Washing issue

[Chris205]

I'm currently using a meguires microfibre mitt to wash my car. I'm finding that I'm getting light swirl/stroke marks along the panels which is very frustrating after spending 20 hours giving the paint a refresh with the rotary.

Could this be down to the mitt itself or is my wash technique wrong?

Technique is:

Pressure wash rinse
snow foam
Pressure wash rinse
Snow foam
Wash
Pressure wash rinse again
open ended hose rinse
Dry with curretly a chamois however will be investing in a towel soon

Car is my BG 182

Also would a coat of SRP help remove/hide the swirl/stroke marks the mitt is creating or is it going to be a case of another session on the machine?

 

[GeorgeH]

Proberbly the chamois.

 

[Chris205]

Proberbly the chamois.

Its occuring before I touch it with the chamois mate

 

[Yellow Dave]

What shampoo do you use? could be that its not lubricating enough. MF wash not aren't the best, lambswool is preferred but shouldn't be too bad. try and new mit and an extra little shampoo next time. DO you use two bucket method and grit guards?

chamois is probably causing a lot of damage, as the drying stage is typically when most damage is made.

Do you use any sealant or wax to protect the finish at all after polishing? As using SRP will hide and fill some minor swirls but will soon wash out if not protected.

 

[Burty182]

Chamois probably.

I hate them, get a decent drying towel.

 

[JD]

Slightly concerned you're zooming over the car with 3M FCP and a rotary, and yet still use a chamois!

So based on the above and to actually answer your question, I would put my money on you having pre-existing holograms in the paint, that the wet mitt is revealing.

 

[MatthewR]

lambswool is preferred

Referring to the above, I've always wondered that when heavy compounding it is common to use a wool pad and a high compound, and then when refining it is common to use a soft sponge.

Could that not in turn be transferred to the washing stage, providing that the dirt and grit is reduced to a minimum then perhaps a soft sponge could be the best.

In other words if someone is being too heavy handed with a wool mitt then it could in turn cause marring and other damage, however if someone is being careful with the prewash and the hand wash then a soft sponge could be preferred?

Please don't just jump on the band wagon with the whole do not use sponge etc.

 

[Yellow Dave]

the difference being you are lifting dirt from the bodywork, therefore collecting it in the wash media and moving it across the panel until you rinse it.

if you look at the mits after you will see that the lambswool will have dirt starting to work its way up the threads in-bedding themselves within it. it's not quite that easy to do that with a sponge. Some yes, do work in that way which is why a said proffered and not a must. I have a DDJ supernatural and basics of bling MF covered sponges, but use depends on level and type of dirt on the car. Still 99% of the time reach for the lambswool mit.

using wool whilst polishing is quite different as it's the way it works the compound on the panel. friction and heat generated are key factors but used in different ways, whereas a car shampoo is there to purely lubricate and suspend the dirt.

Not quite sure if your comment of jumping on the bandwagon was aimed at me, but I'd like to think in all my posts with a suggestion I try and give reasoning behind it from my findings.

 

[MatthewR]

Sorry Dave, no the comment of jumping on the bandwagon was aimed purely at the people who come in and offer advice with no evidence or a lack of knowledge in detailing to back said advice up. And was most defiantly not aimed at you and the other detailing 'gurus' so to speak who frequent the forum. I suppose for a second i thought i was on detailing world where i would be banned for the comment in the previous post.

I can see the reasoning, but like i said before surely with correct pre wash methods are used then the risk of grit and dirt being wiped across the surface would be massively minimised?

I suppose what i'm trying to say is the more time spent on 'touch less' washing before taking a sponge, wool mitt, micro fibre mitt etc to the paint, the better.

 

[Yellow Dave]

no offence taken, just wanted to make sure I wasn't falling into bad habits.

In theory, what you say is correct. if you can remove as much of the contaminants then there should be any to move around the panel when you actually come to wash, but I've never managed to remove enough dirt from pressure washing, snow foaming and citrus pre sprays that my rinse bucket remains clear or at least transparent. The pre washes just don't remove enough dirt unless you have pretty fresh and well performing LSP in place.

In another thread I mentioned I foamed half and CP the other half of the car, which had previously another coat of wax applied less than a week before doing this. after pressure rinsing there was still fine dirt present that would really only have been moved with physical contact.

 

[Ben]

Sorry to hi-jack but on topic. Best lambswool wash mit? CarPro or Megs?

 

[Yellow Dave]

Sorry to hi-jack but on topic. Best lambswool wash mit? CarPro or Megs?

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?356084-Which-wash-mitt-do-you-use/page4

I don't particularly have a favourite but a few thoughts updated above

 

[Chris205]

Tbh the car was never mint after the first session with the rotary, however I really do need to get a new mitt it would seem, will probably keep the existing mitt for the wheels and get a big drying towel for it