Cause of swirls in paintwork

[maxi-glasgow]

I was talking the other week to a mate who owns a couple of car wash outlets and I was asking him how the guys do their washing and he said with sponges etc the way you say millions of these hand car wash places do it. I asked him if he does detailing as well and he started talking about valeting rather than detailing.

 

I mentioned that I got my car done with a full detail as it was terrible with swirl marks etc and he said the only reason my car would have swirls marks is if it was machine polished at some stage as his guys can't put swirls marks on cars as they only wash in straight lines with a sponge and not in circles.

 

This kind of makes sense but goes against everything I have been learning since getting the Z and paying more attention to the right and wrong ways to wash and dry the car etc.

 

So to set my mind at ease, is he talking pants? How do the defects show up as circly swirls (new term) if the guys do long sweeping strokes with the sponge?

[clarkie34]

He is talking some sense.When washing your car you should never use a circular motion as it will swirl the paint,but also don't use a sponge.A wash mitt used in straight lines following the body work and always start at the top and work your way down.

 

As for hand car washes I would not go there free.Do you think care about how your car looks,after doing say 10 cars with the same sponge and probably same bucket of water,it will be like running sandpaper across your paintwork.

[srobrien]

Sounds like he is talking poo, cars get swirly even if they have never been within 100 miles of a machine polisher. The reason they get swirls is due to incorrect washing technique, ie people using sponges, not rinsing them, dropping them on the floor, not doing a pre-wash to remove particles from the paint surface. All these things will cause swirls, and you will always find that you wash in a circular motion as it is most natural. I always think its perfectly fine to do so if you can guarantee that your wash mitt is free of grit as surly an up/down motion will just leave up/down scratches if the incorrect techniques are applied.

 

 

R

[martinopy]

I don't think it really matters how you wash the car, swirls are inevitable but obviously a good wash routine will help with the occurance of swirls.

[Beavis]

I don't think it really matters how you wash the car.

 

 

I think there will be many that argue against that point

[yeti]

best way i know to wash the car is

 

pressure wash the whole car, arches wheels etc

attached foam lance and cover in snow foam

leave for the soap to soak into the dirt

pressure wash off

then i use megs gold class wash stuff in a wash bucket with a microfibre (different for wheels and body)

rinse off

dry using a drying towel over all

dry the wheels

then lift bonnet tailgate and doors again (washed these earlier) and dry

 

tends to work pretty well as the microfibre cloth is supposed to keep the dirt off the paint

[smudga]

I don't think it really matters how you wash the car, swirls are inevitable but obviously a good wash routine will help with the occurance of swirls.

 

Dont agree, you can avoid swirls.... wash with 2 bucket method 2wash mits, 1 for upper & 1 for sill areas. using good products open end hose to rinse which will take most of the water off if the cars waxed, pat dry with waffle weave towel, last touch to finish .. etc.. etc etc....

 

Our night blue zed now 2 years old & 20k doesnt have swirls at all (did when it was new from dealer mind!!) just corrected it all in the first week & have looked after it ever since .....

[S1 HNK]

I don't think it really matters how you wash the car, swirls are inevitable but obviously a good wash routine will help with the occurance of swirls.

 

+1 unless you wrap your car in bubble wrap everytime you go out, the paint will get light scratches.

[martinopy]

I don't think it really matters how you wash the car.

 

 

I think there will be many that argue against that point

 

That's why i said to use a good routine to help with swirls but my point was that you're always going to end up with some swirls no matter how careful you are, esp with the soft paint on the z.

[Dblock]

swirl marks arent usually swirls but random scratches. The way the sun or light hits it shows them as swirls. Get a lamp and put it over your paint then you will see the random marks.

[Envy Valeting]

Poor wash technique is the main reason but there is no reason to take offense at that comment as many of us do not own our cars from brand new and as such inherit the swirls

I'm of the opinion thats marks are inevitable despite how good you are, eventually something will happen. You will drop the car off for a service and forget to tell them not to wash the car...you lend it to you other half who runs it through a carwash as a "treat" for you etc etc.

You can do your best to limit damage though by good wash technique, no car washes, no washes when serviced etc etc.

Marks can come from many areas but to say swirls come from machine polishers.....buffer trails, holograms YES but swirls are accumulated over time.