Car drying

[neil tt]

Does anyone on here use something like this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HYDRA-FLEXI-BLADE-car-cleaning-chamois-RRP-15_W0QQitemZ320105305965QQihZ011QQcategoryZ72201QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Ian W]

i think it's been discussed before mate.

 

never used one myself but supposedly shifts a lot of excess water, then you just give it a quick rub over with a microfibre towel.

 

think Peter Richards actually uses one so can't be bad eh

[ivan]

I have one.

 

It's OK for wiping the bulk of the water away after a car wash but you still need to finish off with a terry cloth or micro fibre.

[michael]

Yes, just make sure the car is actually clean and that there is no grit on the blade, I always rinse mine on each stroke.

 

Some are a better material than others, my Costco ones seem a lot better than the Autoglym one I had previously.

[michael]

And another consideration... the ones I use now have the soft blade material around the handle as well, the older / cheaper ones have a hard plastic here. This means they are easier to grip with wet hands and won't hurt as much if you drop it on the car, some of the really cheap ones seem to have quite nasty edges on the handle.

 

Mine are a bit like this:

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300103768979&

[DrivingTheDream]

Something I use which is really good is one of them drying cloth's swimmers/divers use. There like a rubber, absorbent thingy mines made by Speedo lol.

[neil tt]

I have been looking around to try to find the best things for dring and I also found these http://www.pakshak.com/ the waffle weave micro fibre towels are very good for drying. I will probably order one and see what its like, I will also try one of the silicone blades aswell, thanks for the heads up:d

[Konrad]

Don't use them, those WILL leave micro scratches etc. Use microfibre towels, will be enough to dry car properly. Most of proffesional detailers will tell you exactly the same.

[Ian W]

Don't use them, those WILL leave micro scratches etc. Use microfibre towels, will be enough to dry car properly. Most of proffesional detailers will tell you exactly the same.

 

provided you clean it after every wipe there's no real reason for it to do this.

 

are you classing peter richards as a 'professional valeter' then?

 

[michael]

Anything you rub across the surface of the paint has the potential to leave "micro scratches"

[Soop Dogg]

Our chauffers at work stopped using these blades once they had inadvertently got a piece of grit under them a couple of times.

 

It's simple mechanics really - if there's a piece of drit on the car and you catch it with one of these, it will scratch your paintwork.

 

(But then that probably goes for a chamois too I guess)

[Ian W]

(But then that probably goes for a chamois too I guess)

 

precisely mate, six and half a dozen isn't it.

 

difference being, i can actually see that these blades are surely easier to remove grit from after each wipe than a towel or chamois which would hold the grit to it's surface?

[Soop Dogg]

precisely mate, six and half a dozen isn't it.

 

difference being, i can actually see that these blades are surely easier to remove grit from after each wipe than a towel or chamois which would hold the grit to it's surface?

 

Sounds sensible. What is strange is that they never had this problem in the past when using a chamois, so that's what they are using again now, so far without problems. I know I've caused a scratch in my paint once using a chamois when I've trapped a pice of grit.

 

[Ian W]

Sounds sensible. What is strange is that they never had this problem in the past when using a chamois, so that's what they are using again now, so far without problems.

 

 

strange i admit.

 

it's all just theory on my part mind you as i've never used one as such.

 

i would imagine that if a car is cleaned and rinsed properly in the first place then there's no real reason that a chamois or a blade should scratch it.

[peter richards]

provided you clean it after every wipe there's no real reason for it to do this.

 

are you classing peter richards as a 'professional valeter' then?

 

im a pro , thats what i do for a living

[Ian W]

im a pro , thats what i do for a living

 

I was sticking up for you

[peter richards]

i know lol:)

[Ian W]

i know lol:)

 

all well and good then

 

so do you still use one of these blades then Pete?

[Guest mk47]

all well and good then

 

so do you still use one of these blades then Pete?

 

pete is dodgy he uses brillo on peoples supras

[Ian W]

pete is dodgy he uses brillo on peoples supras

 

that was in his amateur days mate.

 

moved onto the wire wool now

[peter richards]

all well and good then

 

so do you still use one of these blades then Pete?

yes i did my car yesterday , and as im doing my regular customers i can see if any marks are caused , and up to now nothing , but i do wipe the blade as said after each pass , its only the large areas on the car i use it , roof /bonnet , the guzzler sorts the rest out

[MarkTheBoy]

My dad uses one every weekend on his tvr and he's a fanatic for bodywork and cleaning.

 

The paint on tvrs isn't exactly renowned for being bulletproof but the car looks brand new.

 

My theory is a piece of grit in a shammy, stays in the shammy. A piece of grit on a blade either gets flicked off or can be wiped off after every pass.

 

Still need to shammy off afterwards though.

[neil tt]

The only problem then with the silicone blades I can see is if you pick up a piece of grit half way through a swipe:)

[peter richards]

just make sure neil you wash the car correctly , and a good rinse after , are you going to tf sunday

[Jive]

I've used one a few times on my supe and the misses Audi and never had any problems. I'd be in the same theory that if there was a bit of grit on the blade it would fall off or get wiped off after each pass, whereas a bit of grit in a chamois would stay there and do more damage.