Caring for Wash Pad/Swirls?

[Eidolon]

When I first ordered and received my wash pads, they were plush and soft. After a few uses and washing warm with Woolite, they started to look like below. The picture below is after having them for a few months.

 

 

I'm still getting some swirl marks in my clear coat and I'm not sure why. (Mind, this is helped not at all by the GM clear coat, which is so soft that it swirls if you look at it funny.) Any opinions on the pad? Will this state affect their ability to clean the car without harming the clear coat?

 

Another source could still be my wash towels. I detail spray the car then wipe it down, but I end up using the same towel to also wipe down the inside of the door jambs. Any chance there could be grit inside the towels that survives a wash?

 

Sorry, I know this kind of a combo thread. Wanted to ask, though.

[Junkman2008]

What do you see them do different?

 

Here's a video that someone posted for me to critique. See if you can find all the things that he is doing wrong. If you have watched my videos, you should catch them all.

 

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[bakchoi]

I separate my towels when washing. Group towels that *ONLY* touches paint to be washed together that way no chance of any grit to embed in them.

 

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[duramaxsky]

Facts Be Facts

[Junkman2008]

Now quit hatin' on the guy, boyz!

[duramaxsky]

So he's spent significant bucks on the car, and some fancy Egyptian cotton towels, but can't even use some good matched products, and is trying to repair some non-trivial surface issues?

 

Time for him to get some Adams polishes and pads. That will at least remove some of the variables.

 

But he will still be too dorky to own that car.

[Chewy]

Think he got enough product on the pad AJ? Adam needs more of THOSE customers!

 

Chris

[Doug123]

So he's spent significant bucks on the car, and some fancy Egyptian cotton towels, but can't even use some good matched products, and is trying to repair some non-trivial surface issues?

 

Time for him to get some Adams polishes and pads. That will at least remove some of the variables.

[duramaxsky]

OK I see now. Mixing crappy brands and using too much to start with. Pretty much a waste of time at that point anyway. I must say there should be a law against dorks like that owning a car like that. Its just wrong on so many levels that it makes my head spin.

[Junkman2008]

you know why he failed dont ya This wasnt a Brother In the Garage Production thats the problem

 

[lawson4450]

you know why he failed dont ya This wasnt a Brother In the Garage Production thats the problem

[lawson4450]

boy they let any yahoo with a camera and a garage film this detailing stuff huh lol

[Chewy]

I would say this about that statement. You CAN stop the swirls because they only appear after you scratch the paint up in multiple directions over a period of time. Once the swirls have been totally removed, you should never see swirls again unless you are taking car of the paint incorrectly.

 

Now the super fine micro scratches are another story. They will show up here and there when you do something wrong. Those are hard to avoid. However, proper washing and not touching the paint as much as possible is really going to limit the damage you see. Doing things like cleaning the door jams with the same towel that rubs on the paint is just one of the things the OP is doing wrong. There are no telling how many other things are being done that are just as bad for his paint.

 

If I sit and watch someone detail their car who is having issues, I bet I could come up with a list of things that I see them doing wrong. That's why I have people make videos of how they use the polisher, You will be surprised at how many people say that they are doing it just as I do in my videos and after they post their video, it turns out to be NOTHING like the way I do it!

 

OK you're right... I needed to use a different term. You just can't prevent the fine scratches unless it's parked and NEVER touched. Just someone rubbing against it unknowingly in the parking lot will cause scratches.

[duramaxsky]

What do you see them do different?

[Junkman2008]

Remember there's NO way to stop the swirls. Only reduce them.

 

I would say this about that statement. You CAN stop the swirls because they only appear after you scratch the paint up in multiple directions over a period of time. Once the swirls have been totally removed, you should never see swirls again unless you are taking car of the paint incorrectly.

 

Now the super fine micro scratches are another story. They will show up here and there when you do something wrong. Those are hard to avoid. However, proper washing and not touching the paint as much as possible is really going to limit the damage you see. Doing things like cleaning the door jams with the same towel that rubs on the paint is just one of the things the OP is doing wrong. There are no telling how many other things are being done that are just as bad for his paint.

 

If I sit and watch someone detail their car who is having issues, I bet I could come up with a list of things that I see them doing wrong. That's why I have people make videos of how they use the polisher, You will be surprised at how many people say that they are doing it just as I do in my videos and after they post their video, it turns out to be NOTHING like the way I do it!

