Cowhorn

I have a black 993S. I use a 3-bucket technique to wash the car: one bucket for wheels only, one bucket for painted surfaces only, one bucket for rinsing Griot's wool mitt that is used only on the painted surfaces. There is no cross contamination between the wheels bucket and paint bucket.

I wash wheels and wheel wells first. Then I thoroughly hose down the car with water. Next I spray the car down with soap using a Griot's nozzle that mixes soap and water and foams it onto the car. Then I wash the car with a Griot's wool mitt starting with the roof, then the hood, then the front bumper, then the doors, then the rear quarters, then the rear bumper. I do this the same way every time thinking I am using good technique that won't produce swirls or scratches in my paint.

I was wrong.

I put a xenon light on the car the other day and couldn't believe my eyes. Swirls and scratches on every panel. It looked like someone had washed it with a scrub brush (under the light). The car looked deceptively good in normal light and even in sunlight, but I can't ignore the damage I am causing.

Please advise me in ways to improve and change my washing technique. I am thinking I need a different kind of mitt. Maybe the Griot's mitt is too coarse for a black car?

Thanks.

Autogeek.net

Couple questions.

1. Does your rinse bucket have a Grit Guard insert?
2. Are you rinsing the mitt frequently?
3. What kind of towel are you using to dry the car?

A couple tips:

1. Use a dedicated mitt for the lower portions of the vehicle (where dirt and grime is heavier).
2. Rinse your mitt often.

You can find a couple more tips on this how-to article: Proper Car Washing & Car Drying Techniques

Cowhorn

Thanks for the reply.

1. 5 gal bucket with no grit guard.
2. I rinse after each panel.
3. I blow dry the car and dab or blot any residual water. I do not wipe when drying.

LexVan

Get the paint professionally corrected and start over. Maybe the scratches have always been there?

buzztt

i have the same problems, I wash mine the same as you, I use a leaf blower to dry it.

i had mine corrected 2 years ago, i think no matter how careful you are you will always add some, porsche black paint is incredibly soft so its pretty easy to add swirls and scratches

mine isnt too bad but its nowhere near the perfect paint it was after correction, i use a black tinted glaze and it fills a lot of the swirls so you can barely tell they are there

Cowhorn

Thanks guys.

Lex- I detailed the car myself about 4 weeks ago because I got some water spots on it that wouldn't wash off. Under a xenon light, the finish was flawless. So, I started with a perfect surface and marred it by just washing it weekly.

The direction of the scratches is the same as the direction the mitt travels during washing. I was wondering if wiping down the car with spray-on wax was contributing as well. I make those passes in a different direction from the wash passes, so I can safely rule that out.

I think I need a softer, less abrasive wash mitt. The one I am currently using from Griot's feels coarser than the previous wool mitt I had used on the paint (which is now being used on the wheels and wheel wells).

buzztt- I am convinced the leaf blower is the way to go. The less anything contacts the paint the better.

FWIW, my wife has an Infiniti G37S coupe in slate blue. I wash her car the same way I wash the 993. I put her car under the xenon light as well, and it has NO swirls/scratches. I wish I could put that clearcoat on my 993!

LexVan

Griot's micro fiber wash pads are very nice. Try those if you like his products. Very large, but not too big. I think they would be better than a wool wash mitt.

Marine Blue

Jim what products did you use to correct the paint?

LexVan

What about using a more ludricious soap?

TOGWT

Ironically, washing your vehicle can actually damage the paint finish because grit in the wash brush or mitt can leave scratches in the paint film surface, but with a Grit Guard ® in place at the bottom of the wash bucket, you simply nib the brush or wash mitt across the grid type surface to remove any damaging grit.

This grit / debris will settle through the grid to the bottom of the wash bucket and your brush or wash mitt remains grit free. It makes this bucket is ideal for use as the rinse bucket in a two-bucket wash system; the other bucket contains the wash concentrate solution.

