TIP: Quick Detailers and swirls

Like many owners with dark finishes, I am in a constant battle with swirl marks. It seems that anything that wipes over the surface of a well-detailed finish will leave visible swirls in the wax, that for us OCD types, is extremely annoying at certain angles in the sun. I've been trying different techniques, towel materials, wax products, etc. over two years to solve this, and haven't yet got it COMPLETELY nailed, but I've come pretty close.

One of the more frustrating things was to have a virtually swirl-free waxjob turn in to a swirl nightmare as soon as I used some Griots SpeedShine to do a quick detailing. Always looks fabulous under the flourescent garage lights. Out in the sun – SWIRLS!!! I have developed a technique that virtually eliminates them with Quick Detailing spray (at least SpeedShine), and I thought I'd share it.

Essential items:

• Random Orbital machine polisher
• Microfiber bonnet
• Microfiber wipe-down towels
• Quick detailing spray
• A few soft, cotton towels – the Griots diaper material cotton towels are great

Procedure:

1. Apply and remove detailing spray in as cold conditions as possible, and make sure the surface is at ambient temperature. If you just drove the car, wait until it's cooled off (usually about 12 hours!).
2. Before doing the general surface detailing, examine the paint surface for any blobs like bird droppings, that golden pollen splat (I call it beesh!t), etc. Soak a clean cotton towl in water and wring it out, fold it in quarters, and place it firmly on the blob(s). After 5 minutes or so, the blob should have loosened enough to be gently wiped off with the wet towel. Don't use any pressure!
3. Cover the area to be worked (the entire hood or trunk, for example) with detailing spray. Only a very light misting is necessary for a clean surface (e.g., it was just detailed the day before, and didn't get dirty or dusty). Increase the amount used depending on the dirt loading. If the car is really dirty, you should wash it*.
4. Using a microfiber towel folded in quarters (do not use the cotton!), gently spread and wipe off the detailing spray, in long, straight passes, parallel to the long axis of the car. Turn and refold the towel frequently to present clean fibers to the surface. I end up hitting both sides of one towel completely when doing the hood this way. That means that I am rotating through a total of 8 different "sides" of the towel as I work from one side of the hood over to the other. Let any excess streaks of detailer that are still on the surface evaporate – should only take a minute or so, if that.
5. Grab your buffer with MF bonnet, set at a relatively slow speed (I set the Porter Cable to 3), and run the buffer over the surface without applying any pressure – allow the weight of the machine to be all the pressure applied. Adjust the speed so that the pad/bonnet rotates about 1 revolution per second (60 rpm).
6. Follow the usual crosshatch pattern used when polishing or waxing. Do not make more than two complete passes over any part of the finish. As you get better at this, you can make it in one pass. The key here is to buff as little as possible, to prevent completely rubbing off the QD product just applied, but buff enough to kill the swirls.

That's it! You'll be amazed at the results. Like I said, I haven't been able to achieve 100% swirl-free results with any method, but this comes dang close. Close enough that you have to really try, from all sorts of different angles, to find a hint of swirling in the sunshine.



I keep a clean MF bonnet for just this purpose, and nothing else. I have two more that I use for removing wax residue when waxing the car. I SpeedShine my hood and trunk just about every morning before I leave for work, and this process takes me about 5 minutes to do 'em both.

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*Although I've had success cleaning my entire car with SpeedShine after it took a big dust load from a dirt road without any scratching or swirling, washing is still the recommended treatment. It took enormous amounts of SS, which can be quite expensive. However, if you want to try this, be very careful, keep presenting clean towel segments to the surface, and use lots of towels in addition to the gobs of detailing spray. You're on your own if you go this route – I'm not recommending it.

Rocket, listening to you would be enough to keep me away from a dark car forever. My next BMW that I have dibs on for a great deal is an all black E46 M3

Excellent write-up Rocket!

Using a QD that contains a little carnauba (like Crystal Mist) will make the job a little easier!

Originally Posted by Nick T.

Excellent write-up Rocket!

Using a QD that contains a little carnauba (like Crystal Mist) will make the job a little easier!

Speedshine is carnauba-based.

