I washed the tC 2 times this week, but today when I washed it, I got one of those extra absorbent towels and dryed it off completely. When I got home I realized that there's white spots everywhere. Did I do something wrong? Is it bad soap? This is my first new car so if I could get some tips on how to wash it properly, that would be great.

Thank you!!


'05 tC IIP (still don't know what to name it)

Sorry! I didn't mean to post it twice!

You mention that you used an absorbant towel...like an "absorber", or a bath towel....cause that would be a no no, in my book.

Do you mean dried up water spots?

Sounds like hard water stains. The only easy fix is to use water that's been thru a water softener. If that's not an option all you can do is dry the car quickly and try to not ever let any water dry by itself on the car. Probably you will have to wash the car one body panel at a time instead of the whole thing at once.

A pain, but once you get used to doing it that way its not much more work than usual.

You mention that you used an absorbant towel...like an "absorber", or a bath towel....cause that would be a no no, in my book.
??

Zaino Bros. recommend using a white 100% cotton bath towel to dry.

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=TOWELS&Store_Code=Z

It's a towel made for drying cars, I can't remember the exact name, I bought it at the auto parts store.

i strongly strongly recommend mr. clean's autodry car wash thing. it works really really well because I let mine air dry and there are no water spots.

im assuming your talking about the "Absorber" <the actual name of the towel... i have used those towels and only those and they work really well... i agree with what was said above about hard water stains.. but the absorber recommends that you wash it first before you start drying the car... right out of the container they have conditioners soaked in them, maybe its a possibility that cause spots guessing it didnt dry the car properly... i dunno just a guess though

If you read the Mothers or Meguiars tips on car care, they reccommend cotton towels like mrtc said.

White spots are most likely water spots, almost always a result of hard water. Either that or you didn't get all of the soap off after you washed it.

The towel you guys are trying to talk about is a Terry Cloth, you can get them at any autoparts store or like Wal-Mart in the auto department. Or use a static free cloth you will know what that it because it will feel really weird on your skin. Well i hope that helps.

Bryan
Nashville, TN

Mr. Clean Autodry all the way

how about those squeegy things, then finish witha towel. Are those squeegies any good?

happened to me once. I found that later on that it's b/c I didnt dry them properly or completely, thus the water with soap in them dried on my car instead and causing the white spot u see.

how about those squeegy things, then finish witha towel. Are those squeegies any good?


California Water Blades work great. I always use it before I go over the car with a towel. They do not scratch and make drying a breeze.

mr. clean is the best... so is the water blade

For as long as I can remember, I've used all the "recommended" drying solutions. Over the years using a terry cloth really never worked for me, I didn't like the results I was getting out of a chamois, then I tweaked how I was washing the car even before I started to dry it. Things like what you wash your car with, will either help remove contaminant off the car, or just drag it along the paint, and not really pick it up and trap the dirt. IMO the ultimate secret to a nice clean job is how the car is washed. More suds + Good wash mitt (LAMBS WOOL) + patience = a better result. I would hate to assume that your just washing the car, and that it. So much goes into keep your car look nice on the outside, just like you would I the inside.

But with evolution of car care products out there, I do believe that there are several ways you can go about taking care of your car.

I don't agree or disagress with any one method. Some methods work for different people, after 4yrs, I've come to religiously use the absorber, and not just one, I have 3-4. They are taken care of just like as other tools I use to clean the car.

With the except of all the other necessary things that need to be done in order for you to maintain the car original shine and luster.

Just by reading these posts, you can probably know draw your own conclusion. These are all really good ways to go about the job.

the absorber? is that what its called, where can i get one cause i keep hearing all these good things about it!?

the absorber? is that what its called, where can i get one cause i keep hearing all these good things about it!?

Wal-Mart, it comes in a couple different colors, its in a clear plastic container with a black label. They come in yellow, blue, red, and I don't know about other colors.

I don't know if anyone mentioned it, but I have the Mr Clean's Auto Dry thing on the hose... works great.

I've got the absorber and I don't even use it - unless mine is defective, it really doesn't absorb very well at all. Don't get me wrong - it can pick up a lot of water, but if your car is waxed or polished, it shouldn't hold that much. I get it very clean and then I use the california water blade (works great as long as you're careful) to displace most of the water, and then I wanted the absorber to pick up everything that was left. It doesn't. It leaves lots of water streaks. I got a big pack of microfiber towels and they work great. I think the Absorber is old technology - just one step up from a real chamoise, mostly because you can wash it easier. Get microfiber towels if you really care about your car. They work great.

I've got the absorber and I don't even use it - unless mine is defective, it really doesn't absorb very well at all. Don't get me wrong - it can pick up a lot of water, but if your car is waxed or polished, it shouldn't hold that much. I get it very clean and then I use the california water blade (works great as long as you're careful) to displace most of the water, and then I wanted the absorber to pick up everything that was left. It doesn't. It leaves lots of water streaks. I got a big pack of microfiber towels and they work great. I think the Absorber is old technology - just one step up from a real chamoise, mostly because you can wash it easier. Get microfiber towels if you really care about your car. They work great.

Have you tried the waffle weave mf towels? They work great.

I've heard great things about those waffle weave towels, but Costco sells like a dozen of the yellow MF non-waffle towels for like 9 bucks, which is a great price, so that's what I've got. If I can find a big pack of better towels for a reasonable price, I'd love to try 'em. These will last me a while but not forever. I'm just not paying like 5 bucks for one towel.

i agree that the white marks are hard water stains. there is not much you can do about that. anyone remember the civic commericial where the owener washes his car with bottled water? if you have a filter in your kitchen faucet and its worth the trouble to you, you can fill some buckets with the 'clean' water and use it to rinse.

the best method to dry your car is with a leaf blower. it is touchless and can get into the crevices and slots in your car that a normal towel can't get into. you also have to use the blower in a suitable place where no dirt and depris will be blasted into your car by the blower.

If you are using a towel, 100% cotton is the way to go. Use a dabbing motion in order to not scratch or leave swirls in the clear coat/paint. Make sure you remove the tag from the seam and avoid using the edges of the towel.

I've got the absorber and I don't even use it - unless mine is defective, it really doesn't absorb very well at all. Don't get me wrong - it can pick up a lot of water, but if your car is waxed or polished, it shouldn't hold that much. I get it very clean and then I use the california water blade (works great as long as you're careful) to displace most of the water, and then I wanted the absorber to pick up everything that was left. It doesn't. It leaves lots of water streaks. I got a big pack of microfiber towels and they work great. I think the Absorber is old technology - just one step up from a real chamoise, mostly because you can wash it easier. Get microfiber towels if you really care about your car. They work great.

heres what i'm doing with my absorber :mrgreen:

http://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=38189

you also have to wring it out when it gets full of water (thank you mister obvious :lol: )

it works quite well too

Ok Guys here is Justin's washing for Dummie version of wasing a car. First things first is to hand wash your car... It suck and takes a little while but the benefits are worth it. Using that brush at the car wash will scratch the hell out of your paint a put tons of feather scratches in your paint... Another reality that needs to be realized is that to do a good was you will be essentially washing your car 3 times. First rising and washing... then the first initial drying with a shammee(Spelling) or soft cloth... then you go back over the car with McGuiars final detail or similar product with a polishing towel. The McGuiars will get the water to bead off the car without letting it dry prevent later water spotting. NEVER WIPE YOUR CAR WITH A DIRTY TOWEL AND NEVER USE DISH SOAP ON YOUR PAINT! Well happy washing boys!

oh one more thing never wash your wheels and tires with the same cloth or glove that you use for your paint... This will save you a tone of time wiping grease of your paint