Can someone explain “wash induced marring”?

[glen e]

I've been using a hi GSM microfiber for rinseless washes for years, Using the Gary Dean method. I have no idea who founded it and really don't care. I find it takes about 6 to 7 500 GSM towels to do a good job. I've never scratched any car I've done it on. I've been doing it for about seven years or so.

[Setec Astronomy]

I've been using a hi GSM microfiber for rinseless washes for years, Using the Gary Dean method. I have no idea who founded it and really don't care.

From my perspective it's simply giving credit where credit is due--when Bill first said he was using multiple wash mitts we all thought he was crazy--this was at a time when it was not entirely common for people to even launder their wash media, or drying towels.

I`ve eliminated my buckets altogether as I use the foam gun and just reach for new,clean mitts during the wash session.

I rarely even use wash buckets. I just switch over to a new mitt entirely frequently. I have the mitts marked inside indicating which area of the car they are designated for. I just use one pail to carry the clean mitts to the car and another pail to hold the used mitts. After that they are washed and dried.

That last one was from Oct., 2005.

Bill was way ahead of his time and if you read his posts in the context of the threads, no one even comments or asks about it, because it was so "eccentric". So it was something that came up in passing and didn't catch on and then when Garry delivered it later (independently, I don't think he "copied" anything, he wasn't on the forums in 2005) with a lot of promotion, it caught on.

[Eldorado2k]

Props to Bill D.

[Bill D]

Gee..this is embarrassing. Thank you.

I just thought of washing with multiple mitts one day to satisfy my own eccentric self and when the topic of washing came up on the forums, decided to share what I do with others who I think can appreciate it. Apparently you guys really do. I found a technique that works for me and if you try it and it works for you too, that’s fantastic!

[PaulMys]

I'm a follower of this method as well, Bill.

Appreciate it!!

[Bill D]

I’m literally flush in the face lol ( just checked in the mirror). You are very welcome!

[SWETM]

Someone should write a word dictionary for detailing LOL.

For me it's a way to describe how you got or get a kind of scratches. Wash indused marring is for scratches happening when you wash a vehical. Swirls or scratches or marring is the same for me just different ways to describe a scratch pattern and or depth of of scratches.

Are we all so great to take care of our paints that we don't need to be doing a finishing polish at some point. Wash indused marring for me is a way to describe how you got fine shallow scratches during a long time and many washes. That dulls the finish on the paint over time and not just on one or a few washes. That last part is just scratching the paint with a bad technique and or bad products used and or dirty tools used. And I think that swirls comes from how light as in the sun and lamps shows the scratches on your paint as a swirl pattern. When it's mostly don't are round scratches that you see. Of course you could have those too if you use a circular wash technique or get them from polishing or in another way circular moving that scratches the paint. And it's hard to determind where you get your scratches from either way how they looks. The easiest is to try a different technique with something you think is the cause of them. And during time see if you get less of them that way. Not only washing or drying but claying and all other things that can install very fine scratches that you don't see after one time but builds up to be noticed over time. As in the clearcoat is not clear anymore.

And thanks Billy D for the introduction of multible wash mitts. Which is something I use now days. And I picked up this from Eldorado2K accually so a thanks to you too.

/ Tony

[Paul A.]

Paint marring = the result of friction passes.

When I first got my black car I studied and examined the source of wash marring. I found them to be from drying...90%. I altered my technique and have significantly reduced them.

In your (OP) second pic, you show clay marring. To me that's a different beast and is much more likely due to the more active and more aggressive friction actions.

[WristyManchego]

“Friction passes”

Boy how people love to coin nonsensical terms.

[TTQ B4U]

I heard someone mention this term, but they couldn’t seem to provide a definition to what it means... If it’s not swirls, then what exactly is wash induced marring? TIA.

LOL at all these silly terms. It's swirls/marring plain and simple. Doesn't matter their pattern or source, they are imperfections introduced that as a detailer we can correct by leveling out the finish.

I don't even use the word "remove" because that's really not what we do. We can't "remove" a scratch, we can only reduce it's appearance or eliminate it's visibility but through the process of leveling the surrounding material. I think that's important because people really don't understand the importance of caring for such thin layers of material that make up the finish of their car. Scratches can't be "removed" magically without leveling the area out.

That said, I find most all of the scratches I see careful people who wash by hand are introducing is through poor drying technique and poorly protected finishes which create more friction thus the two sort of go hand in hand. It's easy to spot if you own a pure black vehicle of which I've had many. Just monitor your techniques. With Rinseless washing I tend to go top to bottom and when I use any detail sprays or wipe downs during drying I go the opposite way. I found out early on and quickly that my swirls were horizontal thus not from washing.

I don't think much if any is from washing unless the person is using more than 1-2 passes with a sponge (LOL at those who are seen scrubbing) and / applying too much pressure. I'm always VERY light with my sponges and one only needs 1-2 passes to remove dirt. More than that and you're turning your sponge into an abrasiveness pad just grinding the dirt just wiped it across into the finish.

I also don't use grit guards. I think they are useless as the dirt and debris is never going to just settle in a bucket that your thrusting a sponge back into and swishing water around in. It's always suspended. You can literally see it. If there's grit that's heavy enough to drop and settle and not move, you've likely just ground that into your paint and probably should have removed it in a pre-wash cycle of some sort anyway. If I'm using a hose/bucket wash, I just hose off the sponge after before putting it back in the bucket to get more soap. I also use a different sponge all together for the lower rocker panels and of course wash top to bottom.

Just my two-cents