Drying aids and why they are important

Ever wonder why paint gets swirls and loses its sheen? well today we will be discussing one of the most important parts of detailing and cleaning of a vehicle.

What are drying aids?

Drying aids or drying agents came into the car cleaning realm through the car wash business. Like many chemicals we use in the day-to-day detailing life, drying aids play a very important role, no matter how intense or thorough the detail is. Drying agents, hence the name, help remove water from a vehicle. They do this on a chemical level by breaking the surface tension between the water and your paint. Drying aids come in many forms and descriptions, but today we will be going over the science behind them and how they will help you in the future.

how does a drying aid work?

Drying aids can be applied to paintwork in multiple different ways. For example, when you take your car or truck through a local car wash, the last step to any decent car wash is the drying aid. The vehicle is pre-rinsed, washed by the nozzles, and then right before the dryers, you will see a cascading waterfall of either colored or foamy liquid. Then the paint is rinsed again. You might be asking, "Why isn't it just dried immediately after it is applied?" Well, this is a process called water activation. Once the drying aid is applied to the paint, it requires water to essentially react with the paint and bond to the surface. When this process happens, you will notice the rather flat-water behavior turns from flat to separate streams or beads rolling down the paint and glass. Once activated, the paintwork has a very slick and hydrophobic surface that repels water. Followed by the dryer vents, it leaves virtually no water on the surface without having to lift a finger! Car washes use heavily diluted industrial versions of these that will maybe only last a few weeks, but it is enough to protect the paint and make it easier to clean the next time.
Detailers and enthusiasts have products that use this same concept but with a lot more protection and consistency included in them. Water-activated drying aids that we recommend are Gyeon Wet Coat and Carpro Hydro2 lite. These sealants will not only prevent water spotting on the paint, but they will also give the paint or ceramic coating 1-3 months of additional protection. These types of protectants are a little costly, but if time is sacred to you, it is worth every penny.

How do i dry my car safely on a budget?

Great question! In our previous post, we talked about the importance of microfibers when it comes to drying a car. However, drying aids are arguably more important due to how they react with paint. The second type of drying aid is a hand-applied form. This is sprayed into a drying towel of choice and used to make the drying towel glide easier and create that surface tension break we had mentioned prior. These types of drying agents can be found in the form of quick detailers or other water-based paint sealants.
The common misconception of quick detailers is that they are meant for cleaning a car. Some can do this on a very lightly dusted surface, but it is just not safe or recommended in this manner. What quick detailers are amazing for is utilizing a mild cleaning capability paired with a little bit of protection. This yields a safe and effective way to dry a vehicle of any water left on the surface. We recommend Tech 582 ceramic detail spray and Gyeon Ceramic detailer for this application, whether you are an at-home hobbyist or just looking to maintain your ceramic coating. This will make your car cleaning process much easier!
Rinseless washing is one of our preferred methods of vehicle maintenance because the drying aid is built into it, hence the no-rinse properties of it. But what you may not know is that even in a heavy dilution of 64:1, a rinseless wash can be a very effective drying aid for your paintwork. Products like P&S Absolute and Optimum No Rinse provide lubricating polymer technology to allow your towel to glide across the surface more effectively and safely than just water alone. The only downfall to this method is that there will be little to no protection left afterward. So every 3-6 months, be sure to give your vehicle another re-up of your sealant of choice.

Drying aids in a short summary

this was a lengthy read so heres the cliff notes of what was discussed in this article:

• drying aids help the water be removed from your paint work more efficiently

• drying aids help avoid water spotting

• they can be applied with water or by hand

• rinse less wash is a safe and cost effective drying aid

  products we reccomend

• Gyeon wetcoat (water application)

• Carpro Hydro2 lite (water application)

• Tech choice 582 (hand application)

• Gyeon Ceramic Detailer (hand application

• P&S Absolute Rinseless wash diluted 64:1 (hand application)

• Optimum No rinse Diluted 64:1 (hand application)