Giving your car its much deserved washing and polishing can really restore its brand-new look. If you are the type of car owner who is extremely fond of detailing your car, whether by a professional or by yourself, your car will certainly retain a grandeur and cleanliness that masks its mileage. To achieve that splendid look of your vehicle, car wash drying is a technique that not all car enthusiast have yet to mastered.

There’s something incredibly exhilarating about dousing your car in water and seeing the car shampoo and soap work their magic on every square inch of your car. After the final rinse, your car is now ready for the waxing, polishing, and buffing processes. But how do you manage to dry your vehicle immediately and still retain a squeaky-clean post wash surface for waxing?

Car Drying Technique

Car wash drying is tricky if you don’t have the right tools on hand. Even a lint-free, super-absorbent microfiber towel may leave behind swirl marks if you don’t know the correct technique for wiping your car dry. You can allow your vehicle to air dry, but sometimes it just takes too long. You also run the risk of dirtying the car again if you allow it to just sit there, freshly clean but unprotected from dust and other pollutants. Water droplets collect dirt at their base, thus leaving behind ugly streaks on the newly-cleaned surface. Your car will certainly retain more of its shine and luster if you are able to quickly seal in the gloss after a thorough washing. For people who are in a hurry to wax their vehicles or are simply looking for the fastest way to dry their cars, a drying agent should always be included in the car wash supply cabinet.

A drying agent repels water by making the surface of your vehicle hydrophobic or simply “water-fearing”. Instead of clinging to your car, water droplets will simply slide off and down to the ground.

Follow these procedures to dry your car faster and prep it immediately for a good wax:

• Give your car a final rinse with fresh water to get rid of all residual detergent. The drying agent will not be able to interact properly with your car’s surface if a layer of car soap or shampoo is blocking it. For the same reason, you have to ensure that your car is really, truly clean. Otherwise the drying agent will also be discouraged by residual dirt.
• Mix your preferred drying agent with water. Follow the package instructions for dilution.
• Spray the drying agent on your car after the final rinse. It’s best to use a nozzle spray can for this job, because you need to spray the drying agent as fast as possible on every inch of your car. Make sure not to blast your car with the solution because this will lead to the product not sticking properly to your car.
• Use a chamois cloth or a microfiber towel to mop up any leftover water droplets and really speed up the drying process. You can also use an air dryer if you have one in your supply cabinet.
• Apply wax according to package instructions. Buff and polish the vehicle accordingly.