OK, this is my first black car. I knew going in that I had to get a chamois and dry the car after a wash to aviod spots and streaks. I am using Ice car wash soap. The chamois left streaks on the hood. I hate the chamois.

What can I use to dry the car that wont scratch the surface, leave permanant swirl marks, leave lint on the car, etc?

Thanks, Arkie

 

An Electric blower. I keep mine in my trunk, no joke.

 

You can use the waffle microfibers towels or US made,not foreign made white 100% cotton towels which are not cheap but worth it.
I use the electric leaf blower method too followed and a final wipe with 100% cotton towels.

 

The only time I ever touch my cars is right after waxing. Here's the exact one I bought from Home Depot 2 years ago. Clicky Click

 

scratches or swirls can also be caused during washing process make sure to have two different buckets of water and rinse cloth each time you dunk it. Also do one panel at a time and as others said use leaf blower for drying or if you have a small compressor that works great too.

 

you just have to be careful and use clean microfiber cloths. lexus paint are usually on the soft side, so light scratches and swirls can appear pretty easily

 

^ what rominl said. the scratches are unavoidable. my car is Obsidian, so i know how you feel. i use::
2 buckets w/grit guards
uber wool wash mitt x2 1 for the top 1for the bottom
ultra plush MF drying towel... use the blotting method. or waffle weave drying towels

if you buy new towels be sure to wash them before you use them. i've never used a chamois... was told that they do scratch your paint.

 

OK, a good leaf blowing followed by a gentle drying with a clean plush waffle microfiber towel. That sounds like a bullet-proof plan.

Thanks for the tips. This is a great forum... Arkie

 

This is my first black car too. And I was concerned about those things. I have had it for more than a month or so. I have washed her three times since. I don't get the swirls as I thought I might. Above are some great tips. They even make lamb skin dry towels that I used before but I don't think it makes much difference for me. After the wash, I use two big shower towels to dry off most the water. I lay the towel over the area and pull it off the car so the whole towel can soak on the water. After that I just use clean microfiber towels to dry off. Sometimes after the whole thing is dry, I dam a new microfiber towel with QD and wipe off the remaining marks. I assume you wash your car when the sun is down or before it's up or in the shade. You want to wipe the water off before it vaporizes. Last but not least, I think Wolf's nano shampoo and hard body help.

 

Did u wash the chamois before using it, thats the only way it will leave the spots.

 

I feel like any car is doomed from the beginning when they take the car through the wash at the dealership. I wish my car didn't have any swirl marks but its less than a month old and the trunk is the most noticeable, so depressing but there's not much else I can do. All I use is microfiber towels when drying. I've used the california dry blade on previous cars that works well but this car seems so easy to scratch or swirl I have almost given up.

 

Lots of wax! I would recommend putting a couple coats of a paint sealant. There is a post on here regarding Hardbody. This was one of the main reasons I didn't go with Black. I love black off the showroom, but it is a pain to keep pristine. As picky as I am it was a never ending battle.