How to avoid swirls in paint
06-20-2013, 07:37 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
How to avoid swirls in paint
hey guys...
I try to wash my truck once a week...i always wash by hand and try my best to do the two bucket wash.
Im still seeing swirls in my paint when the sun hits it at the right angle...what can i do to prevent any more swirls in the future? new washing method etc. thanks
I try to wash my truck once a week...i always wash by hand and try my best to do the two bucket wash.
Im still seeing swirls in my paint when the sun hits it at the right angle...what can i do to prevent any more swirls in the future? new washing method etc. thanks
06-21-2013, 07:29 AM
#3
Senior Member
If you are using a decent and clean wash mit and two bucket you should be fine. It's hard to swirl out the hard paint on these trucks. But for a daily driver truck you are going to have some minor swirls or what not unless you are working on it constantly. And have you clay bared the truck ever? That could be one reason as well
06-25-2013, 05:40 PM
#4
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Im using a generic mit from autozone...maybe im not cleaning it well enough after use.
I dry the truck normally with one of the squeegee type water blades when im doing a quick wash.
I have not clayed this truck yet! I think it is time....thats the project for this weekend.
I dry the truck normally with one of the squeegee type water blades when im doing a quick wash.
I have not clayed this truck yet! I think it is time....thats the project for this weekend.
06-25-2013, 08:57 PM
#5
Senior Member
Go to lowes and get an 8" round drain cover. Put it in the bottom of the bucket. It lets dirt fall to the bottom of the bucket and keeps your wash mitt out of the dirt.
06-25-2013, 09:56 PM
#6
Senior Member
Try washing in back & forth motions (like up & down or side to side) rather than in a circular motion. It's the circular motion that causes the swirls.
To quote from an autotopia forum posting:
"Gently rub the mitt on the panel in a back and forth motion to help break the dirt away from the paint. NEVER GO IN A CIRCULAR MOTION".
http://www.autopia.org/forum/click-b...ng-swirls.html
To quote from an autotopia forum posting:
"Gently rub the mitt on the panel in a back and forth motion to help break the dirt away from the paint. NEVER GO IN A CIRCULAR MOTION".
http://www.autopia.org/forum/click-b...ng-swirls.html
06-30-2013, 11:19 PM
#7
one question before i delve into my advice...did you do any polishing to ensure the swirls were not already in the paint?
As far as washing goes, you need to look at it as an entire project. I’m not sure what you used to do in the past, but here is some advice I think will serve you great.
First and foremost, you have to wash the car frequently (once or twice a week) and while doing so, you want to try and limit the amount of contact with he vehicle that will cause scratching or swirls. To do so is pretty easy but you can’t take shortcuts. I recommend the 2 bucket wash method. You can Google it for different variations, but the key is one wash bucket, one rinse bucket and two grit guards. Grit guards will protect your wash media from picking up debris from your wash waster, and the soap will take the debris down to below the guard, minimizing the risk of scratches. Simply hose the vehicle down, and section by section wash the car. Every time you need more soap on your wash medium, rinse your wash medium in the rinse bucket and agitate it against the grit guard. Then back to the wash bucket and on to the vehicle again. Repeat.
If this is a pre polish wash, I recommend using Dawn dish soap...you don’t care if it will strip the wax, because you really want to degrease the paint anyhow...but this should be the only time you use Dawn, unless you are starting this process all over again.
For the maintenance wash, look for some good quality high lubricity car wash soap such as the Sonax Shampoo or Optimum Car Wash or Perls made by 1z, which is great and has a wax in it to aid with drying. Meguiars Car Wash Shampoo and Conditioner is also pretty good and is pretty cheap in the gallon.
drying is also another important step. look to freshen the paint after washing and drying with a product like Optimum Instant detailer (the only thing I suggest using on top of Opti Coat) or Sonax brilliant shine detailer or AquaWax (my personal favorite) or your favourite waterless wash.
Also for drying, I recommend using your leaf blower. people will look at you like you have two heads, but it is a great way to dry your car...it blows the water out of all the crevices and prevents water spotting. Spotting will etch the paint and will require machine polishing to remove. I would also use a waffle weave towel for the spots left by the leaf blower such as Sonus Drying Towels with one of the drying aids listed above.
As far as washing goes, you need to look at it as an entire project. I’m not sure what you used to do in the past, but here is some advice I think will serve you great.
First and foremost, you have to wash the car frequently (once or twice a week) and while doing so, you want to try and limit the amount of contact with he vehicle that will cause scratching or swirls. To do so is pretty easy but you can’t take shortcuts. I recommend the 2 bucket wash method. You can Google it for different variations, but the key is one wash bucket, one rinse bucket and two grit guards. Grit guards will protect your wash media from picking up debris from your wash waster, and the soap will take the debris down to below the guard, minimizing the risk of scratches. Simply hose the vehicle down, and section by section wash the car. Every time you need more soap on your wash medium, rinse your wash medium in the rinse bucket and agitate it against the grit guard. Then back to the wash bucket and on to the vehicle again. Repeat.
If this is a pre polish wash, I recommend using Dawn dish soap...you don’t care if it will strip the wax, because you really want to degrease the paint anyhow...but this should be the only time you use Dawn, unless you are starting this process all over again.
For the maintenance wash, look for some good quality high lubricity car wash soap such as the Sonax Shampoo or Optimum Car Wash or Perls made by 1z, which is great and has a wax in it to aid with drying. Meguiars Car Wash Shampoo and Conditioner is also pretty good and is pretty cheap in the gallon.
drying is also another important step. look to freshen the paint after washing and drying with a product like Optimum Instant detailer (the only thing I suggest using on top of Opti Coat) or Sonax brilliant shine detailer or AquaWax (my personal favorite) or your favourite waterless wash.
Also for drying, I recommend using your leaf blower. people will look at you like you have two heads, but it is a great way to dry your car...it blows the water out of all the crevices and prevents water spotting. Spotting will etch the paint and will require machine polishing to remove. I would also use a waffle weave towel for the spots left by the leaf blower such as Sonus Drying Towels with one of the drying aids listed above.