Tried drying with leaf blower - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

redirish · 10-25-2010, 06:01 PM

OK So I go to Home Depot and buy an electric leaf blower. It was 39.99 with two speeds. I wash the car using the foam gun and then the two bucket system. Then I pool water over the car to help dry and then pull the car into the garage and start using the leaf blower on high speed which is 220 MPH. Looks like the blower is working but as I am going along the car I noticed a lot of water spots. I'm not happy but keep going with the blower until dry. I inspect the car and see a lot of water spots so I grab the detail spray and a micro fiber towel and do over the whole car. So what did I do wrong? I left the suds on the car after washing so I could work on the wheels but since i used Adams soap that should not have caused the problem right?

skuttduck · 10-25-2010, 06:10 PM

I tried using my filter queen on "blower" mode with the crevice tool. I had the same results.

I said to heck with it, to dry I spritz the car a bit with detail spray and use the waffle weave towel. It works pretty good.

ckaram · 10-25-2010, 06:15 PM

I use this and a couple microfibers for the leftover water.

Cheaper too!

ron10 · 10-25-2010, 06:15 PM

little bit of advice,wash your wheels and tires first.that way you don't have water drying on your car.

lets_go_bills · 10-25-2010, 06:35 PM

I wash my tires/wheels first. When I'm done rinsing the car I take off the nozzle and allow the water to run freely out the hose onto all horizontal surfaces (roof, hood, trunk). This sheets most of the water off the paint and leaves only a few spots to dry. I use a super-soft towel to dry the rest and follow up with detail spray. Leaves it perfect every time.

FASST 1 · 10-25-2010, 06:40 PM

I never have a problem using the leaf blower. I never try to totally dry the car with the leaf blower. I use it to dry the wheels (last), blow water out of areas that you can't dry with a towel, and get the majority of water off flat surfaces. This can be done pretty fast. Then I spray with detail spray and wipe off what is left with an Adams microfiber towel. A good coat of wax is a must to reduce the water tension and make it easier to blow off the water.

redirish · 10-25-2010, 07:31 PM

I will start doing the wheels first. This is the first time I tried drying the car with the leaf blower after running the water over the car to push off most of the water. The other times I used the detail spray and the drying towel and the car came out good.

Adam's Polishes · 10-25-2010, 07:55 PM

No one gets a car 100% dry with just a leaf blower IMO... you can get it mostly dry but at some point you're gonna have to go back and towel dry some spots. So to that end -

Wash
Pool Rinse
Leaf Blower to get most of the water off
Waffle Weave Drying towel and Detail Spray for the rest

2010 SSRS · 10-25-2010, 08:00 PM

I use the leaf blower on all my cars and the way I do it is after the wash is finished I hose the whole car off again and immediately use the leaf blower and it drys the whole car completely with no water spots at all, the leaf blower is the best way to dry a car and no towels needed.

johndawg · 10-25-2010, 08:05 PM

I use a microfiber towel to dry off and then use the blower to get the water out of the small places.
My neighbors think I am nuts when I break out the blower and dry my car.

IndeedSS1 · 10-25-2010, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redirish

OK So I go to Home Depot and buy an electric leaf blower. It was 39.99 with two speeds. I wash the car using the foam gun and then the two bucket system. Then I pool water over the car to help dry and then pull the car into the garage and start using the leaf blower on high speed which is 220 MPH. Looks like the blower is working but as I am going along the car I noticed a lot of water spots. I'm not happy but keep going with the blower until dry. I inspect the car and see a lot of water spots so I grab the detail spray and a micro fiber towel and do over the whole car. So what did I do wrong? I left the suds on the car after washing so I could work on the wheels but since i used Adams soap that should not have caused the problem right?

I did the same as you with my new leaf blower with the same results. Was very disappointed in what I saw. Junkman has me convinced I need to get my paint in better condition, so the water blows off easily and isn't actually drying to the surface.

Uncle Harvey · 10-25-2010, 09:26 PM

I leaf blow the whole car. It works well for me.

BAD DAB · 10-25-2010, 09:40 PM

What kind of detail spray do you guys use.

2010 SSRS · 10-25-2010, 09:52 PM

never use any detail spray, no need for that on mine.

10-25-2010, 06:01 PM	#1
redirish Drives: 10' IOM 2SS/RS/M6 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,354 View My Garage	Tried drying with leaf blower OK So I go to Home Depot and buy an electric leaf blower. It was 39.99 with two speeds. I wash the car using the foam gun and then the two bucket system. Then I pool water over the car to help dry and then pull the car into the garage and start using the leaf blower on high speed which is 220 MPH. Looks like the blower is working but as I am going along the car I noticed a lot of water spots. I'm not happy but keep going with the blower until dry. I inspect the car and see a lot of water spots so I grab the detail spray and a micro fiber towel and do over the whole car. So what did I do wrong? I left the suds on the car after washing so I could work on the wheels but since i used Adams soap that should not have caused the problem right?

