Terry Cloth Towels and other items...

[DavidPIL]

Hello everyone...I have read through many previous posts but can't seem to find the right answers to my questions so I'm gonna maybe possibly re-ask something that had been gone through before.I'm concerned about Terry cloth towels causing the dreaded swirl marks when polishing my Vibe. I'm not seeing anywhere where a specific type of Cloth is recommended for polishing after applying the wax. I bought "Diaper soft" cloths from a local farm supply store (they had a car care section). Will I run into problems with these? I also bought a mit that looks almost like a shag rug... says it's safe for clear-coat finishes. Would this be a good product to help clean the front end of the car, expecially nasty bug goo? In a pinch, is it ok to use a car wash's wax... Mainly I ask this for Winter months when it may be too cold to really detail my Vibe. Would it be a decent alternative to help protect the finish from road salts?One last thing...Many have mentioned the fact that dish washing liquid is a no no because it strips the wax from the vehicle. The question I have is, if you're planning on detailing the vehicle anyway, would a dish washing liquid work more like a paint cleaner in a 3 step process? I know, a lot of questions but this is my first decent vehicle (Had a white truck before, paint was in good condition but... it's not Abyss). The Abyss is so beautiful that I don't want to do anything to mess it up.Thanks for any input here...Dave

[ragingfish]

I don't know many of these answers...I can tell you though, terry cloth leaves dust behind...I used to use them to dry my car after washing, and they left crap everywhere. I use a chamois cloth now. Works killer.You should call a local detailing shop. Ask them for feedback on these issues. They're your best source...

[meathead333]

i use a finishing cloth. they come in packs of 10 or 12 at target. they seem to work well. very soft towel, i dont think its considered terry.

[DavidPIL]

Thanks everyone...The "Diaper Soft" cloths I bought should be fine then, I'd imagine. I can just remember taking off wax on my Oldsmobile with an old terry-cloth towel and actually seeing the swirl marks as I wiped. It musta just been a bad terry-cloth towel or somethin but I definitely don't want to see it happen on the Abyss. The wash mit is a chenille. Says it's Clear-coat safe. I used to either use a standard synthetic sponge or the brush wand *GASP* at the car was place. It was ok for the flat white paint of my truck but nothin's touchin my Vibe that isn't GenVibe certified! heheDave

[Shadow Realm]

I use my old T-shirts when I don't have a diaper-soft rag.Shadow Realm

[Stang2Vibe]

Hi David. I think I can help you with most of these questions. First of all, never ever use any brush with plastic or wire bristles on any part of the exterior of your car. Especially a black one. You will scratch it all up. Second, terrycloth towels and rags are fine to use on your car for applying and removing wax products. The cheneille wash mitt you got will be fine to use to wash your car with. Just don't use it on your wheels and tires. It will pick up stuff off of the wheels and tires that you don't want to spread all over your car. Use an older sponge or wash mitt for that. Save your good wash mitt for your painted surfaces only. There are terrycloth wash mitts available also. I use one on my Neptune Vibe all the time. The swirl marks you noticed from using terry towels in the past was most likely due to one of the following: 1. The wax hadn't cured yet and you were smearing it around before it completly dried or 2. The surface was dirty (needed a three step type system applied) and you were using a cleaner wax which was removing the oxidation unevenly. Terrycloth will not leave swirl marks in your clearcoat as long as it is clean. The diaper rags you bought are more meant for finish polishing of the surface. Use them after you are done waxing. After you remove the wax from the whole car, rub the surface with the dry diaper cloths for a super-polished finish. I used to do this before shows and it works great. They won't work so well for actually removing wax because they will get all clogged up with dried wax and not remove the cured wax on the car. This is why the terrycloths work so well for removing wax. They are soft enough to not scratch the surface, but have enough knap to them to remove wax well. One type of cloth to avoid is the pinkish-red "shop rags" that you might see in an auto parts store or Walmart, etc. They are too coarse for using on your clearcoat.Also, don't use a synthetic sponge on your car. Even synthetic sponges have very small rough edges all over them that are great for scrubbing stuff off your car, but can dull the surface. They also have large pores in them that are great for trapping small rocks in them near the surface so that you scratch your car all up before you notice the rocks. And never ever EVER! use a natural sponge to clean the car. They will scratch the car all up.And as for your question of using the dish soap to clean the car before waxing-----no, don't use it. Use it on the dishes, not the car. Dish soap breaks up greases as well as petroleum products. Guess what your clearcoat is made up of? Petroleum products. You don't want to dry out your clearcoat with dish soap. It works on dishes because they are coated with kiln-fired enamels. If you kiln-fired your car, it would be a puddle of molten plastic on the floor of the kiln. Car soaps are on the market for a reason--for washing your car. I don't understand why everyone keeps wanting to use dish soap on the car. Would you use furniture polish on the windows of your house? I would hope not, it's not meant for that. Just break down and spend $2 on a gallon of concentrated car wash soap. Even cheap car wash soap is better than dish soap, and it's probably cheaper, too. When I wash the car before I three step wax it, I use a cheaper concentrated car wash soap at about 3-4 times the strength I would normally use to help strip off the wax safely. It won't all come off, so the step one of the 3 step system is needed. The first step will also remove other contaminants that will not come off by washing alone. Trust me, the first step is very important.Oh, I almost forgot. To apply wax and glazes (the second step in a three step system), use an applicator pad. It is basically a flat, round sponge covered with a terrycloth covering. Use separate ones for different products. They're usually sold in a two-pack. Before using them, always wet them completely with water and wring them out. Products (expecially paste waxes) are better applied with a wet applicator pad. For a step one cleaner, or a polishing compound, etc., use a terrycloth rag or a clean, old towel. Deeper knap rags are better for use with products that require rubbing (including removing wax after it has dried). All the products I mentioned in this post should be easily found in a larger chain auto parts store (like Pep-Boys, Autozone, Advance Auto, etc.) or a Wal-Mart, K-Mart, etc.Hope this all helps and I'm sorry if it's a long post. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask and good luck with your Vibe!

[Flip-Side]

quote:I use my old T-shirts when I don't have a diaper-soft rag.Old T-shirts are all I use. By the time it comes around to waxing again, I usually have a few the wife won't let me keep anymore. They dont leave any lint and are good for application, and removal of the wax.

[DavidPIL]

Wow, thanks....Yeah, I tried to remove the wax with the Diaper cloths... dust everywhere! Will use a nice soft Terry Cloth towel next time. It still came out nice though. I bought Maquire's Deep Crystal car wash. I was very surprised how smoothly the wash mit glided over the surface of the car. Also got "The Absorber" to dry. Didn't seem as effective as a genuine chamois but still worked great. I think I'm all set now... Thanks for yours and everyone elses help!Dave