Any Tips to Properly Dry Off your Tesla MS? (No More Tears)

[Duffer]

Ok, I will admit this is a first world problem.

How can you avoid the "tears" that run down the doors from the side mirrors? I have been very careful to dry the trim and following the last wash I even used a blower to blast the residual water from the door trim before I began drying the car. Everything looked great. However, in the morning I came out to the dried streak down both of the front doors.

What tips/techniques do you have to avoid the streak?

BTW, the leaf blower works great on the lower grill as well as the taillights.

 

[timvracer]

I just use the leaf blower, and the microfiber cloths... never had any post-dryal drip. I also open and close the doors a few times (as I am cleaning the inside of the car and the rocker/sills), this action tends to cause any leftover drips to drip so I can wipe em up.

Also I will fold the mirrors in/out to wipe all the surfaces.

Of course, I do all of this with Ozzy rockin' in the background... No More Tears!

 

[Mobius484]

I dry all exterior surfaces with a microfiber. Then open the hood, all the doors. And the trunk in succession and dry all wet surfaces, then hit the door handles and the rear tail light enclosures seem to drip a bit so I hit a few times.... seems to do the trick got it down to a pretty quick job...

 

[.jg.]

Whilst the car is still wet, I spray it all over with Gyeon Q2M Wet Coat, rinse it off and then go for a drive. I also wipe inside the doors, the rear hatch, etc.

 

[Duffer]

Thanks everyone for your assistance. I've been using/doing variations of the listed methods except for the Gyeon Wet Coat.

@timvracer I actually didn't think of Ozzy's song until after I wrote the title.
I have added a picture to illustrate the problem.

ETA: Sorry for the glare. Most of it is from my legs to the left of the picture.

 

[PhilDavid]

Ok, I will admit this is a first world problem.

How can you avoid the "tears" that run down the doors from the side mirrors? I have been very careful to dry the trim and following the last wash I even used a blower to blast the residual water from the door trim before I began drying the car. Everything looked great. However, in the morning I came out to the dried streak down both of the front doors.

What tips/techniques do you have to avoid the streak?

BTW, the leaf blower works great on the lower grill as well as the taillights.

If possible, you should install a filter so that it filters out hard sediments and minerals from the water used to wash the car. This is oftentimes what creates visible streaks and water spots.

 

[bakerboy]

After I wash my MS, I will dry the entire exterior with a chamois then go for a small drive (about 2-3 blocks) on a road that has a max speed of 35 MPH so i can get up to max speed, when I return I then dry the exterior again and also open and close the doors, trunk and frunk.

 

[Duffer]

If possible, you should install a filter so that it filters out hard sediments and minerals from the water used to wash the car. This is oftentimes what creates visible streaks and water spots.

Thanks for reminding me about the filter. I neglected to pick one up when I purchased my car washing supplies (foam cannon, bucket screens, etc).

 

[Darmie]

I take the sprayer off the hose and let the water free flow over the car. it actually removes most water. Then with some spray and shine go over the car and done.

 

[timvracer]

Wow... I had not heard about adding the water filter. I just bought the filter below along with a hose bib splitter, 4' patch hose, and spare cartridges... I will be all set when this package arrives. Can't wait!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JZIDI2K/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I did some research, and this seems to be the BEST value. The cheaper "spotless" model with one cartridge appears to have a very short life, and the "purpose built" models were very pricey. Great reviews on this baby!

 

[jrad6515]

Wow... I had not heard about adding the water filter. I just bought the filter below along with a hose bib splitter, 4' patch hose, and spare cartridges... I will be all set when this package arrives. Can't wait!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JZIDI2K/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I did some research, and this seems to be the BEST value. The cheaper "spotless" model with one cartridge appears to have a very short life, and the "purpose built" models were very pricey. Great reviews on this baby!

Looks like a good solution if you have have an RO system or soft tap water. Unfortunately my tap water is moderately hard (tds = 200) so I was forced to go with the CR Spotless DI-120 which does an awesome job - albeit for an extra $175. It is so nice to be able to just rinse, walk away, and return later to a spotless car!