Swirl/Scratch marks after wash? =/

[Mini-Odyssey05]

after i wash and dry my car, i see swirl/scratch marks on my car everywhere under a lot of light? is that because of the cloth/mit that i'm using is trapping in dirt and it's scratching the surface?... or could it be my absorber i'm using to dry the car with? (which i'm doubting)

and if it is the cloth/mit i'm using, what should i switch it up to?

and would these scratch marks be easy to buff out? thanx.

[silver hatch]

I doubt that you did it. Are you sure it wasn't already like that? There are some car polishes and waxes out there that should fix it. Just make sure the washing mitt you use, is clean and has no dirt particles on it when you wash your car. I always use the same towels that I've set aside, just for car washing too, so that they're not used for anything else. I've never had a problem.

[frm_808]

do you have a truck or somethin and used the same wash cloth? do you remember if you washed in circular motions good be a hint. i would think its just dirt on your wash cloth. u should check the cloth and see if you find anything man

[ep_hatcher_510]

What kind of material are you using to wash, dry, wax the car with? I would give the car a good buff to smooth out the finish and next time probably get some new wash mitt/sponge, and drying and buffing towels just to be safe.

[Blackexcoupe]

Swirl marks are hard to avoid, but you can try to do all you can to reduce them. Check out this video on how to wash a car. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7598756069207401372

[Gaz]

Your mitt and absorber certainly could be causing swirl marks. You could also be causing swirl marks when you wax your car.

Honda paint is really "soft": prone to swirls.

At the minimum use the 2 bucket method. 1 bucket for wash solution and one for rinsing the mitt.

The absorber will pick up any bits of dirt and drag it across the paint.

I will rinse the car then take the nozzle off to let a stream of water run on the car. The sheeting effect takes off most of the water and the rest can be blotted off with waffle weave microfibers.

The only real way to get rid of swirl marks is to buff them out. I use a porter cable 7424 and various compounds to get the car 95% perfect.

There are some waxes out there that use fillers to cover swirls but they will reappear.

[Matt]

no matter how careful you are when washing eventually you will get swirl marks. only way to remove them is to buff them out, with a DA or Rotary. The by-hand swirl removers will remove some superficial stuff but lots of those are just glazes that try to hide defects rather than actually removing them, as someone already posted.

Use a spun lambs wool wash mitt, they can be found in most places like walmart or pep boys or the net and are relatively cheap (5-10 bucks). Buy several and retire them to wheel or engine duty after 4-5 washes, this will make a big difference. You can rinse those things out like crazy but they still wear out a lot faster than most people think, replace them often and it will help keep the swirls to a minimum, and use them with the two-bucket method.

[BobSassafrass]

I used a buffer and some Scratch-X with wonderful results for getting fine swirl/scratches out.

[Mini-Odyssey05]

well, its a new paint job, only like a month and a half old and i haven't waxed it yet, so its not swirl marks from waxing.

i used an old mit to wash the car since the new paint job the first few times. last week i bought these wash cloths instead so it'll trap less dirt.

i'll def. go ahead and buff out the scratches, buy a new mit/cloth, and try the 2 bucket method.

[AliG-EP3]

I hate swirl marks, and I think I hate honda paint even more ahaha

[2005rollingegg]

after i wash and dry my car, i see swirl/scratch marks on my car everywhere under a lot of light? is that because of the cloth/mit that i'm using is trapping in dirt and it's scratching the surface?... or could it be my absorber i'm using to dry the car with? (which i'm doubting)

and if it is the cloth/mit i'm using, what should i switch it up to?

and would these scratch marks be easy to buff out? thanx.

Its normal after years of washing, just give your car an occasional polish and wax.

[fatathaland]

Anyone have a gripe with the water blade things to dry the car?

I used to have the absorber as well. It did dry well but you are definitely right about it dragging dirt on the paint.

[OZ.EP3]

Waterblades work great!

As with any of your washing materials you should always clean and rinse them out after each use, otherwise your going to scratch up your paint with whatever is embedded in them.

If you care about your car you should have 1 bucket for washing and another bucket just for your wheels. You do not want to use the same mitt to wash your car and wheels. If you are then you are washing your car with brake dust!

[.rob]

what you're seeing aren't swirl marks unless you're buffing the car with a high speed buffer.

it's a combination of many things.

dirt on your wash mit
dirt on your drying towel
dirt on your whatever you're touching the car with

you're simply dragging the dirt across the paint surface and leaving scratches. it sounds horrible, huh? hahah.

buffing is the best option. don't waste your money on off-the-counter hand polishes.

[wishbear]

go buy a buffer and buff yourself as much as you want or pay a place to do it for alot

[wishbear]

there was some1 on the forums that did very nice detailing maybe ask him for pointers

[nrengle]

I recommend you go check out www.autogeekonline.net Plenty of info on how to fix this, and what's up. It sounds like you have wash induced swirls and spiderwebbing. Being new paint was it baked on, or left to just cure on it's own? If so, I suggest you not wax or use a sealant for at least a month so the paint can out-gas properly.

The short run down:

Ditch the Absorber and Terry Cloth towels. Use microfiber towels (I suggest the stuff at Autogeek). The Cobra stuff is thick, and will trap dirt not removed in the wash deep in the cloth away from the paint.

Next the two bucket method with a Grit Guard in each bucket. Make sure these buckets are used only for washing, nothing else, this way it keeps extra dirt out of your wash water.

I suggest the higher end sheepskin mits, the utili-mit, or a microfiber chenille mit for use on the paint. Something that holds a lot of soapy water and also helps pick up the dirt and trap it deep in the mit suspended in the soap, away from the paint.

Always wash in straight lines, wax in straight lines (not applicable if using a PC, UDM, Flex, or Rotary), and either blot dry, or blow dry the car. An air compressor is your friend if you have one.

Also a little trick to use when drying your car, if you're starting to get water spots, use a quick detailer with your drying. Spray it on the panel you are drying (still wet with water), and then dry. No water spotting will occur.

Good luck

[jw1]

Had the same problem until I picked up a Porter Cable buffer, a number of different polishing pads, and some 3M Finesse It. It is amazing what a good polish and a real buffer will do to swirl marks.