Frequently replace any microfiber towels or mitts used on the main painted areas. Have you checked the hardness of your water?
My detailer throws away his microfiber towels after X uses. IIRC, he buys Menzerna microfiber towels and another high quality brand of ultra soft microfiber.

I use the CR Spotless system ( basically, a rolling DI kit) to wash and I also wash my microfiber towels and mitts with DI water and a small amount of carwash soap.
I relegate my older microfiber towels to clean the frunk area, door sills and engine compartment.

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Ed-

Sounds like we have similar philosophies regarding softened water, rotating older MF towels to dirtier areas of the car, etc. Thanks for the input.

 

all the possible causes for the swirls.

 

Natural lamb’s wool will last longer than synthetic's and are by far the gentlest soap applicators in the market, if you’ve ever handled Marino (NZ) wool you know how soft and gentle they are against your face and hands, and how perfect they’ll be for your prized possession.

The main advantage of a Merino wool mitt is in the long fine fibre’s that hold plenty of wash solution that gently loosens and breaks up the dirt without trapping it, and then flushing away any harmful dirt and grit. Merino wool is known for its silky texture and long fibres, and since the wool is on a natural hide it will not shed.

As the dirt film is loosened the dirt particles remain suspended in the soapy solution between the fibre’s, so you need to constantly monitor the accumulation and rotate the mitt on your hand to the clean side as soon as you can see the faintest accumulation of dirt, this is easier if you don’t use the thumb type mitt.

You don’t want to apply any pressure at all when using one, just let the soap and the weight of the saturated mitt do the work for you. I like to use an agitating motion that ensures complete and thorough coverage. Use one side of the mitt for each body panel while constantly monitoring dirt accumulation.
After I’ve used both sides of the mitt I dunk it in the wash bucket (which is fitted with a GritGuard) repeatedly to shake loose the dirt, and go on to the next body panel.

You might want to consider using two wash mitts when washing. The newest one for the top half of the car and the older one for the lower half which is usually dirtier, especially near the wheels. You don’t want to contaminate your new sheepskin mitt right away with brake dust. It will come off, but it takes some effort.

Alternative product-CarPro Merino Wool Wash Mitts is specifically designed to offer all of the benefits of the gentlest 100% Merino Wool available

Care - being a natural product they tend to moult unless treated with care; rinse with cool water after each use and allow to air dry inside out. Do not machine wash or dry as this may damage the wool or the hide. Never let it sit in water for a long period of time.

Always rinse thoroughly and squeeze out as much water as possible, while making sure not to wring and twist the delicate construction. As it’s hanging to dry, occasionally use your palms to “comb” down the fibres so that they doesn’t stiffen as it dries

 

You almost cannot avoid introducing swirls and scratches. Especially if you are going to examine the car with a light. How many of them are visible without the light?

 

I got a little bit fed up and found this works great for me,maybe someone else as well.
I pressure wash the car 1st. I change the wand from the pressure washer to a pressure foamer w Auto Finesse Snow foam. As they recommend,I leave it 4 minutes. I go back to original wand and pressure rinse the car. I use a waffle micro fiber towel to dry or if really lazy, I rinse with my de-ionized water and it dries by itself w no water spots. While waiting the 4 minutes, I use a wheel cleaner w Boars hair brush and rinse the wheels the same time as car.
Theres so much wax on, it dries easily and never have water spots.
Takes me 15 minutes max.

 

I don't think many cars/paints will stand up to the xenon light test after several washes...may be a little unrealistic. I may get flamed on this, but expecting alot.

You may want to try Opti-Coat after your next polish to put a hard nano layer on top of the paint. I've had good results with Opti-Seal which creates a nice slick surface that doesn't really let the dirt bond to the paint and very easily washed off.

 

Good point. None are visible without the light.

 

15 minutes, wow! It takes me 90 min to wash and dry the car.

 

Thanks for the tip. Will look into Opti-Seal.

 

I only use Chinchilla cloths and Pinnacle wax on my 4.0. Even so, when I brought it home you could see trouble areas from the factory under my halogen garage lights. Nothing drastic, but not perfect either. Black is a bear.