Anthony Orosco

So static is a problem?

To remedy this stop wiping a towel across your paint. In other words you, the car owner/detailer, are what's causing the static by rubbing and polishing on your cars paint.

Years ago when we polished cars with wool pads (long before foam came out) we would literally ground the cars body with jumper cables. The static gets really bad when the air is dry but here in South Texas that's really not an issue with all the humidity we have....well cept for a few weeks in winter (if you can call it winter).

Brake dust sticks to your wheels because your car becomes a rolling magnet as it's driven thus creating a positive charge. Same thing as you rub on your car, you're creating a positive charge so dust sticks to it all the more. Alot of people then take out their QD and rub some more thinking it's helping but in reality they're only attracting more stuff to their cars paint.

They have a certain gadget, or so I am told, that lays on your car and gives it a negative charge so it actually repels dust.....I've only heard of this item, never seen one.

Anthony

RickBetterley

Hi Anthony
I was intersted in minimizing the amount of dust on my car (which is black): are you suggesting that I not use detailing and drying towels on the paint? What would you use for non-machine polishing, as well as drying?
I am using foam pads for polish and wax application.
Thanks (and for those of you wondering why I would care about this for my track car; well, its a way to show it my love during the long New Englad winter we might get one of these days).

MoeMistry

A high-speed is best left to a pro. The Dual-action is an excellent tool and you cannot damage paint...you can, but it's pretty difficult

Anthony Orosco

Hello,

Sorry for the late reply.

With static it's not so much the towels that cause it but rather a variety of contributors such as how the towels are dried to the weather.

Also just the act of rubbing on the car creates a static charge so right after a detailing or spruce up your car will attract more dust.

Try using an electric leaf blower for drying instead of al towels. If you have a nice wax on your paint you can blow off most of the water and then use a nice microfiber towel to BLOT up the rest of the water.

Using a QD with anti-static properties is not a magic bullet BUT it can help out.

Anthony

uzj100

That's odd as the stuff is made in CA. (They're located about 5 miles from my house)

http://www.onegrand.com



(No afiiliations etc)

RickBetterley

Hi Anthony
Thanks for the response re static and the use of towels.
That idea of suing a leaf blower on the car still freaks me out! Especially in my winter garage.
Bets wishes to yo and yours this holiday season, and as always, thanks for your great contributions.

TOGWT

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perfectlap

this is true about not wiping dry. I never do it when I use a hose. Like many I flood rinse the car the car with the nozzle off. The stream of pressure is directed to sheet as much water off the car as possible.
The reamaining puddles and beads are blotted dry in an up and down. No wiping, no swirls no static.

As a general rule the less you touch the paint the better.
However I'm not sure if wiping a well lubricated surface still produces a static charge...but I'm not a chemist. Also, doesn't air pressure rushing over your car while its driving produce the same static effect as the hand pressure of wiping your car?

but I can tell you first hand that I have buffed a dry surface and have noticed accumulation of dust within an hour. Yet when I first wet down the surface, particularly with an anti-static, and buff that dry the result is night and day in the film of dust department.

One day I quick detailed the car with a non-anti static, Dura gloss Aqua Wax, one of the best bang for the buck quick spray waxes I've tried($8).
I drove the car from my home into the NYC for the evening about 30 miles round trip. The next morning I ran my finger over one of the feders and there was LOTS of sutt.
I knew I would be driving the exact same route again that night so I decided to rinse off the sutt, re apply the Aqua Wax wait about 10 minutes for it to dry and then coated the car with the anti-static. Drove into NYC came home (weather was identical) got up Sunday morning and guess what? The Sutt was reduced to virtually nothing. I drove the car for several more days and still the sutt was not as heavy as on that first night. I was convinced. A few days later it rained and where in the past there would be spots from the beading left on the paint, this time it was now slick and clean (except for the lower portions of the car).

I've been trying every manner of detailing product for almost a decade now and have seen all kinds of claims but this is one of the few times I think something new really made a difference.