7 Fast Ways to Dry Your Car Like A Pro

Drying your car after washing it is an important step to make sure that the paint on your car stays fresh and keeps your car looking brand new. Although, many car owners forget about its importance.But, what is the best way to dry off your car that is fast and safe?

The best way to dry a car fast and safely is by using a drying towel that is microfiber or chamois. This is because they are affordable and dry the surface of the car without scratching it, and since they are absorbent it does not take long to dry it off.

Drying your car effectively is both an art and a science, and doing it incorrectly could result in permanent damage. So, read on to find out more about the best methods to dry your car and what materials are best when drying your car, as well as tips and tricks for drying your car.

How To Prevent Dust In Your Car

What is the Best Method to Dry Your Car Fast and Safely?

Drying your car can be quite the daunting task! Although most people overlook it, drying your car the right way can keep it looking cleaner for a longer period of time. Who doesn’t want that?

Many car owners agree that the best method for drying your car is by using either a microfiber or chamois towel. Bath towels and other kinds of microfiber towels leave behind lint and streaks on the paint and windows.

There are microfiber towels made specifically for drying your car. Car specific microfiber towels are the best because:

They get rid of dirt and absorb water at the same time
They dry without leaving streaks or other residue

They do not damage the body of your car because the material is gentle
They are affordable and readily available to purchase online and in-store
They come in a lot of different shapes and sizes

They are highly absorbent
They can be used to dry your car without applying water first

When drying with a microfiber towel remember to wipe in one direction for the entire drying process, flip it regularly as you are cleaning, choose a towel that is light in color because they tend to be softer, and pick a towel without edging to decrease the likelihood of scratching your car as you dry.

Microfiber towels are a great tool for drying your car, and have all the qualities that any car owner looking to do a thorough job would consider. The only downside to them is that you will have to use several of them to dry your vehicle.

Chamois Microfiber Towels

Chamois microfiber towels are made of synthetic rubber that is woven together to give it a felt-like texture and feel. Some racing professionals prefer them over microfiber. Using a chamois is beneficial because:

They dry fast and do not require as much wringing out as a microfiber towel

They are efficient to use when drying a large car
They are super absorbent and durable, so you only need one chamois to dry your whole car
You can use the same chamois to dry multiple cars if necessary

The downsides to a chamois is that they are hard when they dry which makes them hard to store, they can leave scratches on your vehicle if you are not careful, and that they need water to work and this cannot be used for dry washing. There are pros and cons to using either type of towel on your car, but which one is better overall?

Microfiber vs Chamois: Which is the Better Option?

When comparing both types of towels as seen in the above two sections, it is evident that microfiber towels have a slight advantage over chamois. They are suitable for everyone to use for car drying no matter your level of expertise. Furthermore, they are durable and gentle enough on your car so that no scratches and residue are left behind.

Now that we have explored the exciting world of towel drying your car, let’s take a look at some of the other methods available for doing the job and the benefits of each. You may find one that suits you and your car better than towel drying.

Other Car Drying Methods

There are several other methods for car drying available, although towel drying is the most common one used by car owners on a regular basis. Each one has a proper technique associated with them, and could have a better or worse outcome depending on your familiarity with the method

Air Drying

You can air dry your car by using compressed air from a blow dryer, leaf blower, or other device, or by allowing the elements to dry it like you would air dry your hair. Let’s look at both of these methods and determine which is better.

Letting Your Car Air Dry

Letting your car dry on its own after washing is one of the worst methods you can use. This is because allowing your car to dry this way leaves behind soap residue, spots, streaks, mineral deposits and other things that can leave your car looking dirtier than when you washed it. The mineral deposits can also chip your car’s paint.

Drying With Compressed Air

The other way to air dry your car is by using compressed air. There are a variety of blowers you can use , whether it is a professional car dryer, a leaf blower, or a hairdryer in the case that you want to try this method but are short on time and funds. Using any sort of blower is a great way to clean your car without having any contact with the car body at all.