Wash Mitt

Lamb’s wool (Sheepskin or Lambskin) Wash Mitts - 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

Drying a Vehicle using water

Sheet the water by using a gentle flow of water direct from the hose (without a water nozzle) starting from the top downwards, and then use a water blade on the glass surfaces. Remove the water from the paint surfaces with a blower, again from the top downwards and then finish off with a waffle weave towel and a drying / lubrication aid (Dodo Juice -Time to Dry) diluted 1:1 with distilled water

Water sheeting (Marangoni Effect)

[: since a liquid with a high surface tension pulls more strongly on the surrounding liquid than one with a low surface tension, the presence of a gradient in surface tension will naturally cause the liquid to flow away from regions of low surface tension]

This is my preferred method of drying a vehicle paint surface; on the final rinse of the washing process remove the nozzle from the hose, reduce the water pressure and hold the end of the hose parallel to the paint and reasonably close as this is will prevent splashing as you flood the surface; this drying method helps to eliminate water-spotting. Use a forced air blower to remove water residue and then follow up with a waffle weave micro fibre towel to thoroughly dry the paint surface

I have tried many products over the years for drying but I finally found what really works the best, a micro fibre waffle weave drying towel. When they are wet they’re very soft and super absorbent, and glide easily over the surface, the ‘pockets’ in the weave ‘hold’ any dirt or surface debris unlike some other super absorbing products that trap dirt between the towel and paint surface with the potential to cause so serious scratches (never use it when it’s dry and stiff – it can potentially scratch) Wet –Wring- Wipe

That goes for whatever you use for drying, including waffle weave micro fibre towels. Ensure that the towel is really wet and then wring it out thoroughly before using. Blot as much water as you can, do not rub with the damp waffle weave towel. This gets rid of all the remaining drops and leaves only a little moisture behind. One wipe with the waffle weave in your other hand will result in a perfectly dry paint surface, using only waffle weave micro fibre towels with only one pass per area.

Waffle Weave Towel - a waffle (Piqué) weave towel is a synthetic micro fibre woven with a dimpled pattern, which much like an open-cell sponge provides thousands of small pockets to trap dirt or grit. The absorbency of these towels is quite remarkable; they are able to hold seven or eight times their weight in water. Instead of wiping with your waffle weave towel drying towel, blot the paint to minimize adding imperfections


Drying methodology- provided the paint finish has been rinsed adequately (See Drying a Vehicle ‘sheeting’ water) there should be no dirt residue. Water is a good solvent but a very poor surface lubricator. Try using a drying aid type detailer like Dodo Juice USA Time to Dry diluted 1:1 with distilled water, which provides lubricity to the paint's surface, in tandem with a damp waffle weave towel (wet, wring and then wipe) when drying your car - this will help break the surface tension of the beads causing the water to run off, allowing the towel to soak up more, and minimise water spots while lowering the friction of the towel over the surface.

Take two waffle-weave drying towels; one soaking wet (a wet towel wicks away more water than a dry towel) and one damp. Wring out the wet towel and use it as your primary drying towel, use this towel to blot- dry and check and rinse the towel often. Wring it out as you go, this will leave smaller wet streaks, which you can remove with your damp towel and it should leave a ‘streak’ free paint surface.

This drying technique is excellent for black cars (including ‘soft’ single stage paint that shows every surface mark) but look so good when they are properly detailed.

This process never includes scrubbing, rubbing or applying any pressure whatsoever. The only time that pressure needs to be applied to a paint surface is when you are polishing.

Cowhorn

I use Menzerna SIP on an orange pad, then on a green pad. Then I use Menzerna PO 85 RD on a blue pad, P21S paint cleanser, and Z2 sealant.

Cowhorn

I've considered that. Right now I use Griot's Car Wash, about 1oz in about 2 gallons of softened water. Not a bad idea.

Cowhorn

TOGWT- Sounds like I am doing it properly but probably need a new mitt.

Marine Blue

That's a good process. Did you check the paint before you applied the P21S cleanser? I ask because I know SEPC contains oils which has a similar hiding capability as a glaze and it looks good when it's on the paint but it washes off very easily and reveals the scratches that may not have been removed.

I'm not debating, I'm just trying to make you aware of all the possible causes for the swirls.

Cowhorn

Yes, I examined my work with a xenon light after each step and did not move on to the next step until the paint was flawless. Good thought, though.