Should I dry before using detail spray when the temp goes up?

[MM4310]

Life finally allowed me time to used my first Adams order.  I washed my wife’s Colorado and my Silverado. 

The wife’s truck went pretty well. It was cool(around 70 and cloudy)and mostly shaded. By the time I got to my truck the temp was around 80/85 and in the sun. 

Both trucks were washed and dried exactly the same.

I got everything set up and  ready for a 2 bucket wash with a third bucket for the wheels and wheel wells. I started with the wheels and wheel wells. I had a brush for the wells and tires and a mitt for the wheels. I only had the wash shampoo so that’s what I used until I get more products. That turned out pretty good. 

Then i sprayed down the truck shady side first and then moved to the foam gun and started on the sunny side and back to the shade. 

Then 2 bucket wash. 

Rinsed

finshed with drying using detail spray and a soft microfiber drying towel. And this point the Colorado had some water spots that came off fairly easy. Over all her truck wasn’t to bad. But when I did my truck in the same order the sun was drying the truck fast and leaving water spots and streaks. The detail spray seemed to dry very fast and took more product than I expected. (About 3/4 of a spray bottle for both trucks)

Should I have dried the truck(s) with the great white drying towel and came back with detail spray afterwards?  

Is there a better option? 

 

Hot weather is a problem where I’m at. And the water is hard. 

 

In the end the trucks are clean and im happy with the results. Just looking for a better/easier way to get the same out come. 

 

Both trucks were washed separately. And the all buckets were emptied/washed/refilled per truck. 

Edited July 29, 2019 by MM4310
Clarification added

[Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin]

Good question - In my experience, I have never had any issues with Detail Spray hot, humid, or cold and dry.

 

My process may be different than yours though. I always have two towels when using Detail Spray.  One is a drying towel which I use for the main drying part, and then immediately, I switch to a clean and dry single or double soft towel and essentially I gently wipe down the panel until it's very very shiny. I try to work one panel at a time, and that's how I work my way around the vehicle. If I notice that my second towel is leaving any streaks, I know its time to flip to a dry side, or if I run out of dry sides, I know it's time for a new clean and dry microfiber towel.

 

The reason for getting a dry towel (and what I'm thinking may be what happened to you) is that a towel can become saturated with water/product if you allow it to pick up too much water/product. Then when you try to wipe again with that towel, it will leave streaks because it can't pick up any more product. So then when you switch to the clean and dry towel, you'll notice that it's picking up the detail spray residue and leaves behind a really really nice shine. I prefer to use it as a drying aid before I dry because I think it saves some time and yields the same results.

 

I have a detailer friend that likes to use Detail Spray after they dry their car, and it gives great results as well. In their case, it's the same concept. They can use one towel, and they do two wipe downs, making sure the second wipe down is done with a dry part of the towel until it's giving a very nice shine. I've tried this and it works the same as doing it with a wet vehicle.

 

Something to remember is that a little product goes a long way. I would estimate 3 ish sprays per panel (maybe 4-5 for the hood). A general wipe down of both your trucks, even with them being larger than most vehicles, I don't see it taking more than 1/4 of the bottle at the most. ^^ that same detailer friend I spoke about above has a small-mid size SUV and used Detail Spray on average once a week or once every two weeks and had that bottle last for more than 6 months. 

 

My advice to you is to try again with the wet trucks, use less product, and have extra clean and dry microfiber towels on hand. If you are not satisfied with that then try doing the dry method next time you wash. Find what you're comfortable with. 

[RayS]

Hi Mark,

Given that I have a Z71 Colorado and get similar hot and humid weather in South Carolina that you get in Texas, I can relate to the sun conflicting with detailing.  I generally do two vehicles at a time when I'm washing them, generally my truck and a SUV, and it took me a bit to get the routine down.  I also usually start between 6:30 and 7:00 AM during the summer to get out of the sun as quickly as possible.  I do have the advantage that once the truck is washed, I can put it in the garage to continue working on it, but only one at a time.

