Someone please explain how some people can wash their car today then tomorrow and the next day and the next day take a dry towel and wipe it off. Wouldn't the small amount or dirt and grime scratch the fool out of the paint?
I would live to be able to wipe the dust off my truck every day or so but I've always been afraid to try it.

 

gpeade, yeah, after they wipe it down you see about a million small scratchs. The California dusters work as long as it's just dust. But people try to remove dust that needs to be washed off with the dusters, scratching in even more.

I live in a very dusty place, the truck just sitting in the garage gets a coating of dust over night.
When it gets bad enough to notice, I pressure wash it, which uses very little water, then quickly dry it with a microfiber towel. Keeps it looking just washed, but the job only takes about 7-10 minutes, and most of that is setting up the washer.

Drying the truck by hand makes the most difference, letting the water spot on it is not a good idea.
Chris

 

If my vehicles, regardless of color, aren't washed with a sponge by hand, I'll never wipe them off. Unless you wipe the surface, a pressure washer wioll never take off all the grime. Yes, most of it, but over time, you will still see scratches. If you dont believe it, high pressure wash a white vehicle some time after it is really dirty and dusty. After it dries, you'll still see the marks from the pressure stream in the dirt. If I am in a real hurry to "get the dust off", I will pressure wash it and then blow it off with my leaf blower. It gets the vehicle dry - unstreaked, and also gets that "never ending drip" out of the mirrors and from under the window rubbers.

 

You are missing my point, there is no 'grime' on my truck. It's garaged, never under trees, birds, smog, etc. If it was grimey (sp?) I would wash it with a microfiber mit. Don't care for sponges, as they seem to hold too much dirt. Of course that's just me.
I am just removing dust from my truck, which is what we were talking about. Pressure washing (heck, just sprayed water) removes dust nicely.
And since I have lots of wax buffed on there, dust, or 'grime' never really gets to stick. On a clayed truck, bugs, etc, just swoosh off in any water jet, like they do on your windows, unless the windows are pitted...
I tried the compressed air blow off, my neighbor does his that way. My leaf blower seems to snag dust from the air and rocket it at whatever I am blowing. Sand blaster princple. I live in the worlds biggest sandbox, the Mojave Desert.

I found that it took far longer to blow dry the rig than to wipe it down with the microfibers. Trick is to use four on the wipe down, as they suck up way too much water. I use two quickly over the truck(these are slightly smaller but thicker than a hand towel) then a third to get the spots that the first two miss. Then another one on the rims, as I don't want to get tire stuff on the paint. No dust (kleen wheels) but tires go through some nasty stuff.
Anyway, whatever floats your boat.
It's all fun on the f-150.
Chris

 

I wanted to use a power washer but I figured it'd take the paint strait off ours is like some 2800PSI beast lol

 

When I wash my show car or even my truck (when I have the time) I use compressed air to blow off most of the water before I microfiber or use a chamois. This works great in hard to dry areas like grills, wheels, and door jambs.

 

I love black trucks/vehicles, my two previous S10 4x4's and my 03 Mustang GT were all black. With that being said, scratches and spider-webbing do have a tendency to show up very easily.

I drove myself nuts with the mustang(my first new car) and promised my wife I wouldn't do it her again when I bought my truck. Went for the Silver w/black trim items and like previously noted the brushguard, nerf bars and tool box all show scratches but the silver is still looking like a champ.

 

Eglin AFB! I know exactly where you live! I use to live In Santa Rosa Beach between Sandestin and Seaside!!