I'm just really OCD about swirl marks. Anytime I touch the paint surface for something (wash, wax, detail, etc.), I roll it out in to the sunshine and spend about 15 minutes inspecting from every possible angle conceivable to find swirls. I hate em! The only time I've ever been able to get the finish absolutely swirl free is after a polishing, but before the wax is applied. That, of course, is not an acceptable solution

I tried this on Friday and it really works well. I've never really had a problem with SS leaving streaks but in prep to display my car at our Concour I gave it a shot.

I also talked over the process with the 2 Griots reps at our show and they were intrigued. I've sent this off to them to read and experiment with.

Nice job RKT

How could I have missed this post? Great write up! I'll have to try it.

Another tip I discovered quite by accident. When you're finished quick detailing the car, take the damp (with detailer) application rag a wipe it over the wood trim, or shiny painted trim, inside the car. Then wipe off with the removal rag. It positively glows.

I hate swirl marks too! But I love my black bimmer!!!

I will admit that I have never tried Griot's products, but I have used Zymol, and a three step process with McGuirres #7, #9 and then #21. The later worked pretty good, but took forever. Then one day I was walking throught the local state fair with my family and passed a guy peddling some kind of car wax. My WIFE actually made me go back and look (she knows how I am). So I did and was amazed at the product. Mostly because it is almost pure Carnauba wax. Most "good" waxes are around 30-40% Carnauba with petroleum and clay additives. This wax has NO clay and NO petroleum distillates in it and is over 90% carnauba. Anyway, the price was right, 20 buck for 2 bottles with a money back gaurantee. I was still a bit skeptical, but could wait to try it on my car. The next day I got up early, the sun was shining, this was it. I washed off all the other wax I had on the car and begain to use the new stuff. WOW, did it go on fast and smooth. BTW I also use foam applicator pads and microfiber towels to wipe off/polish with, they are great! This stuff removed all but the worst of the swirl marks and scratches (I am the second owner of this car and the first wasn't too car care savvy). And boy does it shine! All my car buddies thought it had a new paint job, not that it looked bad before. People are always giving me a hard time about how anal I am about my car and I take that as a compliment.

So, want to know what it is? Its called Carnu-B and it can be found on the web. Sounds cheesy, but I like it!

Also, I recommend NEVER using terry cloth to wash or dry a car. It scratches. I use nothing but The Absorber, a synthetic chamois. One to wash and one to dry.

My 2 cents

I’ve been playing with various products and techniques for quite some time now, and so far I have not found any way to eliminate those minor swirls in the carnauba.

There is one technique that will help to reduce the visibility of the swirls. If you wipe the surface with a circular motion (Mr. Miyagi’s wax on, wax off method), then the swirls are circular and reflect light from all angles! Applying and removing product using up/down motion on the vertical surfaces and fore/aft motion on the horizontal surface will not reduce the amount of swirling, but will make a major reduction in how easily they are seen.

Originally Posted by RKT BMR

[*]Grab your buffer with MF bonnet, set at a relatively slow speed (I set the Porter Cable to 3), and run the buffer over the surface without applying any pressure – allow the weight of the machine to be all the pressure applied. Adjust the speed so that the pad/bonnet rotates about 1 rpm.

1 rpm, as in revolutions per minute? Not nit-picking...want to follow this advice. Is it really more like 60 rpm so it's 1 revolution per second?

Thanks for the write up.

If you have a really good detail shop or bodyshop near by........

I suggest you find a good wheel man.Buffing a black car to remove swirl marks is the way to go.3m makes incredible compund that will get those swirls out.

Once the swirls are cut out,it's up to you to optain the finish.It will last a very long time.

Keep it waxed.

Dan

Originally Posted by DotBalm

1 rpm, as in revolutions per minute? Not nit-picking...want to follow this advice. Is it really more like 60 rpm so it's 1 revolution per second?

OOPS!

Indeed that should read 60 rpm. I've corrected it. Thanks!

I've used a zymol product in the past and that is very similar to what they suggested
Basically after you have finished waxing you should use a spray bottle of water and spritz the vehicle. It appears to me this helps to remove any residual wax which causes smears and balance the shine.

My 325CIC is titanium silver so any swirl marks don't show up, at least not that I can tell. Anyway, I'm more OCD about clean and streak free windows.

It seems that any OTC spray cleaner leaves streaks.