[GerryC]

I actually use Adam's Car Wash soap to clean my wash pads. Most of the time after a wash, the soap bucket has plenty of suds left, so I just give it another good scrub on the grit guard and it looks good as new. I take the pad and the grit guard out, put the grit guard on the ground and the pad on top, and blast the soap out of the pad with the hose. Flip it over and do it again, wring it out really good and hang it up to dry.

[Chewy]

Do it the same way only using WCW in place of the DS.

 

Chris

[Eidolon]

Both of mine, purchased between jan and march look exactly the same for what it's worth. I carry on as I can with them. One for the top, always the same one, and another one for the bottom half of the car(the really dirty part). I never mix them up.

 

Are you using the two pad two grit guard bucket wash method? That helps reduce swirl creation, I believe. (notice I don't say eliminate, as that is pretty much impossible, esp. for those of us with a DD)

Yup, I do just this. I discussed back and forth with Junkman on it in a thread I started, and he convinced me to go this route. (Dunno if I ever said thanks for the advice, but thanks!) So yeah, I'm using one wash bucket and one rinse bucket, both with grit guards, with two separate pads. Do the top half of the car with one pad, down to about hip-level, then do the rest with the other pad.

 

Can you elaborate here?

 

Are you machine washing your pads? I personally recommend hand washing, use a little APC to spot treat as needed, but for the mostpart just blast out with the hose and inspect for contamination after each use. Method has served me well for many years. No need to complicate the process by adding more soaps... the pad is full of soap after each use... why clean a cleaner if you get my drift.

I typically toss my wash pads in with my microfiber, set the washer to use warm water, and use Woolite liquid detergent. From what I've been reading lately, cold water sounds like the better choice for all the microfiber, so I can switch that up easily enough. Microfiber goes in the dryer on low or hangs dry, but the pads are dry enough after a spin dry in the washer that I don't tumble dry them. I typically do blast them out with the hose after use, then supplement with a run through the washer to ensure they're as grit-free as they can be before next use. If a simple hose blast is sufficient to remove any grit that could remain in the pads after use, then I can stop washing 'em in the washer.

 

Remember there's NO way to stop the swirls. Only reduce them.

 

Like stated above... Are you using the two bucket method with grit guards in both?

Yup. If necessary, I can post another thread detailing my method and allow for more critique. But I think I'm golden. If my car's really dirty, I'll even dump out the rinse bucket when I switch pads, and I typically use a bit more Car Wash product in the wash bucket when I make the switch as well to ensure I still have plenty of foamy suds.

 

Start using WCW when drying. It'll encapsulate any dirt that may have been left behind and reduce the chance of scratches.

My rinse technique here actually attempts to follow the Adams videos: rinse with the sprayer, then rinse with the solid stream of water to reduce beading, hit the entire car with a layer of Detail Spray, then use the waffle weave drying towels to wipe it down.

[Chewy]

Remember there's NO way to stop the swirls. Only reduce them.

 

Like stated above... Are you using the two bucket method with grit guards in both?

 

Start using WCW when drying. It'll encapsulate any dirt that may have been left behind and reduce the chance of scratches.

 

After correcting my paint I found the clear to be fairly hard, but VERY thin.

 

Gluck,

Chris

[Team Adam's]

washing warm with Woolite

 

Can you elaborate here?

 

Are you machine washing your pads? I personally recommend hand washing, use a little APC to spot treat as needed, but for the mostpart just blast out with the hose and inspect for contamination after each use. Method has served me well for many years. No need to complicate the process by adding more soaps... the pad is full of soap after each use... why clean a cleaner if you get my drift.

[Doug123]

Both of mine, purchased between jan and march look exactly the same for what it's worth. I carry on as I can with them. One for the top, always the same one, and another one for the bottom half of the car(the really dirty part). I never mix them up.

 

Are you using the two pad two grit guard bucket wash method? That helps reduce swirl creation, I believe. (notice I don't say eliminate, as that is pretty much impossible, esp. for those of us with a DD)

[GTO Guy]

the new pads dont do that. there is NO difference in the performance. ALL in the appearance. I do have both kinds.

[lawson4450]

yeah me either i use my cheap costco towells for the door jambs and trunk and hood area.

[Chris@Adams]

My wash pads look the same, as long as they don't feel rough you should be ok. I never use the same towel on the paint as I do door jambs, inside trunk ect.