 

I do the wheels/tires first and then move onto the rest of the vehicles.  Eco Wheel Cleaner works great on the wheels for the Colorado and then I go over the wheels about once a month with Ceramic Boost to keep them looking sharp, spray a towel and then wipe the wheels.  Fortunately, the brakes don't put out too much dust, so the rinse off easily.  The Goodyears that came on the truck clean up pretty good with Tire & Rubber Cleaner and then according to how much shine you like, 2 or 3 sprays per tire with Tire Shine and a soft bristle brush with make then look good.

 

I start on the grill and hood, then go around the shadow side, back, sunny side and then the grill and hood again.   Doing the grill and hood twice and early allows the shampoo to dwell and makes it easier to get the bugs off.  Once I've hit the grill and hood a second time, I start washing with the microfiber mitt starting on the sunny side.  I know it didn't soak as long as the other parts, but once you have a base on the truck, it should clean up easily.  Once the sunny side is done, I go in the direction the sun is hitting the truck, either toward the back or the front and I try to get away from the sun as quickly as possible.   If you haven't already done so, get one of the Adam's Standard Step Stools, they are the perfectly size for the Colorado to get the top and windshield.

 

For rinsing the vehicle, use a soaker method since you want the volume of water, not a hard spray.  The water should run push the remaining soap and crud off the truck and again, once you have a good base it should be pretty dry using that method.   The hood and underside of the mirrors are the places where the water hangs the most,  and with the thin hood, I suggest getting your wife a AeroSkin II and it will also help reduce the chips and embedded bugs.   I use a borderless grey for get the bottom of the mirrors and usually have to do them a few times since they like to drip so much, I really need a blower.

 

Once I have dried the truck with the Great White drying towel or Ultra Plush drying towel, then I use detail spray or Ceramic Boost if it has been a month or so since it was gone over.  For the Detail Spray, I pretty much the path that @Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin stated, doing one panel at a time.  I doubt that I've ever used a 1/4 of a bottle of of Detail Spray on the Colorado or the SUV, again a little product goes a long way.  The hard water is a separate challenge and if you have calcium in the water that makes it even worse.  You can get a charcoal filter for the hose when you are rinsing the truck and that will help.  If Detail Spray won't get a spot off, then a small amount of Brilliant Glaze will usually work. 

 

If you get the truck stripped, unless there are a lot of swirl marks, you can use Revive Hand Polish and it will really bring out the luster of the paint. If you get it cleaned up, don't hesitate to put Ceramic Paste or Liquid Wax on it, it looks great and lasts a long a time and does not require the truck to be Ceramic Coated.  As with most of the Adam's products, a little goes a long ways, so I always recommend using a small amount since you can always add more if needed.

 

For the front air dam and the steps on the back bumper, use a small amount of VRT on a microfiber pad and then smooth it out with a junk towel.   The surfaces are just rough enough that they'll snag a good microfiber.   The VRT is known to run if you put too much on, so again thin is the name usage pattern.  

 

The tonneau cover can be cleaned with regular shampoo and according to the which brand of cover you have use either Leather Conditioner.   I really like the way Leather Condition looks on my Truxedo, but it comes down to do the material used by the producer.  The Tonneau covers are like convertible tops on a car, one of the three products is perfect and the other two not so much.  The only way to know for certain is to do a test spot and since you are getting Leather Conditioner for the interior, start with that.  If you have not conditioned the tonneau cover yet, don't be surprised to see some streaking as it dries. That just means the material is real dry and you'll need to go it a couple of times, again staying with thin coats.

 

For the interior of the Colorado, I recommend hitting the dash and center console with a thin coat of Leather Conditioner, not only does it make them look good, it cuts down on the glare from the dash onto the windshield.

 

Before we get to the Red truck, I'm going to recommend you check out some of my posts and pick out which Red vehicle you like the best for the outcome and then I'll go over how I got it there.   The only one that probably doesn't qualify is the 20+ year old Mustang thread, but all others do and there should be plenty of Red vehicles to choose from.