Anyone still using real Chamois?
I just came across my old (mobile detailer 25 years ago) detailing bag and came across my missing Chamois.

 

I detail cars and drying is something I HATE. The best way I have found is to wash, rinse and apply some sort of wet sealant as a drying aid such as Carpro Hydro2. After that is done take the nozzle off the hose and sheet the water off starting from the top. Then if you have a leaf blower or compressed air blow as much as you can off. After I like to use a big drying towel, lay it over a panel and gently pull it off towards you. The mindset these days its to touch the car as little as possible or if you are use something with lubrication like Optimum No Rinse.

 

No detailer but the youngest kid who had done significant research "made" me get the big micro fiber drying cloths after I bought the P-car. I agree with motoo; leaf blower then drape and drag...no pressure on surface.

 

To get to the root of your question, I think the transition to microfiber towels (and thus away from chamois) is that the fibers in a microfiber will allow any remaining dirt or dust to migrate into the fiber and is less likely to drag it across the surface of your paint. The old leather chamois I used as a kid was like dragging a skin across the car. In theory the car should be clean, but if there are remnants of remaining grime (lower rear bumper and fenders, for example) that chamois is more likely to drag that grit across the surface of the paint.

As the previous two posts recommended, most modern detailers will use a leaf blower to get rid of about 80-90% of the water, then a microfiber towel to get any remaining spots - with a goal of touching any painted surface as little as possible.

I'd toss the chamois, or if you're sentimental, put it back into the bag for another 25 years.

 

Bill I believe the reason why big-name detailers advise against using chamois as a material is because the moisture in the cloth creates suction against the car body and thus applies pressure on any dirt and grime that is trapped between.

I also use the "blow dry" method with my leaf blower, lazily and gently pull an oversized microfiber to get the "sopping wetness" off the car, let the remaining water spots dry on the body... and then I put my hard work in with mobile detailer (Mothers or Meguiars,) and a stack of fresh micro towels. (Freshly washed, I don't use a new one every time, but I have microfibers dedicated to my car that don't get used for any other duty. They are cheap as hell on Amazon so I don't flinch when it's time to throw one away.)

I'm sure there's a flaw to my method as it doesn't sound 100% scratch proof even when I re-read it to myself, but I have a dark car and notice new swirls pretty easily. I don't notice very much damage if any I do with my method. It's not perfect, however...

 

I too moved away from a chamois to a rubber drying towel then away from that to an edge-less large soft microfibre drying towel.

Its great - not looking back.

Slowly started to hate paint work it's only going to get scratched or stone chipped on a performance oriented car... Sorry to be soo bleek haha.

 

I'm not a detailer, but I do like to detail my own cars and I wouldn't let a Chamois get anywhere my cars.

 

Sham-Wow! Just ask Vince...

 

No way! No chamois ever get close to my cars. I highly recommend Wolfgang Uber Washless Wash or Optimum No Rinse (ONR) for general maintenance washes. I've read that Ultima Waterless Wash Plus (UWW+) is also a great product. I use Meguiars Hyper Wash with a foam cannon when I have more stuck-on dirt and debris. Always use the two bucket method with Grit Guards.

If there's a very, very light dusting on my car then I'll use Wolfgang Uber diluted to a waterless ratio instead of a quick detailer and I believe it offers more scratch protection compared to most QD's.

I dry the car with Griots PFM micrfiber drying towels. Two of the smaller ones will dry my whole car and are much easier to maneuver and handle than a single one of the bigger versions. I also use Optimum OptiCoat Hyper Seal as a drying aid. I'm sure there are comparable products that can be used as a drying aid, especially ones that are easier to source, but this stuff is pretty amazing IMHO.

TL;DR
No chamois!

 

Amongst the guru detailers the "waffle weave" towels are the schniz!

I've been using them for about 7 years now and I would never use anything else! They suck up water way better than a chamois.

 

Chamois, leaf blowers, microfibers??? I haven't washed my car in months. Does this warrant excommunication, burning at the stake, or something more severe?

 

You should see my GTI. Its green when its suppose to be a white car. It is hard to get motivated to work on my own cars after cleaning other peoples.

 

I judge people not by the car the drive but rather how clean they keep there car...whatever it is!😁

 

Then I am in trouble. When I am done other peoples cars I generally don't have any desire to do mine. I will clean my wife's A3 once a month during the summer and maybe my S3 3 or 4 times a year. The 911 will get some extensive work done to it though.

 

Weather could be a factor, and use, I try to wash my 996 once a week, but then I drive 400+ miles a week!