The characteristics of a good blower or dryer for air drying are:

The blower has strong enough power to dry effectively

The blower is easy to hold and use, and works just as well on both the inside and outside of a car
The blower should be durable and last you long enough to be cost effective
The blower should filter out the air it uses and function well

As an aside, you may think that using your leaf blower to dry your car is a crazy idea, but it actually works really well because it is fast and powerful, safe, affordable and cost effective because so many people already use a leaf blower for yard work, and it is efficient. However, the most effective option for this blowing method is to use a blower specifically designed for cars.

Drying With a Water Blade or Squeegee

Drying off your car with a water blade or squeegee is another method that some car enthusiasts and owners swear by. These methods have pros and cons just like the others listed so far, but it is up to each car owner to decide which method best works for them.

Water Blade

A water blade is made of medical grade silicone which makes it very flexible and able to get around all the angles of a car. The v shaped blade allows it to wick away water and dry your car at the same time. The tool also allows for precise control, works great on windows, and does not scratch your car. However, it needs to be wiped off often to avoid streaking the car with residue.

Water blades can apparently dry cars off three times faster than other options, and the blades are a combination of a squeegee and windshield wipers

Squeegee

Squeegees have the wiper attached to a handle you use to guide it around as you clean, whereas you hold a water blade in your hand. Other than this small difference, squeegees and water blades work the exact same way. Some squeegees can also be too rough to avoid stretching the surface of a car, so choose one that has a softer end.

Squeegees also need to be dried off periodically to avoid spreading residue around and causing streaks. On the other hand, they are a cost-effective car drying method because most people have one already that they use for something else.

Drying with a Cloth Diaper

Using cloth diapers to dry your car off is a pretty effective last resort method you can use if you do not have any of the above tools available. For this method, you will want to use two diapers, one in each hand. Use the first diaper to get the majority of the water off, then use the second one to follow behind and clear off any remaining droplets

If the first diaper gets too wet, move the drier one to that hand and replace the wet one with a fresh one in your other hand so you can keep drying efficiently. Diapers are easy to wash, absorbent, and gentle enough on your car to avoid damaging the paint. However, they can leave streaks, causing you to spend more time drying if you are not careful.

Sheeting or Flooding to Dry Your Car

These methods, as the name implies, involve taking the nozzle off of your garden horse, holding it parallel to your car’s body, and covering it in water to remove the soap. Start from the top of your car and work your way down the body. This method is very efficient because the water removes a large amount of soap in a short amount of time.

Using the flooding method works best if you apply a finishing product like wax or sealant on your car before doing it. This is because these products allow the water to grab onto the paint better and remove residue. To get most of the water off of your car when you are finished, open and shut the doors and trunk. Then, use a towel to remove the rest of the water.

One downside to this method is that not everyone owns a hose, so they may not be able to take advantage of testing it out to see if it works well for them Hoses can also be expensive depending on where you find them available for purchase.

Overall, the method that works best and is most accessible for drying your car is to use a microfiber towel/ Microfiber is better at cleaning car surfaces and gentler on them, even if you have to use more than one towel to clean a car. Now that we now about the many different methods of drying a car, let’s learn the reasons why drying a car off is important.

Why is Drying Your Car Properly Important?

The drying process is usually overlooked and an afterthought for car owners. After all, the only thing you are doing is getting the extra soap and water off your vehicle. However, it is important that you not only dry your car, but do it well and correctly.. Why is this?

It protects your car’s paint from scratches, spots, and other marks. Car paint is extremely sensitive and can come off at the first touch of rough impact
Drying your car in the sun is one of the most ineffective methods of drying that will make your car look like it hasn’t been cleaned at all

It prevents mineral deposits and other debris that are hard to remove from forming on your car and making it impossible to get clean
If you do not dry your car, it will develop water spots on it that can cause significant damage
Drying your car correctly shows that your care about it and the investment you made by purchasing it

The Problem With Water Spots

At first glance, you may think that water is harmless to the body of your car, but without proper drying, water spots form that make your car look bad and prevent you from getting it shiny and spotlessly clean, and they are really difficult to remove and damage car paint

Water spots can cause damage called etching, which is when they are permanently incorporated into your car’s body when exposed to heat or direct sunlight. Etching occurs when the water on the surface of the car evaporates and leaves behind mineral deposits. The mineral deposits then dry on the surface and eat away at the paint on the car.

