Post-wash drips

[OMG70]

So I know every car has this in at least a few spots, but does anyone have any tricks to making sure your freshly washed car isn't soiled by streaks of water that drip out after it has been dried?

My main trouble area is the mirrors. I've noticed streaks down the door and across the door (just below the bottom of the window). Am I the worlds worst towel handler or are you guys leaf blowing the water out of these crevices?

 

[Beefer]

Phew...for a second...I thought this was regarding your bung hole after some Taco Bell.

 

[Beefer]

May sound nuts...but I get my Stihl blower out...works like a charm!!

 

[Alfer]

First world problems for sure!! LOL

I just run mine through the car wash that uses "spot free rinse" and most times I don't see the spots, but even if I did, I just wouldn't care enough to worry about it. Just dry and enjoy, nobody will notice said spots anyway.

 

[joschneider]

So I know every car has this in at least a few spots, but does anyone have any tricks to making sure your freshly washed car isn't soiled by streaks of water that drip out after it has been dried?

My main trouble area is the mirrors. I've noticed streaks down the door and across the door (just below the bottom of the window). Am I the worlds worst towel handler or are you guys leaf blowing the water out of these crevices?

so what I do is a full wash/dry like normal....then a bit later I go back out with a damp microfiber and wipe down all the streaky spots coming down from the mirrors, fender vents and trunk. as long as its not a windy day or I dont wait too long this works pretty well

 

[Bourbonncigars]

I have a '15 but the mirrors leave the same streaks (as do a lot of car mirrors). I always hand wash and dry with towels. By the time I've dried the car and moved to wiping the door jambs, they've pretty much stopped leaking and I give the door a final wipe down. Once it cools off and is so ball sagging hot in the south, the water may hang around longer.

One of the fixes for the last gen of Jeep Wranglers was to take a small drill bit and make a hole for the water to drain out of the mirror but I don't recommend that here...

 

[TO Genesis]

I hand wash and after I dry the car (including the door jambs and B pillars) I drive around the block. This serves the dual purpose of scraping rust off the rotors and shaking any residual water out the mirrors and other nooks and crannies.

 

[OMG70]

I hand wash and after I dry the car (including the door jambs and B pillars) I drive around the block. This serves the dual purpose of scraping rust off the rotors and shaking any residual water out the mirrors and other nooks and crannies.

This sounds like the solution I may need to employ. I take my time making sure everything is properly dry (including door/trunk jams and the engine bay) and streak free, but alas those damn mirrors are still dripping away slowly once I'm done. Even in the hot sun! I've tried blowing into the crevices

-waits for @Beefer to roast him on that comment-

but it never gets everything. These streaks haunt me because of the effort I put in to keep this thing spotless each weekend.

 

[Alfer]

Time to invest in some ADD pills. They're just tiny water droplets. Nobody around you who sees the car on the road cares.

 

[joschneider]

Time to invest in some ADD pills. They're just tiny water droplets. Nobody around you who sees the car on the road cares.

HE cares. All that matters

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[danygenesis]

A leaf blower could do the job easily. It's awesome drying all those crevices and hard to access places where microfiber towel can't get.

 

[OMG70]

A leaf blower could do the job easily. It's awesome drying all those crevices and hard to access places where microfiber towel can't get.

I'd be worried about random dirt getting shot at the paint, but I have seen people use them to do a touchless car wash. Beyond the fact that I have no use for a leaf blower since we don't really have seasons

 

[BlancaGenny]

So I know every car has this in at least a few spots, but does anyone have any tricks to making sure your freshly washed car isn't soiled by streaks of water that drip out after it has been dried?

My main trouble area is the mirrors. I've noticed streaks down the door and across the door (just below the bottom of the window). Am I the worlds worst towel handler or are you guys leaf blowing the water out of these crevices?

I'm anal. I wash it the night before. Wash, dry, detailer, sleep, drive. The overnight time will allow the water to dry up solving your "streak" issue. I know if I drive it right after I wash it, I'll have the streak problem. Ol' boy up there is innovative like me and take a leaf blower to it. Does a good job with getting water out of the cracks.

 

[danygenesis]

I'd be worried about random dirt getting shot at the paint, but I have seen people use them to do a touchless car wash. Beyond the fact that I have no use for a leaf blower since we don't really have seasons

I have no leafs to blow (no seasons here in South Florida either) but I use it everytime I wash my car. I don't think I could get any dirt getting shot at the paint after a rinse with a pressure washer, a foaming using a foam cannon, another rinse with pressure washer, a two buckets wash and another rinse with the pressure washer again.

 

[FastEddie]

May sound nuts...but I get my Stihl blower out...works like a charm!!

I use my cordless Ego blower all the time. I’ve used an old canister vac/blower on motorcycles for years. Works like a charm.

 

[Mr. Incredible]

May sound nuts...but I get my Stihl blower out...works like a charm!!

same here, leaf blower for the windows, mirrors, trunk lip, door lips, hood lip, etc. then I used compressed air around the door handles and window trim.


never have post wash water streaks.

 

[sethsquire]

I hand wash and after I dry the car (including the door jambs and B pillars) I drive around the block. This serves the dual purpose of scraping rust off the rotors and shaking any residual water out the mirrors and other nooks and crannies.

I do exactly the same. Wash and dry nicely then wing it around the block once with a couple of firm presses of the brake while I do. Park it in the driveway and do a 360 of the car with a fresh microfiber.

 

[CVODON]

Company called Cyclone makes a Battery Powered Blower, comes with the rechargeable (18V) battery and charger, It is very small and runs a extremely high RPM. Has a rubber extension to blow the car with. I bought one recently and just haul it in the trunk. Will run about 45 minutes on a charge. I have a wall mounted Metro Car/Bike Dryer in the garage but the Cyclone has become the one I use most. I blow as much water as possible from all cracks/crevices/under License plate/grill around door handles etc with it. Works great. Bought mine for $90 shipped at Pigeon Forge car show but I know he has a webpage. It is a good product.