Here's what I've come up with, and it works pretty good.

First, I use a lamb wool mitt to wash the car. When I'm done with the washing, I rinse and squeeze most, but not all of the suds and water out of the mitt.

I use this mitt to clean both sides of the windows. (I have tinting on mine so it's better to use a soapy mix). I use a cotton cloth to dry the glass and then buff the windows with another clean cotton cloth.

So far it works well, but if you don't buff the window perfectly you will see streaks in certain lighted conditions.

I sort of got the idea for this method from the guys that applied my tint as they used a soapy mixture to clean the windows before application


Does anybody have a better solution?

Originally Posted by zentenn

My 325CIC is titanium silver so any swirl marks don't show up, at least not that I can tell. Anyway, I'm more OCD about clean and streak free windows.

It seems that any OTC spray cleaner leaves streaks.

Have you tried Stoner's Invisible Glass? I'm amazed at how well it works - and so many people on many different boards have recommended it highly. A good waffle weave towel is essential as well.

Originally Posted by zentenn

Here's what I've come up with, and it works pretty good.

First, I use a lamb wool mitt to wash the car. When I'm done with the washing, I rinse and squeeze most, but not all of the suds and water out of the mitt.

Does anybody have a better solution?

Yes invisible glass is probably one of the best cleaners to get your windows looking best. however the secret is to wipe it off with regular newspaper. this leaves virtually no streaks on your windows. YES the bums of NY were right.

Good advice cattman- I do the same using a random orbital and Meguir's Diamond Cut and/or their polish. If I use a circular pad to remove scratches, I use very low rpms with a foam pad- never wool. But the random orbit makes it near impossible to ever leave swirls.

I've had my E90 in the states for a few weeks now, and it's been hand washed three times. I haven't noticed any swirls or anything in the flawless finish until I took Meguiar's Quick Detailer to one panel this evening. SWIRLS!!! I stopped immediately. Is this something that's done to the car by the QD, or does the QD just clean the sutface so much that you notice them? Is there perhaps some sort of smear layer from the wax that usually plugs the swirls up that's being removed by the QD? Will the swirls go away if I wax the area again? Please tell me it's going to be ok!

Rick

Black Saphire Metallic E90

Originally Posted by Zahnarzt

Quick Detailer to one panel this evening. SWIRLS!!!

I have a Black Saph Met car too so swirls are easy to see. The problem I've had w/ QD's in general, is that where I live the car just accumulates too much surface "stuff" (exhaust soot, dirt/dust from construction, wind borne stuff, etc. ) to be able to use QD as an interim step betw washes. It hasn't mattered what the quality of the mf was, how much QD I applied, how lightly I wiped, etc., if there is crud on the car, visible or not, the act of wiping can put fine scratches in the clearcoat.

This has also been true for me with a CA duster. YMMV, but I live in an area w/ a fair amount of wind blowing all manner of stuff around, plus lots of new construction, plus LOTS of traffic/traffic jams w/cars and diesels sitting in traffic idling and belching soot, or kicking up freeway dust. One of the most congested in the country. I've lived in new construction 3 times in the area, twice since I had my car. The first time (w/o it) I wasn't far from the freeway, and I couldn't even leave my house windows open, because black soot from the freeway would set in on the window sills, blinds and floor.

I like QDs for their improvement to my car after I've washed it fwiw. Others use QD with better results.

One could argue that I don't wash my car enough then, and that's probably true for my context, but I don't neglect it, it's just that where I live it accumulates a lot of stuff very quickly.

That said, there is one product - Zaino Z6 - that helped prevent my car from accumulating dust at such a fast rate. I figured out that synthetic mf towels were imparting a static electrical charge to the surface of my car, causing it to attract particulate matter. The key one day was a small chunk of styrofoam was stuck to the vertical side of my car. When I went to touch what I thought was gum or goo, it came right off. When I held it near various parts of the car, it "jumped" to the car like a magnet. I posted this issue to the board and received feedback for Zaino Z6, and I think concours cotton towels were also suggested - which I now use instead of synthetic.