10-25-2010, 06:10 PM	#2
skuttduck Drives: 2010 RJT 2LT Camaro Join Date: May 2009 Location: East Lansing, MI Posts: 2,530	I tried using my filter queen on "blower" mode with the crevice tool. I had the same results. I said to heck with it, to dry I spritz the car a bit with detail spray and use the waffle weave towel. It works pretty good. __________________ Check out my Camaro http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84133

10-25-2010, 06:15 PM	#3
ckaram Drives: 2011 2SS RS, 1968 ragtop Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,850	I use this and a couple microfibers for the leftover water. Cheaper too! __________________ 1968 Camaro Convertible LS1, T56

10-25-2010, 06:35 PM	#5
lets_go_bills Drives: 2011 Camaro 2LT/RS CGM M6 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Ontario Posts: 815	I wash my tires/wheels first. When I'm done rinsing the car I take off the nozzle and allow the water to run freely out the hose onto all horizontal surfaces (roof, hood, trunk). This sheets most of the water off the paint and leaves only a few spots to dry. I use a super-soft towel to dry the rest and follow up with detail spray. Leaves it perfect every time. __________________ 2011 Chevrolet Camaro 2LT/RS Cyber Gray Metallic

10-25-2010, 06:40 PM	#6
FASST 1 Drives: Black 1SS Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 442	I never have a problem using the leaf blower. I never try to totally dry the car with the leaf blower. I use it to dry the wheels (last), blow water out of areas that you can't dry with a towel, and get the majority of water off flat surfaces. This can be done pretty fast. Then I spray with detail spray and wipe off what is left with an Adams microfiber towel. A good coat of wax is a must to reduce the water tension and make it easier to blow off the water. __________________

10-25-2010, 06:15 PM	#4
ron10 Drives: 2010 2SS IOM L99 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: LOUISVILLE,KY.. Posts: 7,545	little bit of advice,wash your wheels and tires first.that way you don't have water drying on your car.

10-25-2010, 07:31 PM	#7
redirish Drives: 10' IOM 2SS/RS/M6 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,354 View My Garage	I will start doing the wheels first. This is the first time I tried drying the car with the leaf blower after running the water over the car to push off most of the water. The other times I used the detail spray and the drying towel and the car came out good.

10-25-2010, 07:55 PM	#8
Adam's Polishes Drives: The shiny ones. Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: In the detail shop! Posts: 5,979	No one gets a car 100% dry with just a leaf blower IMO... you can get it mostly dry but at some point you're gonna have to go back and towel dry some spots. So to that end - Wash Pool Rinse Leaf Blower to get most of the water off Waffle Weave Drying towel and Detail Spray for the rest

10-25-2010, 08:00 PM	#9
2010 SSRS Drives: 3 V8 Camaros Join Date: May 2009 Location: The Ocean State Posts: 111,187 View My Garage	I use the leaf blower on all my cars and the way I do it is after the wash is finished I hose the whole car off again and immediately use the leaf blower and it drys the whole car completely with no water spots at all, the leaf blower is the best way to dry a car and no towels needed. __________________ Jannetty Racing JRE Street Package

10-25-2010, 08:05 PM	#10
johndawg I'd rather be shooting... Drives: 2010 2SS/RS Black/Black Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Alpharetta, GA Posts: 1,116 View My Garage	I use a microfiber towel to dry off and then use the blower to get the water out of the small places. My neighbors think I am nuts when I break out the blower and dry my car. __________________ Follow Us on The Official Photographer of the 2010, 2011 & 2012 Camaro5 Fests!!! www.theshuttergroup.com

10-25-2010, 09:26 PM	#12
Uncle Harvey Drives: 2011 2SS RS Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Senoia, GA Posts: 237 View My Garage	I leaf blow the whole car. It works well for me.

10-25-2010, 09:40 PM	#13
BAD DAB Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS/RS Black & Silver Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 8,228 View My Garage	What kind of detail spray do you guys use. __________________ STAINLESS WORKS HEADERS-TUNED BY JANNETTY RACING-C.A.I. INTAKE-TAYLOR 409 WIRES-SOLO AXLE BACK EXHAUST-ELITE CATCH CAN

10-25-2010, 09:52 PM	#14
2010 SSRS Drives: 3 V8 Camaros Join Date: May 2009 Location: The Ocean State Posts: 111,187 View My Garage	never use any detail spray, no need for that on mine. __________________ Jannetty Racing JRE Street Package

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