Adam350is

iTrader: (3)

Most of the time, my car isnt really dirty. its just dust. was wondering what you guys use if you use anything, to dust your car off with like a special tower, or some kind of brush. something that WONT scratch the paint (or my vinyl wrappings).

SW17LS

I use a California Car Duster, but you have to be careful with them...

jfelbab

I use plush microfiber towels and Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Detailer. I usually follow with Ultimate Quik Wax.

BertL

I also use plush microfiber towels and a QD.

FWIW -- Years back, I stopped using a California Car Duster when I grew suspicious it was part of the reason for the micro scratches in my finish. I can now go more than a year, nearly two before I have to get out my Porter Cable for minor correction of the day-to-day imperfections I introduce. I believe the wax on the threads of the CA Duster retain whatever it picks up (for the good and bad of it), so the quantity of junk that can mar your finish grows over time VS using a microfiber towel that gets washed with others after each use. You can wash a CA Duster, but doing so will eventually remove the wax on the threads, defeating the effectiveness of the duster. Both can work, but that's my personal experience.

greg0126

iTrader: (2)

I gently pull a light micro fiber towel along to pick up dust.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

^I would recommend to stay away from "duster" products like this

^Perfect

^I have heard in most instances products like the Duster will in fact mar the surface... it seems you have proved this to be true as well.

^Do you use any QD spray or Spray wax as lubrication?


The best thing to do if your car is truly only covered with a thin layer of dust is to wipe it off with a plush, high quality microfiber towel and some sort of quick detail spray, spray wax, or spray sealant.

Why spray the car first?
-Anytime you are rubbing your paint with a towel, you are dragging along any sort of abrasives that may be on your paint. Even if these particles are very small, you still risk the chance of marring or scratching your very delicate paint. A good way to reduce this friction between your towel and the paint is to lubricate the surface with some sort of spray detailer. This creates a sort of protective boundary that will help your towel glide over the surface and minimize surface scratches.

What MF towels should I use?
-When I say high quality towels, I don't mean the AutoZone branded towels that you can pick up down the street... those are typically low quality, low GSM towels that can and will harm your surface much easier than a true quality plush towel.

Here are a few examples from Detailed Image - a CL Vendor, and great source of High End Detailing Supplies:
-Ultra Plush Towel
-ReThickulous Towel
-Deep Blue Towel (1100GSM! Super plush!)

greyIS25

iTrader: (2)

I use Adams Detail Spray and microfiber towels.

SW17LS

I've had the same California duster for like 15 years, never been washed (they get better as they get older). I don't have issues with marring...and I would know. You have to be smart about when you use them though. Maybe one day of driving dust, or one day's worth of pollen. Any more than that or if anything is stuck to the finish, if it has rained, etc, and you shouldn't use it.

sydtoosic

2 cars back i threw my CA duster and my merino wool duster in the garbage. i don't even use a QD or MF towel to get the dust off. i wash it when it's dusty at least once a week. when i had the Obsidian i didn't touch it at all when it was dusty, i just washed it. +1 on the ReThiculous MF towel from DI. i keep those nice and fluffy with MF detergent.

zapa

I use a waterless wash and spray it on and whip off with an ultra plush MF. I normally follow it up with Duragloss aquawax the stuff is incredible I would say that everyone should have some. If you have never tried it you are missing out.

Jetfire

iTrader: (3)

ONR(optimum no rinse) in a quick detailer dilution, with a high quality plush microfiber

Just make sure to check your microfibers for any embedded materials before using.

Adam350is

iTrader: (3)

if anyone would like to send me some of their product like high quality micro fiber towels you guys use shoot me a pm, im willing to pay too i bought one of those california duster thingys. i used it for about 30 sec, and it looked like it was already grinding my paint up and wrap. and i had just washed the car like 2 days prior.

thanks for all your help guys!

SW17LS

You can always buy your own microfiber towels...why would you want to pay us for our used towels?

www.autogeek.net

If you've driven the car for 2 days or it has sat outside, thats too long for the california duster. We're talking like if you take your car out and drive it all day, and it doesn't dew or rain at all, you can use the duster.

Remember too the duster has paraffin waxes and when they are new they sometimes streak the paint. This will wipe right away, it mat look like its marring the paint when its not.

eyezack87

iTrader: (4)

I find ONR to be more thorough than using a duster. I can do the entire car in 15min or so. Otherwise light dust from the night before after detailing it, I use a quality wool duster. You just have to keep a level head about what you decide to do thats all

SW17LS

ONR's definitely more thorough, its just messier, more involved...