Call me crazy, but I think this method of drying would be much easier than using absorbent microfiber towels all over your car.

Look, I found a used one for only $25!
http://louisville.craigslist.org/grd/790715594.html

Opinions?

 

leaf blower are awsome. i been using one for years! lol!! perfect for all the little crack & crevices. like by the mirrors & door handles.
i hate it when you 'think' your car is dry & when you drive it, all the water that was hiding starts dripping all over the place

 

Hmm.... and for $25 you really cant go wrong. Isnt this what the pro detailers do?

edit: also found a used Craftsman on craigslist for $20!

 

Just use a compressor with a small wand attachment with a trigger. Thats what I use when I wash my dad's older muscle cars to get the water out of all the crevices.

I even put a small piece of rubber on it so in case it rubs against the car it won't scratch it.

 

I dont have a compressor. That would be a couple hundred dollars to get one.

 

ah nevermind

 

Yeah the only thing is, how much of a tool am I going to look like out at the car wash drying my car with power lawn equipment?!! LOL

I rent, sadly. No place for me to really wash my car. There is a spicket (sp?) on the end of our apt building but I'm sure someone would tell on me if I hooked up a hose.

 

I use one. It works great on the side mirrors!! A neighbor saw me using it one day and was like WTH?
Now, HE uses one on his ride!!

 

haha yeah that might look pretty odd

 

i've been using one for a couple years not, much more practical then drying with towels, no swirl marks from drying and lets me use my towels for detailing and waxing

 

Not a bad idea....but I see that particular one for sale at Craigslist is a used one...and being a vac/blower, aren't you worried about debris and dust typically present inside blowing outward?

Neverthelss, I like that idea (if I have a new one tho).

 

no

 

I too am no longer allowed to use a hose when washing my box in my new apartment. Look into Optimum No Rinse, and read reviews of it on the autopia forum. See it in action on youtube.

I have to admit I was very, VERY skeptical about using this product, since I'm so used to the regular hose and multi-bucket wash. But, thanks to the folks on autopia (bunch of brain-washers ) I decided to give it a try. I followed the instructions on the bottle of ONR as they said, 1 oz of ONR into 2 gallons of H2O. You can even make your own QD with it as well. It does cost about $40 for the gallon, but that will give you about 120 washes. It comes in smallervolumes as well.

I started doing one panel at a time from top to bottom. I couldn't believe the slickness this product has, and how easy was to glide around using a sheepskin mitt. I did the roof, glass, hood, upper and lower sides, then the trunk and bumpers. I do fill up a spray bottle from my wash bucket to spray on the paint as a sort of pre-treatment. I do a single swipe on the lower sides to loosen what I consider the dirtiest part of the car. Then grab another SS sponge for another pass and finish with a clean MF towel to dry. I end up using about 8 MF towels to dry, and I clean and dry 1 section at a time. At the end of all this, it was like it was like when I used my regular 4 bucket method, but with a lot less water, less clean-up and a lot faster!

Final about this product: AWESOME! I still recommend it only when the car is well maintained. I know some people push the limits and beyond of this product, but I'm in the safe side of everything, so I'll only do it on clean to light/medium dirty cars. Highly recommend it and super easy to use! Even my car duster glides over the paint easier now.

Believe me, I am extremely an@l when it comes to protecting my paint. ONR is high quality and 100% safe.

Sorry for the threadjack!