Swirls!

[KingKole02]

Need more help/advice to keep swirls down to minumum.

I sprayed down,
Washed with mit
rinsed
then dryed with microfiber towels.

Then when attempting to use the Spray and Shine on one side and another wax product from Meguiars wet/dry wax. It left my hood with swirls that weren't there before?

What should I do to fix this and to prevent from future.
Did I mention I was being rushed by gf?

[turbomangt]

King, remember the proper steps for washing. rinse first, what did you wash with? I don't see a rinse cycle in your post? How about clay? swirls are often introduced during the wash and or dry stage. If you have the smallest bit of dirt on the car when you dry, it can be a problem. Try the paint cleaner when you wash it again. The spray and shine is not meant to remove dirt, only smudge marks, dust, finger prints, wax residue. If problem persists, e mail in private.

[Sci-Fi]

Just a tip when you wash your car. 1st throughly and gently rinse your car off. The majority of the dirt will come off. Then after you wash and rinse a section, either clean the mitt in another bucket full of water (called "the two bucket method" - one with car wash mix and one with water) or use the water hose to rinse the mitt throughly before dipping the mitt into the car wash mix and wash/clean the next section. Might want to check how much lubricity is in the car wash mix that you can feel when you wash a section. Might have to add a bit more soap to the mix or try another car wash product that has better lubricity. Zymöl car wash is a good one that you can find at Big Lots for about $2.99 a gallon or at Costco at a higher price. There are other good car wash products out there, like Mothers™ California Gold Car Wash, which should be available at most local auto stores. I find I have to use another capful of Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash to get the lubricity/slickness I desire.

As long as you rinse your mitt or towel after washing a section, the chances of you introducing swirl marks while washing is lessened greatly. Might want to consider washing your car more frequently if the environmental conditions where you live deposits a lot of dirt and contaminates on your paint. Also check the quality of the mitt you are using. That may be causing the swirl mark problem. Just rub it on one of those AOL freebie cd's and see if it scratches it. If it does scratch, then dump the mitt in the trash and buy something else. Personally, I use a microfiber towel to wash my car (not the wheels, I use a cotton towel for that), another microfiber towel to dry it, and a couple more for buffing out the wax or synthetic polish.

Hiope this helps

[Jimbo]

Thanks for the info Gary and sci-fi.You two really know your stuff.[^]

[KingKole02]

I wash it the same way every time and it always has looked fine and worked well.

The mit is so lubricated that I could hardly hold it off my hand.

The swirls apeared not after the drying, but when attempting to wax after.

Gary,
I fixed the rinse problem. Yes I did rinse after the washing. The rest of the car looks good, except where I attempted to wax.
I will try the cleaner next time I wash. I believe it had dirt on it after the fact that I had dryed, because it was windy that day.

Sci-Fi,
I use Garys products only. Two large micros for drying two or more for detail, and the mit is his too, I believe its a mirco mit.
Yes I do rinse before washing a new section, however in the same water. After Im done washing, I spray the mit out and it looks new again ready for the next time I need to wash.

Thanks, to the both of you for the help, I will have to be more careful. I was being rushed by gf to finish.

[turbomangt]

King, the only thing I can add is you should use the cleaner BEFORE sealing the finish. Even a hand wash will not remove all particles on the car. Its the ones you can't see (but can feel) that do the damage. Don't press too hard when drying either. Work in the shade. you also should clay the car as well, after the wash cycle but beofre the deep cleaning cycle. Gary p.s. try the plastic baggie test.

[KingKole02]

Did the test, there was a little hesitation with the bag, but very little. May need to clay again soon.

I was using any only wax you could get at the shop not your sealer this time. I figure I would save the seller for after I use the clay.