Scratches and swirls can really affect the look of any vehicle. But how does this happen? Most people don’t intend to put scratches and swirls on their paint. One of the biggest contributors of scratches and swirls is improper drying techniques. Its important to use the right towel for the job and use it properly to avoid scratching the paint finish. My towel of choice is the Micro Fiber Drying Towel from Griot’s Garage. At 25″ x 35″, its a good size towel and the absorbency is fantastic. At SweetCars, its our towel of choice for drying. The towel contains pockets that makes it easy to maneuver when drying and help avoid accidentally touching the floor and picking up dirt. To avoid scratches and swirls, I suggest using the “pat down” method. This method restricts the amount of friction used to dry the surface by simply just soaking up the water. Work the top sections first and lastly dry the bottom half surfaces. For wheels and door jambs, I suggest using a micro fiber towel that will not be used on the paint surfaces. “Tim’s Dirty SpotsTowel” from Griot’s Garage is a great towel for surfaces like these. Both of these towels are available at SweetCars. Here’s a video showing the Pat-Dry method on this Ferrari 612 to demonstrate how its done.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdeyUzGejmQ&w=420&h=315]