Drying your car effectively is the only way to prevent etching and other long-term damage. Plus, you spend a lot of money to keep your car maintained and ready to use, so wouldn’t you want it to look as good as it can?

How to Dry Your Car Properly

Keeping your car dry is important for many reasons as discussed above, but what is the correct way to do it? Doing it effectively will produce the best results and save you from doing extra work later. Drying your car properly involves the following steps:

Start with the highest surface on your car, the roof, and work your way down. Get on a footstool to be able to reach your roof and dry it well.
Spray a drying aid on the body to bring all the water to the surface and shorten the drying time by decreasing the amount of work you have to do when drying it yourself

Dry your car off with your method of choice. Use long, sweeping arm motions to get more water off at one time.
Wring out the drying towel you are using from time to time to allow it to absorb more water, and switch out towels when necessary to avoid scratching your car
Move to the next highest spot on your car and repeat the steps above

When you dry your car using these steps, you will be making sure that each and every part of the car is cleaned thoroughly and remains scratch free. The better you take care of your car, the longer it will stay in top condition and look brand new. The cleaner your car is, the longer it can go between the next time it needs to be washed and dried.

Extra Tips and Advice For Drying Your Car Properly

There are plenty of ways you can get your car dry without exerting too much effort. Now that you know how to dry your car in the most effective way, here are some extra tips you can use to get the most out of the drying process and be confident that your car is as clean as can be:

Keep your car out of the sunlight- this will prevent the water from drying too fast and keep water spots from forming. When your car is in the shade, you can take your time drying and decrease the possibility that conditions like etching will form.

Always have clean towels with you– dirty towels collect dirt and debris that causes streaking. It is always a good idea to get more towels than you think you will need for the job, so that you do not have to stress about getting the maximum use out of every towel
Never use a towel that has dropped on the ground- it is best not to use the five second rule when drying your car. A towel that is dropped on the ground or concrete now contains the contaminants on those surfaces. These contaminants can scratch your car.
Work from top to bottom when drying– doing so keeps water in higher places from getting on areas that are already dry. The higher areas are also more difficult to dry, and you will enjoy the drying process more if you complete them first.

Spray wax and detailing sprays to get rid of spots– you can use wax and other detailing sprays on stubborn spots the same way you would to assist with the drying process. Just apply some to the spot and gently rub with a towel to dry.
Dry the wheels separately from the body- drying the wheels and rims with their own towel will keep the dirt and debris on them from transferring to the other parts of the car body

If you follow these tips, you will be well on your way to achieving a spotless and minimal effort clean on your car. There’s nothing better than having a fresh and shiny vehicle to go on daily commutes and adventures in. Car owners take pride in making sure their rides look the best they can.

What Not To Use When Drying Your Car

Now that you know everything you should be doing when drying your car, you probably want some insight on the things you should not do. The following are the top things you should take caution to avoid when drying your car off.

Don’t air dry your car- always dry your car in a place where it will not be dried off by the wind or sunlight. Even if you have the best intentions to dry your car with a towel while it is in the sun, the sun will probably beat you to drying it and leave hard to remove dry spots on the body
Squeegees and water blades may not be the best- even though these tools are great and wicking water off the car, they tend to just push water around instead of dry. They can also drag dirt and debris around, increasing the likelihood of scratches appearing

Don’t use regular towels or rags on your car- these may be too rough for your car and leave scratches and swirl marks as you dry. Regular towels and rags also have less absorbing power than those made for cars

If you keep these suggestions in mind, you will be able to clean your car quickly with minimal chance of issues. Car drying becomes less of a tedious process if you are able to save time doing it.

Conclusion

The best way to dry your car is by using a microfiber towel. They are soft enough to prevent streaking, durable, and very absorbent. Although you may have to use multiple of them for one drying job, it is far better than risking a less thorough dry with another option.