I got my S on Wed and it's been light rain (misty) the past two days...

there is a lot of dirt/dust on it already, as evidenced when i run my finger over the car, so i want to use the duster, but i wanna make sure it's safe to use after the rain, or if not, how long after rain u should wait

 

Personally, I wouldn't use the duster. When a car is dusty and it rains, it makes mud (or something ) but the dust becomes more fused to the paint surface making it "less dustable." If it hadn't rained....sure dust. If the car was very clean and it rained...a little quick detailer and a drying might be called for. But dusty, then rain....be very careful. My opinion.....

 

I second that. After it rains, the dust on your car becomes dried mud spots and using a duster will only encourage scratches. QD and a microfiber towel is the next best thing if you can't wash your car.

 

alright

i'm gonna wash/clay/seal/wax it tomorrow morning, so i'll just leave it a lil dirty for today

but i am planning on dusting daily between washes, but i guess after any rain in between washes, i should just not dust until after i wash it first?

i guess what i'll do after rains usually is to rinse it off with a hose and then use the qd spray and microfiber towel and skip the duster

 

I've never found the duster to work well once the car has been wet. I have a 65 Pontiac Convertible with LOTS of sheet metal for the LA smog to settle on and, as long as it stays dry the duster works great! Once it gets damp (even a foggy evening if I leave the office in Santa Monica by the ocean late) the dust just sticks and the duster just smears everything (even after the car dries completely). Time to get out the hose (or - as we do here in LA - slide the valet a 20 and ask him to detail it).

-Steve
(New to NAM and on the list to place my order as soon as my dealer gets his allocation of 2005 Steptronics.)

 

I had a duster when I first got my MINI, but after I started seeing red lint collecting on various nooks and crannies, I got rid of it. I do a wipe down with Meguiars Quik Detailer and the microfiber towels--daily. It acts as a lubricant to safely remove dust, while cleaning off bug and airborne residue safely. I also use this on my wheels to keep them white.

 

I think that'd probably work...seems a reasonable compromise. Judge what you can get away with by the amount of dust/dirt and the amount of rain. What you DON'T want under any circumstances, of course, is to grind dirt (visible or not) about on your nice shiney paint. Avoid that in any way possible...that's the objective.

 

I'll second the notion of not using the duster after rain. My Oxo duster does a great job for a mid-week touch-up, but after the rain, everything is too fused to the paint (and I've got several good coats of Zaino and a bi-monthly carnuba topper). I'm not even a big fan of using QD and microfiber on a rained-on finish unless it was a very light rain and I didn't drive through any puddles... I just tough it out for another day or two and wash properly as soon as I can.

 

Welcome to NAM!!

You will love your MINI

Earl

 

I agree with that--I should have clarified the strength of the rain. I was really referring to a light drizzle as opposed to an all out rainstorm where the car gets really nasty--driving through muddy puddles, dust on boot becomes muddy, water spots everywhere--then definitely a proper wash is preferred.

Of course when I'm not able to do a wash at home, I use this product. It's pretty good, though the water pressure isn't as high as my hose at home--it takes about twice as long to wash.





Richard