A necessary part of car care and maintenance is knowing how to dry a car after washing. It is important to leave a polished and spotless finish on your vehicle. There are four ways that you can go about drying your car after a wash:
- Using a car drying cloth
- Using a car dryer
- Using a chamois
- Using a water blade
After getting a glimpse of all the methods, you can decide for yourself what is the best way to dry a car after washing.
For the details of each drying approach, continue reading!
Table of Contents
4 Methods on How to Dry a Car After Washing
Before we jump into the three ways of drying a car after a wash, here are few important notes to keep in mind:
- Find a roomy place away from direct sunlight to dry your car. Harsh sun exposure can leave stubborn water spots on the car.
- Do not forget about water hiding in the creeks and crevices of the car. You must be meticulous in thoroughly drying all the contours of your vehicle.
Method 1: Using a car drying cloth
For this first approach, you will only need a microfiber cloth or towel. However, it is critical that you choose the right one. It should be high-quality and designed for car use.
There are four main types of microfiber: nylon, polyester, rayon, and acrylic. The first two are most common for cars.
Among these materials, there are cloths/towels specifically designed for drying. These are typically tufted and feature a terry cloth or waffle weave to assist users in drying.
When choosing a cloth or towel to purchase, you must also consider material weights, colors, and sizes.
- For drying, you want a material that is not too heavy so you can handle the towel with ease and minimize hand fatigue.
- Dark colors tend to be less plush and soft. So, when it comes to drying, you want a lighter-colored cloth or towel.
- A palm-sized cloth/towel will take more time to dry any section of your car because its coverage is limited. So, larger cloths/towels will be more useful for drying.
In addition, pay attention to the towel density and ratios in fabric blends. These are factors that indicate the quality of the cloth/towel.
On top of that, it is crucial that you avoid cloths/towels that have edging. These are the main culprit behind scratches and scrapes on cars during care and maintenance procedures.
Be mindful of all these factors to select a good microfiber cloth or towel for your drying endeavor. A few reliable microfiber car drying towels that you can consider are:
Using a microfiber cloth/towel to dry your car after a wash is easy. You just need to wipe, wring, and repeat. However, it is necessary to keep two tips in mind:
- Wipe in only one direction
- Flip the cloth/towel regularly
You should also have several car wash towels handy for fresh replacements.
It is also advised that you dry in back-and-forth or up-and-down motions rather than in circles.
Wipe down the surfaces of your car gently. There is no need to apply force. Remember, you are getting rid of excess water, not scrubbing.
Method 2: Using a car dryer
The second approach requires a car dryer. This is sometimes also referred to as a car blower. It is a tool that releases air to dry out excess water. Usually, you will find these as electric and corded. It is best if you can get cordless blowers or handheld ones, though. They are easier to handle while drying different sections of the car.
But there are also models that run on batteries in the market. Regardless of what you choose, it is most important that you get a car-dedicated blower and not other types used for drying pets or blowing leaves.
Using a car dryer, you can get the drying done quickly. What’s more, you do not have to get your hands dirty! A car dryer will get to hard-to-reach cracks and crevices easily as well.
Good options for a car blower that you can get are from Greenworks, McKee, WORX, to name a few.
Method 3: Using a chamois
Using chamois for drying your car is another option. Also called a shammy, a chamois is a rubber or leather material that is super absorbent to dry off excess water on any surface. A chamois is a popular solution among car users thanks to its incredible ability to draw and hold water.
Like the above method, you just need to wipe down your car gently, wring, and the chamois will do all the work for you. For tough water spots, ball up the chamois and run it against the area needing treatment. Then, watch the spots disappear!
The best thing about it is that you will only need one to completely dry your car. It is also versatile, so you can use it for other vehicles as well.
Plus, it is relatively easy to find, both online and offline. However, it is a bit more expensive than microfiber towels/cloths. Nevertheless, you can rest assured that it is a good investment. It will get the job done flawlessly.
A few reliable options for chamois in the market are those from Cleantools, Griots, and Chemical Guys.
A chamois is also less convenient to store because it hardens when sitting idly. You will additionally need to be extra careful to keep it from developing mildew or mold.
Method 4: Using a water blade
The last method for drying a car after washing it is using a water blade. This is a tool that functions like a windshield wiper and a squeegee. It is believed that a water blade can dry cars up to 3x faster than other traditional methods.
Simply sweep the blade across your cars’ surface to soak up the water. Use up-and-down and back-and-forth motions for the best result. Be careful of any dirt and particles lodging into the blade by checking it from time to time.
Most water blades in the market are made up of silicone, so there is an ideal convergence of rigidity and flexibility for drying purposes. Users can easily use it on the contours of a car. There are ones with unique technology to aid in users’ comfort and convenience. In general, however, water blades are not too pricey.
Found at local stores as well as online retailers, water blades are reasonably affordable. You do not have to exhaust your wallet when drying off your car.
Before we leave you, here is a video by Chemical Guys on all the above options of drying a car after washing it.
Conclusion
So, with that, you have reached the end of this article on how to dry a car after washing. To recap, there are four methods that you can consider:
- Using a car drying cloth
- Using a car dryer
- Using a chamois
- Using a water blade
Which of the three is your favorite? Or, do you have another go-to method that can be shared? Let us know in the comments! We are always super excited to hear from our readers. So, do not hesitate.
Also, you are welcome to share this article with your family, friends, and anyone else who will appreciate the content!
