I don't think it's absurd at all

Anything to get the water off quickly and safely is a great idea I also bet you don't have as much problem with water driping out of the side mirrors, door handels, or tailights.

 

van- several of us do that... good idea.

i either blade and big blue the car or leaf blow (i use a blower that is only used on cars) and big blue it. as 9grand said, the blower does a great job on the trapped water.

 

I just wait till near sun down, so my car is in the shade of my house, then wash each panel, from top to bottom, rims last, keeping it wet until time to dry. I dry with a regular yellow chamois and use the Eagle 1 Wax as you Dry. It seems to work well =0).

What is your ideal brand car wash soap?

When is the best time to clay your car? I've never waxed it, but bought it used and think it's been waxed before... Is it possible to just wash, dry/wax as I dry, then clay each panel? How does it work, anyway... Do you have to remove it after claying it with a towel? My car is a daily driver, so I can't go too crazy detailing or my hard work will just be ruined by daily grime.

Thanks!

 

I just had the opportunity to dry my car with my new big blue towels, and I don't think I'm overstating this when I say: the big blue towel is by far the best invention mankind has ever seen! Perfection - that's the only word I can use to describe how happy I was to see a perfect Berlina mirror finish looking back at me. No streaks, no spots, no other bullshit. Let the message go forth - Big Blue is the ONLY way to dry your car!

 

mr. clean autodry works very well. i use zaino car wash solution in lieu of the soap that they provide. i primarily use the autodry system for the rinse. i still dry the car using microfiber towels, but the autoclean really enhances the dry time. you don't spend so much time concerning yourself about getting everything dry right away to avoid spots.

to detail the car, i did the following:

- wet car with regular water
- dawn wash the car
- mr. clean autodry rinse
- claybar w/ clay magic spray
- wet car with regular water
- light zaino wash to get any clay stains out
- mr. clean autodry rinse
- dry with microfiber towels
- Z5/ZFX coat
- polish with terry cloth
- Z6 with terry cloth
- 1 more coat of Z5/ZFX -> Z6
- 1 coat of Z2/ZFX -> Z6

next day:
- wet car with regular water
- light zaino wash
- mr. clean autodry rinse
- dry with microfiber towel
- 3 coats of Z2/ZFX -> Z6

done.

 

s2kyellow-
best time to clay is when your car needs it (and as you already know, out of the sun). if you gently run the backs of your fingers over the body, it should be smooth (like glass). if you can feel any bumps or areas that are not smooth, its time to clay. wash the car, then use either car shampoo or detailers spray in small areas- rub the clay over those areas front to back. rinse and move to the next area. then rewash the car, and rewax it.
btw, if you drop it- trash it! (when you get the clay you should tear it or cut it into at least a couple pieces. if you drop one you still have one left).
some more good info here:
http://properautocare.com/rempainconov.html
if that didnt answer your questions, let us know...
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secret- great report...
dumb question:
why not just use mr. clean for all water?
(in other words, why use any regular water?)
i understand and agree with not using any other mr. clean products-

 

The silly thing about the autodry system is that the soft water rinse is really slow flowing. No matter how much you turn up the water, the nozzle regulates the water going through the filter and shoots it out at the same flowrate. Anyway, it takes forever to cover the car with this soft water and loosen any dirt that's sitting around. Also, the filters go out a little faster than they say they do. Refills aren't too pricey ($9.99 or so), but I didn't see the need. The car still dried spotless even when I used normal hard water to wet the car.