Opinions on a California Duster ?

[The Guz]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

I have never used a waterless or rinseless wash, and just the name (waterless/rinseless)and the thought of using it, makes me cringe.

You should give a rinseless wash a shot. Using them with the proper technique and with the right amount of pressure will not scratch or swirl your car. I used them more often this past year instead of a 2 bucket all the time with great results.

[Eldorado2k]

@Blueline and the others who use the CD. Are the cars you use it on always garage kept? Or do you also have good results on cars that are parked outdoors?

[davey g-force]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

@Blueline and the others who use the CD. Are the cars you use it on always garage kept? Or do you also have good results on cars that are parked outdoors?

Both my cars are garage kept, but one is a garage queen, and one is a daily driver.

I use it more on the GQ, since it only ever sees light dust. I do use it on the DD too, but only when the dust is light, and it hasn't been rained on.

[Top Gear]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

I have one, but I've had mixed results using it on its own. I frequently use it only to get most of the "big stuff" dust/dirt to be immediately followed up by QD/QW as needed. Using the duster alone is often an exercise in futility, I've found, because the dust or pollen bunches up at the edges of panels and gets pushed into gaps and drip rails, while smear holograms are almost guaranteed, mostly due to the humidity or road grime. However, if the car is perfectly clean but just has a little bit of dust or pollen, the duster is a perfect first step. Anyway, I still use the duster regularly, but almost always followed by QD/QW.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

A properly used rinseless or waterless wash will remove dirt from a filthy car without causing any harm to the finish. Countless high level, elite detailers use this process all the time without any sort of issue. Personally, I use this process almost exclusively now on all of our cars; I pull out the hose and bucket maybe 3 or 4 times a year now to maintain 3 cars. I always have a bucket of D114 mixed up and ready to go (Gamma seals are a wonderful invention!!!!) and I use D115 in a 32oz pump sprayer for routine cleaning. Do it properly through correct towel management, and it's amazing how safe it is, how fast it is, and how little resources you use to wash a car.

[Top Gear]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

Right, that's the ideal, Michael - and good suggestion on the soapy sealed bucket!

However, the "elite detailer" ideal is based on Southern California, or dry desert weather. Those ideals are often useless for non-garaged cars in the entire Eastern half of the US. What I've found in the Southeast, which is often high-humidity (FAR more rain than the West, as well as more regular humidity) and high-grime (oily film from trucks, rednecks, wet roads, and even on the interstates), means the ideal "elite" process must be modified.

Now, I've followed the Southern California way for a long stretch of months very happily (and posted as much here), but that was a relatively dry period, weather-wise. One rain storm and/or a short wet drive puts an end to that ideal. So, if I use the duster when there's an oily film (which can happen from a day of driving) or on an otherwise humid day, it will cause smear holograms (dirt). Those smears still have to be cleaned, and if the waterless methods are not good enough for that particular level of dirtiness, they will also leave their own smear holograms (product). So, often the best solution is just to do a full wash more frequently, of course, using Gold Class Shampoo.

I totally agree with you, but I don't live in Southern California Wish I did, though. When I've been out there, I had no allergies, not to mention a cleaner car day-to-day

[The Guz]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

A properly used rinseless or waterless wash will remove dirt from a filthy car without causing any harm to the finish. Countless high level, elite detailers use this process all the time without any sort of issue. Personally, I use this process almost exclusively now on all of our cars; I pull out the hose and bucket maybe 3 or 4 times a year now to maintain 3 cars. I always have a bucket of D114 mixed up and ready to go (Gamma seals are a wonderful invention!!!!) and I use D115 in a 32oz pump sprayer for routine cleaning. Do it properly through correct towel management, and it's amazing how safe it is, how fast it is, and how little resources you use to wash a car.

I agree with you on this one Mike.

Right, that's the ideal, Michael - and good suggestion on the soapy sealed bucket!

However, the "elite detailer" ideal is based on Southern California, or dry desert weather. Those ideals are often useless for non-garaged cars in the entire Eastern half of the US. What I've found in the Southeast, which is often high-humidity (FAR more rain than the West, as well as more regular humidity) and high-grime (oily film from trucks, rednecks, wet roads, and even on the interstates), means the ideal "elite" process must be modified.

