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I've got a 69 Cutlass S convertible with a brand new, beautiful paint job. It's collecting a lot of dust while I complete the restoration. What's the best way to remove the dust without hurting the paint? Just plain water and a soft rag?
1. Spray it off with a blow gun to remove the loose stuff on top.
2. wipe the car down with a california duster.
3. Wipe the whole car down with Meguire's quick detailer and a new microfiber cloth.
4. Once clean, cover the car with a disposable plastic cover. I use these year round when the cars are stored inside. When I uncover the car it looks as good as it did before I covered it.
That is what I would do, just spray it off and wipe with a nice Chamois.If it is not to much and the paint is not real new I also use the car type dusters.
If you live in a humid climate (don't know how far Denton is from the Gulf) don't use a plastic cover for any length of time. They're condensation traps.
I wouldn't put plastic over the car though. There's a chance the wind could catch the plastic and cause it to abrade the paint.
I realize the pic shows the cover on a car outside, but I only use those covers on cars that are inside (as noted in my post). They are not meant for outdoor use. Capturing moisture has not been a problem in the years that I have been using them. They do wear out and get dirty over time though. I buy them in 5 packs every so often to use on the 4 cars I keep covered inside.
I realize the pic shows the cover on a car outside, but I only use those covers on cars that are inside (as noted in my post). They are not meant for outdoor use. Capturing moisture has not been a problem in the years that I have been using them. They do wear out and get dirty over time though. I buy them in 5 packs every so often to use on the 4 cars I keep covered inside.
In my experience cotton covers hold dirt on the inside with repeated use and do not keep the car as clean. They also cost much more. These plastic ones are about $10.00 each so when they get torn or dirty you simply throw them away and put on a new one. I have not found any cover that will keep a car looking as good as these do (again only for indoor use). I had my 66 chevelle covered for over a year and a half without touching it while I was building my Toro and Vista. When I uncovered it, the chevelle looked just as good as the day I parked it. There is a reason that builders and shops use these on finished cars when parked. They work REALLY WELL at what they are designed for - keeping dust off a car while inside.
Well, we live in the middle of a rainforest, so I'm gonna stick with my cotton cover and dehumidifiers. My cars also come out just as clean every spring as they were when I put them away in the fall.
I've read and heard that the California Duster drags dust which creates micro scratches in the finish. A good friend showed me a tip to fold a microfiber towel in to eighths, spray the towel with your detailer, and gently wipe the dust off the paint rotating to a clean square frequently. We're talking literally no pressure applied to the towel at all to get the dust off.
I hadn't thought about using a light duty cover on the car while parked in the garage. Maybe I need to invest in one. If they make them big enough for my 71 98. It's dirty as hell and all it's been doing is sitting in the garage for a few months.
I hadn't thought about using a light duty cover on the car while parked in the garage. Maybe I need to invest in one. If they make them big enough for my 71 98. It's dirty as hell and all it's been doing is sitting in the garage for a few months.
California Car Covers makes one called the "Dustop" for just that reason.
Caution !!
I have a friend who owned a body and custom paint shop, he turned many a fine pain custom paint jobs out and he cautioned me about California dusters for the same reasons given above. He said at first when they are clean they are ok but they contain paraffin that's what allows the duster to collect and HOLD the dust, after several uses that trapped dust gets dragged across the paint surface resulting in micro scratches
now that being said the dusters can be washed but washing to remove the dust also removes the paraffin making the duster less effective to the point where it just moves the dust around,
He said if you want to use one ok but be carful and watch how dirty it gets and replace it when necessary.
his solution was clean microfiber towels and a quality detailer with good lubricating properties
P/S the best deal on Micro fiber towels is Costco.
his solution was clean microfiber towels and a quality detailer with good lubricating properties
I like the idea of blowing the excess dust off with compressed air before cleaning. Of course the bet plan is to not let the car get dusty, which is how the topic of car covers came up.
Absolutely blowing off the excess dust would be beneficial, the paint on my 56 is in pretty good shape but far from a concourse paint job it just gets the microfiber/detailer treatment.
