I too use the Blade. Love it! A little hard to work in some areas, but it's great for taking off the bulk of the water, after which I wipe the car down with an artificial chamois (I think the one I have is TurtleWax brand). Does a good job.
I then use a dry 100% cotton towel (made in the USA, never washed/dried w/fabric softener, tossed when it shows dirt/stains) to get the door frames, inner doors, inner trunk areas, wheels, etc...

the autotopia site is a great reference. check that out. Then buy some Zaino products to "wax"/polish the car. I haven't used them lately (Meguiars Gold Class Paste Wax) but I wash and dry my car "by the book" and have had people ask me if the car was new, even after 2 years and 36,000 miles.

- Chris

 

Another happy CA water blade owner here

[QUOTE]Originally posted by animeS2K
[B]I too use the Blade. Love it! A little hard to work in some areas, but it's great for taking off the bulk of the water, after which I wipe the car down with an artificial chamois (I think the one I have is TurtleWax brand). Does a good job.

 

When you are finished rinsing the car off with cold water, do a final rinse with some soft water or distilled/deionized water. It won't leave water spots if you miss a bit.

 

The swirl marks are a fact of life... you can minimize them but probably not totally eliminate it. First, don't get a black or dark colored car - the swirls show the most. Ideally, get a silver one - the brighter the better.

When washing or waxing, DO NOT use circular motions... Rinse often... Use soap and not just plain water...

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by s2ktaxi
[B]When washing or waxing, DO NOT use circular motions...

 

i'm a chamois user

 

If you use a leaf blower.... about $35 dollars at lowes... takes10-15 minutes to dry wheels, tires, in all cracks and crevices, around badging... and absolutely no swirl marks. I have been using this method for years and have yet to get 1 swirl mark... Of course I also use 100% cotton towels that get washed every time the car gets washed. It may be extreme but I have used the same leaf blower for a long time and was cheaper overall as well because I dont have to buy a new chamois every time it mildews etc. And if you drop your chamois on the ground you are screwed. Also on all horizontal surfaces use a front to back motion.. no circular motions. ON vertical surfaces use a up and down motion. Circular scratches can be seen from every angle... This method is just extra insurance

 

The benefit of soap - the right kind of soap is to use it as a surfactant (ie. keeping the dirt suspended and off the paint - this works well if you have a "fluffy" mitt or wash cloth)

 

Squegees leave scrathes!

 

Well, I doubt I'll cover anything that ain't been covered, but here's my routine:

• Wet car throughly using a soft stream or mist. Do NOT use water pressure, or you risk beating the sand into the paint.
  
• Fill a gallon bucket of lukewarm water and a GOOD car soap. NOT dishwashing soap, but a good brand of car soap. I like the Zymol. It seems expensive at first, but you don't have to use a lot and it smells yummy, too!
  
• Apply with a plush hand mitt. Get a mitt that doesn't have a thumb hole, so you can rotate the mitt and use both sides.
  
• If the car is very dirty, hose off the mitt regularly. First, use water pressure to clean a spot on the pavement. Take the mitt off your hand, put it down in the middle of the clean spot. Hose it off using high pressure until you don't see any traces of dirt. Flip and repeat.
  
• Use only side-to-side motions. When washing or waxing, just go one direction. For the hood, I go side-to-side, for the sides, I go front-to-back. Use what works for you, but be consistant.
  
• Wash the entire car, using about 3/4 of the bucket of water. Don't use it all, the bottom 1/4 has a lot of dirt and sediment. But be generous, more water = less scratches. Have a goal of just slapping this soapy water all over the car. (The soap molecules attach to the dirt and pull it off the car, and the water takes them away. Use what you have.)
  
• If it's a hot day, wash a small section, then rinse. Do this frequently, and keep the entire car moist.
  
• Once you're done washing, mist down the entire car again.
  
• Using only a premium chamois, drape the chamois over the hood, and pull toward you. DON'T RUB, use it to kinda squeegee the water off. The chamois may need to be moistened before the first pass.
  
• Pull the chamois over the top, wring it out. Drape it across, pull it across, wring it out...
  
• Don't use the chamois on the windows. Use terry cloth, a squeegee (before drying the paint, obviously) or another absorber that doesn't have oils on it (by oils, I mean leather oils, not motor oils)

That's it for the outside! Enjoy your clean car!