So, leaving out other steps like claying, polishing, waxing or glazing, I wash the car, add Z6 and a QD if I have any around. That's a routine wash for me. The Z6 keeps the car from accumulating dust too quickly, for you maybe it will help enable you to do the QD w/o washing b/c it may reduce the rate at which the car accumulates surface matter. I used to work in Chicago and don't remember the air being as dry as it is where I live now in N. CA. My .02, others MMV.

PS: 2 edits - I mention new construction b/c of the dust and dirt that get kicked up. The stuff gets into the garage, regardless of weather stripping, etc, since the garage has ventilation cutouts. In a windy area, like for me living in the hills or near vineyards, the pressure from the wind inevitably pushes dust/dirt into the garage, to say nothing of when the car is out and about. The other thing is I mention air in Chicago vs N. CA b/c here it is dry and I think that contributes to the static electricity. fwiw

Originally Posted by DotBalm

So, leaving out other steps like claying, polishing, waxing or glazing, I wash the car, add Z6 and a QD if I have any around. That's a routine wash for me.

Thanks for the help.

I live downtown and commute to the South Side every day right through the massive construction projects (www.avoidtheryan.com), and the area in which I live is inundated with new construction. Same situation with leaving the windows open--I call it city goo.

Regarding your description of your regular wash, do you do separate steps with the Z6 and QD, or are you adding them to your wash water?

I've had pretty good luck with my California Duster. Love the thing. Easiest quick improvement thing I've used, and I haven't noticed any marks from it.

I was hoping the QD would be just a step above that, as I've used it with several cars before. The problem is that the cars I cleaned with it were much lighter in color, and they weren't anything special at that.

Regarding repairing the one panel of swirls I have now, will a quick wax take care of it? I have some leftover Zymol sitting around...

Thanks again!

Rick

Omigod, that fwy project is a monster, gets its own website! I used to work on E. Erie, a block off Michigan Ave btw. I wish I had my 5 when I drove 94 back to Ann Arbor, but the timing is off by two decades.

I don't add Z6 or a QD to my wash water, but in re-reading my post I can see how it looks like that by my using the word "add." I should have said, step 1 is washing, step 2 is Z6, step 3 is QD if I have any or have time.

Prior to using the Mr. Clean autodry wash system which I'm currently using, I used Griots Garage soap (great smell), then Meguire's Gold Class. The Griots seemed to contribute to the static charge, b/c when all else was constant, such as using synthetic microfiber, and prior to my knowledge of Z6, the car didn't get as dirty as quickly as soon as I made the switch to Meguire's. YMMV. No scientific data to back this up, my .02. So betw the two I think Meguire's helped reduce static and therefore dirt accumulation, switching from synth to cotton helped, adding the Z6 step helped. Then I started testing the Mr. Clean no dry wash system when the Meguire's ran out. I like it, but the car has to be cool and remain cool and out of sun light from beginning to dried or a faint residue can be left, but that's true for any car wash product - towel off type or not. Regardless of which car wash soap/system, I folo w/Z6, then folo w/QD if I'm not out. When I used Meguire's, it was 50/50 whether I towel dried the car then did Z6 or just sprayed with Z6 on a wet car. I don't recall a difference and decided it was time saving to skip towel drying after washing if I could avoid direct sunlight. FWIW, I like the Pinnacle Crystal Mist QD, but I don't feel fanatical about it, whatever I have, I use since I bought a lot of products to try. There are some real towers of knowledge on this board, I'm learning from them and my own mistakes. I've found a pretty wide latitude on how to do things as long as certain fundamentals are followed, like not wiping grit into the clearcoat.

Thanks for the clarification. Maybe QD isn't an option for me, then. Seeing how I live in a condo downtown, it's not that easy for me wash the car. I might be able to do it at the office in the burbs, but I usually have stuff to do when I head there early, and when I'm done, the last thing I want to do is stick around.

As far as commuting through the carpet-bombed construction project, it really isn't that bad at all. I'm heading the opposite way of everyone else, so I fly through. I almost feel quilty cruising in my BMW while the rest of Chicago is stuck bumper-to-bumper heading into town.

Rick

Great job!

Newsprint has a grease based ink. Use an all cotton waffle weave towel.

Originally Posted by chiefwej

Newsprint has a grease based ink. Use an all cotton waffle weave towel.

If you use newsprint that has aged for a few months in your garage, then the ink will not run and there is NO lint!