you have good lighting you will see any scratches that are still in the paint. It does not hurt to wash afterwards- IMHO just not necessary.

the reason i wanna wash and dry after i use swirl x is because i am not sure what is causing the swirls . Is it my microfiber towel or microfiber mitt or california jelly blade.

[Meticulous-Detail]

My suggestions:

*Stop using the jelly blade immediately it will cause scratches and marring.* This may be your issue.

Wash with grit guards and MF mitt. If you use 1 mitt just rinse the mitt after each section.

Dry with a leaf blower, then use waffle weave drying towel with some detail spray to finish drying

If you don't need to clay then skip this step.

You always want to start with least aggressive method first. Do a test spot with whatever polish you have and try different pads to see which combo produces the best results. I would start with a white polishing pad. Work the polish into the paint in 2 x 2 section with 5 to 6 section passes. Then wipe with MF towel and evaluate your work.
You might want to do an IPA wipe after polishing to remove oils. You need to find what pad and product is going to produce the right results.

Questions: What size/type pads are you using/have? What speed are you using to remove swirls? How much pressure are you using on the PC? How many section passes are you doing? Do you know if your car has a hard or soft clear? What products do you have besides Swirl X ? Are you priming the pad with product and then using 2-3 dime sizes of product ? How often are you cleaning the pad during the detail?

Post some pics.

[Murr1525]

Re: everytime i wash my car, i get swirls .

You dont particularly have to waste time polishing/waxing, as long as you were remembering too along the way.

Just need to have a good surface to check the washing techniques on. You may want to use the IPA after the SwirlX.. or glass cleaner, etc.. to remove any oils and make sure all swirls are gone.