Need some help please, New MINI HIGHGATE 10 days ago I have washed and detailed now I have some swirling, really shows up in bright sun,color is Iced Hot Chocolate. Question is now how to get rid of them and how to prevent them in the future. I don't consider myself a expert detailer, but I am not a novice either.Had a '06 Chilie Red S that I kept up with no problems. First experience with a dark colored car and not loving it, no local detailing shops that I can ask or would trust,any comments or suggestions would be helpful. Thanks

 

Prima's Hydro product has worked for me to minimize the swirls left after wash/dry on my black top. Just bought another gallon while I was out at MITM last weekend. Check out their products online......

 

What are you using to wash and dry? Top quality clean wash mitt and drying towels won't cause that. Also, use a second bucket to rinse. Octaneguy and Griot's Garage both have what you need. I wouldn't be surprised if Richard doesn't drop in and comment here.
The only way to really get rid of swirls and holgrams is to remove old wax then claybar and polish.

 

Lotsa good advice on here in the Detailing forum, for sure, with pro detailers like Richard "OctaneGuy" offering suggestions and how-to's.

I had some level of factory / dealer swirls mostly on the bonnet of my MCS as delivered. I clayed, then used Prima Swirl and a PC orbital to remove. Waxed with Prima Epic.

It's staying shiny / swirl free so far with two-bucket washes, sheepskin mitt, and really-good microfiber drying cloths. Many recommend drying with forced air, a leaf blower perhaps, so that what's left to wipe off needs very little wiping.

I've had folks also mention wiping/drying in straight strokes, I try to remember to do this as much as I can; but if you're using the right products, they shouldn't be leaving swirls/marks anyhow.

Loving the Prima Hydro also, that stuff is amazing!

 

Drying right after a wash shouldn't do that if you're using good drying towels.

On the other hand, quick detailing, wiping down your vehicle without a thorough washing, will. You're pushing tiny grains of dust/dirt around the paint.

Me... I do quick detailing all the time, nearly every day. I figure, I want my MINIs to look clean all the time and you can only see the swirl marks up close in bright light. And that's why I bought a random-orbital buffer and hundreds of dollars in polishes and waxes... to fix those swirl marks !

 

Well I'll be damned. I hit 10,000 posts and didn't even realize it. Too bad, would have bought a round of drinks for the house.

 

How about just going out and driving really really fast?

 

I have swirl marks left behind by the dealer "prep work". I think that you might have the same issue.

 

As soon as I get my 1250 on it I am going to to just that, letting wife drive it for now (don't trust my right foot!) should be mine next weekend, then I am going to find out how it compares to '06

 

Thanks for the tip, I have a good lambs wool wash mitt, using MINIs car wash that came with the car,also using leaf blower. I think the drying is my problem. I ordered a good drying towel, was thinking of trying DAWN to wash next time to strip off old wax I have a Griot's mini buffer that I used on our '06 wanted to try some of the Prima products this time around, was thinking of trying the Banana Gloss but not sure about what color pad to use with the buffer. Hope I can fix this as the MINI is only two weeks old.

 

Hey Dillo! I like your idea the best

 

Always had the best luck with Prima Swirl and the orange pad. Then Prima Finish on the black pad.

When the paint was a little worse than usual, I've mixed the Swirl with Prima Cut for the first time around the car.

 

Sounds like the path to redemption is withing sight.

Air drying won't work everywhere, depends a lot on water quality. Ours has lots of mineral content and leaves nasty spots on everything.

 

i use a cobra supreme drying towel and blot the water from the car. then i finish up with the leaf blower. i use the optimum car wash to clean the car.

has very light swirls from being a daily driver but nothing a porter cable and meguiars d151 cant handle.

thats about it. a gentle touch is all it takes.

 

Thank you everyone for the tips, especially the "going out and drive really really fast"

 

Whenever I read comments about people who have owned lighter colored cars but then suddenly get a black one and realize how difficult it is to keep the swirls at bays makes me think of one thing....you need to change your techniques. I hear from detailers all of the time that buffing a black car is so difficult but in reality the real problem is that the short cuts they can take on other colored cars that normally "get them by", no longer work when they are working on a surface that reveals all flaws.

The same is true for maintaining your paint. If you see swirls after washing your car, there could be a couple of reasons. One might be that somebody applied a glaze or product with fillers to your paint that eventually wore off after several washes and the swirls are now more visible.

Another reason might be that you are instilling new swirls by using improper techniques. When you are washing your paint, are you using proper car wash soap?
Are you using the recommended amount of soap per gallon of water? Usually it's 1oz to 1 gallon of water.

Prima Mystique works out to about 0.5oz soap to 1 gallon of water. Are you rinsing the dirt off first, then applying the soap panel by panel? Are you trying to soap the entire car until the mitt feels kinda dry? Are you using the two bucket method? What kind of mitt are you using to apply the soap with? A true lambs wool wash mitt or a microfiber mitt? Or a sponge?

There are many reasons for swirled out paint and they can happen even before washing begins. Do you use a car duster? Do you use a quick detailer to clean the dust off your paint instead of washing it? Do you use a no rinse wash process??

Richard

 

I hear it all the time. I have detailed about 50 cars this year and 80% of them have been black. 100% of the polishing jobs have been black.

Few things I tell people if they are going to do their own washing.

Washing:
Make sure to use 2 buckets.
Get a grit guard.
Rinse your wash mitt/sponge very often (i usually do one panel at a time).
A quality soap goes a long way.

When drying:
Use a only the highest quality towels. I like the waffleweave microfiber
And to reduce the risk of scratching even more spray some quick detailer well drying, it will help to coat any dirt you may have missed so it doesn't marr the paint.