Agree on all points. Which is why every Spring I take out the dual action polisher and give it the big three: Clean, Polish and Wax. But in the winter months I take it to the car wash to keep it clean and remove the snow and salt.

 

Here is a great accessory for the DIY detailer. I would not be without this dryer. Using the 4HP - Air Force Master Blaster with a waffle weave towel will remove the water quickly. The Air Force Master Blaster will remove 70% of the water on the paint surface and using a waffle weave towel vs a microfiber towel will hold 3x times the amount of water vs a microfiber cloth. The Master Air Blaster is ideal for around all open cracks, in and around the headlights, tail lights, inside trunk/hatch lids and any area that will hold water after washing. This is a great investment for the serious DIY detailer. Great for blowing water that is retained in the wheel lugs. The Air Force master Blaster delivers filtered, warm air to cut drying times vs that of a leaf blower which will blow unfiltered air and micro dust particles unto the paint surface.

I have mine mounted on a 2" x12" board with casters which make's it easy to pull around.

https://www.amazon.com/Metro-Vacuum-.../dp/B0000CCXWA

Click the image to enlarge.

..

 

Tberg ... sounds like we're ... "brothers from different Mothers"!

 

I have 8 HP version and it is worth the investment IMO. Blow very hard, but takes a little to warm up. Works better at removing water than an air compressor does. This device needs a dedicated circuit and thick extension cord. I think my cord is 10 or 12 amp. The blaster is quite loud and ear plugs are required. I keep a jar of ear plugs in the garage and always have a pair or two in my carwash jacket pocket.

Blaster is also great for blowing debris out of the garage.

 

Richzak ... I considered the large Master Blaster but instead bought the small hand-hand Metro Vac 'sidekick' mostly because it takes no room in my garage. It's about $65, extremely powerful and made by the same company. Their website description ... "Safely blow water off of your motorcycle or car, reaching the smallest of crevices with the included attachments. It moves warm filtered air that'll never scratch or damage your paint job, and cuts drying time by as much as 80%. The most powerful portable blower dryer anywhere. Compact 1.3 HP blower motor moves 18,000 fpm. Warm, filtered air dries without streaks or spots." If I had more room, I would have bought what you have, but I'm thrilled with their hand-held version. Built in the USA and very high quality!

 

That Master Blaster is pretty cool!

Personally I don't see the need for filtered air or specialty blowers, I guess it is just me and my over-logical mind at work. I have a 100mph electric blower that I will use at times on the car, to me it is getting much worse for wear driving at 80mph with a headwind of 10 or 20 mph. My car is subjected to "unfiltered" high velocity wind every day it is driven. There is much more debris than what I will pick up using a regular blower in my driveway on a clear day.

And yes, this is the same blower I use after mowing my lawn. Yet I have people tell me my car looks like it just came off of a showroom floor.

 

I thought the air compressor was end all for removing excess water until the bought the Master Blaster!

 

yea This is all I have for now. It's good for rear view mirrors, seams, lug nut holes, etc. but doesn't push enough air for large panels. A clayed and polished/waxed car should sheet off the water pretty well though. I drag the waffle weave over the panels and glass to catch whatever water is left and finish off with a dry microfiber rag.

 

It takes some technique to use the master blaster. My cars are garaged all the time, washed once a week and waxed 3 times a year. I get by with one small micro fiber towel to finish up after the Master Blaster. The hose on the Master Blaster you need to really hold on to; it's that powerful!

 

This is my method, only substitute the Absorber for a waffle weave. I use the Absorber synthetic chamois for the bulk of the water then dry/buff with the microfiber.

I don't bother with blowing out all the crevices, I let it dry in the sun if possible, if not into the garage it goes. If I get a couple of drip lines (usually small under the mirrors and another area at the edge of the canvas top) I use my detailer spray, one spritz, a wipe, and voila I am done.

 

I do a little stripped down version of what jws has described, but the important part is to touch the car as little as possible. The first blast of the foam cannon with some good car wash detergent takes off most of the grime, and usually not much washing with a microfiber glove is needed. I don't use deionized water but am considering it. I hesitate to use a leaf blower (don't have a dedicated one) but do use some primo quality microfiber towels to wipe off the excess water. I had my black car detailed, and then opticoated over 2 years ago, and swirl marks, which are easily seen on a dark car are absent.
Oh, and the po was proud to tell me that after every drive he used the same DRY microfiber cloth to remove dust etc. Hence the need for the detail when I got it..

 

oh yeah, I meant waffle weave for drying as tampamark mentioned.

 

$ 20 Leaf blower dries my car off nicely.

 

I'd be scared of a leaf blower, it can suck in dirt particles and throw them at a very high velocity. It'd be sort of like a wimpy sand blaster.

 

I think this is a myth perpetrated by the filtered-air-equipment establishment!!!

Your car sees a worse particle bombardment while driving. Unless you live inside a concrete plant or try to dry it in a desert dust storm I am pretty confident the air doesn't have any particles large enough to sand blast a paint job or cause any damage.


So far in this thread I need a deionizer, a Master Blaster drier, and a foam gun to do what I find very simple, wash and dry my car in 20 minutes. I will stick to the KISS method of car wash.

 

Most leaf blowers are in excess of 120 MPH, and there are exactly zero filters on the intake. Do the math. You go right ahead and use one, I won't.

 

Don't forget the power washer for the foam cannon. I had to buy a new one just for the car..

 

That's cool, to each their own. If I ever damage my car using a blower I will stop. Hasn't happened yet, 16 years strong and 3 different high end cars that were pristine. I hear this stuff and it is so opposite my real world results I just look at the constant barrage of false info and shake my head. Math is great until it just doesn't add up, and for me the numbers don't match. Some of these tools are convenience but very unnecessary, to me it would be a placebo affect. I could buy them and I would feel they are the greatest because I just invested so much into the "best" tools.

I search the net and can't find one story where someone marred their paint with an electric blower and plenty of people, even professional detail shops, who use and recommend them. I have an electric 100mph blower, filterless yes.

Oh no, another missing item from my washing regimen. My car is doomed!

 

This thread has gotten way too serious, so ... from the Dudley Moore movie "Crazy People":




In the above scene, Dudley Moore, the salesman, is explaining to Paul Reiser, the buyer, that this ad tells Jaguar owners to have their cars washed by hand only, preferably by a woman with a soft touch, in order to keep the paint like new.

Compared to an automatic machine wash, a hand job beats it every time!

If you misread this and were offended, I ask for your forgiveness.

 

What about carpet/mat shampoo, any equipment suggestions?

I either wash my own cars or take them to a 'hand wash' place where they first run it through a foam shower stall and then dry/polish it by hand -- they're very common in Los Angeles.