Now, I've followed the Southern California way for a long stretch of months very happily (and posted as much here), but that was a relatively dry period, weather-wise. One rain storm and/or a short wet drive puts an end to that ideal. So, if I use the duster when there's an oily film (which can happen from a day of driving) or on an otherwise humid day, it will cause smear holograms (dirt). Those smears still have to be cleaned, and if the waterless methods are not good enough for that particular level of dirtiness, they will also leave their own smear holograms (product). So, often the best solution is just to do a full wash more frequently, of course, using Gold Class Shampoo.

I totally agree with you, but I don't live in Southern California Wish I did, though. When I've been out there, I had no allergies, not to mention a cleaner car day-to-day

There's quite a few guys on various forums that rinseless during the winter in harsher conditions of course modifying the technique a bit.

[Blueline]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

@Blueline and the others who use the CD. Are the cars you use it on always garage kept? Or do you also have good results on cars that are parked outdoors?

Both are garaged, and neither are garage queens (although one thinks she is)

[Blueline]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

You should give a rinseless wash a shot. Using them with the proper technique and with the right amount of pressure will not scratch or swirl your car. I used them more often this past year instead of a 2 bucket all the time with great results.

As some seems to suggest, it might be a great product in So Cal. but don't know about here in the north. Frankly I don't even seem to recall seeing anything like it on the shelves. Of course I wasn't looking for it, still, don't remember seeing it in any brand. We have no water issues so water use is not a concern. If I see some, who knows, I might try it on the neighbor's car. LOL

[Top Gear]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

Right, Blueline, the point I've tried to get across many times with dusters and waterless washing is it's not the technique or the product, but the parking, driving, and especially, the weather. A duster is a great tool I frequently use, as well as waterless washing using Gold Class QD/QW. If my car is clean and dry on a dry day and just has dry dust or pollen on it (yes, dust can be wet and also oily), then the waterless way is quick and easy, and love to Meguiar's. But while that might be normal and easy for those in the Southwest, it's very rare elsewhere. Imagine you make a short drive on an 80% humidity day, you then hit a slightly wet stretch of road, you cross another road invisibly covered with farming runoff, or you get stuck behind a smoking vehicle even for a mile or two at interstate speeds. Tell me then about how a duster magically cleans your car, or any waterless spray product for that matter.

Garaged desert climate show car approaches are totally pointless for DDs in regions where rain forecasts are checked several times a day. I'm not even talking about snow and grey slush up North during Winter, or the endless months of rain in the Northwest, or even the daily wet salt wash along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic beaches. In the Southeast, with prevailing winds that drive Gulf moisture inland, also blowing farming particulate matter and foliage pollen across many states, even on a sunny and relatively dry day your exposed car will become visibly dusty, even dirty. Imagine washing it, only to find it's dusty/dirty again the very next day, perhaps even when you didn't even drive it! You pull out your duster because that's what Meguar's says, but find what looked like dust is really kinda sticky, so you've only smeared residue, rather than wisking anything away. Again, it's even worse at the beaches, or in the snow/slush weather. You then try your waterless spray product because someone in the weatherless dry Southwest kept talking it up, only to find you've only created residue holograms from the humidity and dirt combined with the product, and now you have to do it all again hoping to buff it clean. If you miss an area, your car looks amateur, with holograms and maybe new spiderwebs. Regardless, you're left with dirty rags, a car that isn't actually clean, and far more work when it happens again the very next day. What then will you do??

It's exhausting to keep a weather-exposed DD show car clean in an area of high weather activity, but then to get on a detailing forum dominated by Southern California detailers to be told you're just not using the right cleaning product or waterless technique is very frustrating. I say to those of you in the dry Southwest deserts, spend a few months anywhere but there, daily driving your show car, and you'll see what I mean real quick. You'll be bucket-washing and correcting very regularly. Don't get me wrong, waterless methods are fantastic, and I use them, but only in dry conditions.

[mhdena]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

[QUOTEI 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.[/QUOTE]

You should listen to your wise old neighbor, I've used California Car Dusters for 30 yrs at least, and no ill effects.

They are for "Light Dusting" with no pressure used, of course it helps if your cars are garaged, I use theduster every time I pull out of the garage, and the quik detailer for bird droppings, etc.

They get better and better.

[mhdena]

Re: Opinions on a California Duster ?

It is called California Car Duster afterall

My cars are also garaged, one problem parked outside is if there is moisture in the air, near the coast for example and there is dew on the car, the duster will not work in that case, at least I wouldn't do it.

[Eldorado2k]

This turned out to be a great thread. Lots of good info & replies.