Proper Evaluation and keeping "HANDS OFF"

[Jeff Smith]

I am still a newbie here and have much to learn. One thing I have recently learned that keeps popping up in my mind is proper evaluation and learning to keep my hands off the vehicle.

What I mean here is this. There are times when I have an issue, For Example; dew on the car, excess dust etc. I'd love to grab a Quick Detail Pad and some QD and get on it. While that might my first thought, sometimes it is best to just walk away.

Taking a swipe at morning dew with a Quick Deatail Pad and QD might sound good but all the dust from the night is in that dew as well.

I try to stay in the habit of QDing almost daily. But even keeping up on it like that, I find there are days when I had better either give it a wash or leave it alone. Proper evaluation is key here.

If you even suspect there is something on this finish that might scratch the surface and you don't have the time to wash it properly, WALK AWAY. leave it alone. I love keeping my truck looking sharp and if I even have a spot on it, it bugs me seriously. But keeping it this way is a high maintenance task and can't alays be successfully acheived. There are times when half done measures will actually set you back.

Again, I just wanted to put these thoughts out while I was thinking about it. I think it is important to be able to evaluate what is needed and if the time is not available to do it. Leave it alone until you can. It kills me. Bugs all the heck out of me. but it is best in the long run to learn when to walk away.

I have a neighbor who is big on toweling the morning dew off when he gets ready for work. While well intentioned, It is causing him more harn that good. So what should he do? Hose it down and risk water marks? QD it? Or just walk away and wait until he can wash it. Leaning to Evaluate what needs to be done and when is just as important as doing the actual work.

Using the above example is only one thing that comes to mind. There are many other things we do where proper evaluation can save alot of aggrivation in the long run. Thats the hard part for a newbie like myself, learning to evaluate before touching my truck takes some experience. But I am coming along.

[travisdecpn]

I feel you on this one. It's like there are two sides of me, one side that tells me to pick up the QD and a MF and give it a once over, and the other side telling me to put them down and take 2 giant steps away from the truck. It becomes an internal struggle between the two sides, and unfortunately, the first side usually wins. Realistically though, the more strokes you make over the vehicles finish, the more opportunities there are of inducing swirl marks.

[Jeff Smith]

Originally posted by travisdecpn
I feel you on this one. It's like there are two sides of me, one side that tells me to pick up the QD and a MF and give it a once over, and the other side telling me to put them down and take 2 giant steps away from the truck. It becomes an internal struggle between the two sides, and unfortunately, the first side usually wins. Realistically though, the more strokes you make over the vehicles finish, the more opportunities there are of inducing swirl marks.

Yep, I have been trying to develope my own little methods to minimize how much actual touching of the finish I do. I try to keep it too a minimum ans always use the softist application means I can. I find the Quick Detail Pads great for QDing. I don't need to apply much pressure. Quite often just a quick swipe does the trick. I used to use MFs but started seeing more & more self induced swirls so I changed my routine. I think I have about 10 QD Pads in the arsenal now. I keep alot around ot minimze washing.

[Don]

I leave for work around 6am and even in the summer that's before the sun comes up, although there is usually enough ambient light to noticed where I was bombed the previous evening or overnight or like you notice all the dirt in the morning dew.

Since I normally keep a strong coating of sealant on my car and I'm on the highway within minutes of leaving the house, I will turn on the hose and take a minute to give the car a good rinse. Then because of the sealant, as soon as I get moving, the water rolls off the car, and once I'm on the highway 99% of the water is blown off. The only area that 'suffers' is the rear end beneath the spoiler where the dirt and water will collect. Because of aerodynamics, this area usually gets the worst of it anyway, but at least the offending bomb(s) and dirt over the magority of the car are gone, and there was no touching involved.

If you think about it, heavy morning dew will roll off the car toward the rear anyway, taking the dirt with it, so by rinsing, you are removing most of the dirt to start.

[LiquidBlack]

I hear you guys. During the summer, everyday before work I would remove the dust/pollen from the night before with a quick detailer. After about 4 weeks of doing this, though, I noticed that my actions had created much cobwebbing so I stopped.

My first house is definately going to have a garage. A two car garage.

[Snowman]

it is hard to resist to just walk out in your garage at night and take a cloth and just run it over the vehicle to get rid of any dust or just to feel how smooth the paint is. I know I have this problem as well and I can't see myself not being that way because I have all these products and I want to use them plus it has become an addiction and I can't stop wanting to care for my vehicle. I don't want to feel like once I wax it and everything is done that I am going to be "neglecting" it until the next washing.

[Jeff Smith]

Originally posted by LiquidBlack
I hear you guys. During the summer, everyday before work I would remove the dust/pollen from the night before with a quick detailer. After about 4 weeks of doing this, though, I noticed that my actions had created much cobwebbing so I stopped.

My first house is definately going to have a garage. A two car garage.

Get your priorities right. YOUR FIRST GARAGE IS GOING TO HAVE A HOUSE!!!

[Jeff Smith]

Originally posted by Don
I leave for work around 6am and even in the summer that's before the sun comes up, although there is usually enough ambient light to noticed where I was bombed the previous evening or overnight or like you notice all the dirt in the morning dew.

Since I normally keep a strong coating of sealant on my car and I'm on the highway within minutes of leaving the house, I will turn on the hose and take a minute to give the car a good rinse. Then because of the sealant, as soon as I get moving, the water rolls off the car, and once I'm on the highway 99% of the water is blown off. The only area that 'suffers' is the rear end beneath the spoiler where the dirt and water will collect. Because of aerodynamics, this area usually gets the worst of it anyway, but at least the offending bomb(s) and dirt over the magority of the car are gone, and there was no touching involved.

If you think about it, heavy morning dew will roll off the car toward the rear anyway, taking the dirt with it, so by rinsing, you are removing most of the dirt to start.

I tried that but we have very hard water here. If I hit my truck with the water around here it turns into a full wipedown, Finish, wheels, windows etc.

[Ranger72]

Wow, its nice to know I'm not alone...