Should I ditch the old chamois? Maybe buy a Sham-Wow? I've seen write-ups that claim a chamois can scratch the finish by grinding dirt into the paint. I think a towel will hold a lot more water than a chamois because I can dry the whole car with a towel but have to wring out the chamois after drying half the hood.

What do you say?

 

i gave up the chamois an towel an use a leaf blower it works great on a nice waxed car just
touch up with towel

 

Microfiber and a leaf blower here too.

 

From experience the sham-wow is a waste of money.

 

cotter, anything will scratch. The key is to throughly pressure wash the car with soap, and then a clean rinse, and always use a cleaned chamois. I find that a water blade and a synthetic chamios work the best, but I haven't tried the blower solution yet either.

 

I've got a 45cc backpack leaf blower that can probably blow right through the convertible's top. It never occurred to me to dry the car with it, but I might try it on the station wagon once.
I have used compressed air to dry the engine after washing under the hood.
I suppose this means I can't wash the car on an ozone action day ;-)

 

u know ive always seen the super powerful blowers in the drive-in car washes but i never thought to use a leafblower

 

I detail cars at a dealership. We use a water blade first to get most of the water off. Then go back over with a clean chamois. Microfiber are good for cleaning off wax and such, but not so good with water.

 

Yeah! leaf blower then finish em up with towel of soft fabric.

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Autopartswarehouse Father's Day 2009

 

I'm with X, been using a leaf blower for about 11 years now. Make sure you have some wax on it or the water will sheet and leave spots...