Dust

[2003 Ap1]

I am sure many of you are aware that directly after washing your car that dust just sems to be so attracted to the paint. Especially that green fine dust of powder that layers itself on their. Is there a way to prevent this besides washing? I was looking at chemical guys website at some of their "anti-static" sprays, would this help? Anyone have a product they use such as a DS after they finish washing their car that they use to prevent this? Thanks alot guys.


Tom

[SeaJay's]

I've never used any of the chemical guys anti-static sprays. But I have used the Finish Kare Anti Static spray detailer and it does make the dust collection better. But I think it's really impossible to keep your car dust free. Especially if it sits outside 24/7.

[loudog2]

That green dust is pollen. There is really nothing you can do about it right now. It will ease off soon.

[2003 Ap1]

I was afraid of that, so any anti static would be wasting my money and time?

[loudog2]

It will help a little, but it will still gather on your paint. Pollen can marr paint. Best thing is to leave it till the next wash, don't wipe it while it's on there.

[silverfox]

As long as there is any moisture in the air, any dust that settles will stick (and will eventually bond with the paint if not removed within a few hours requiring a wash.)

Let me tell you...I have an incredibly slick surface on my car (Opti Coat topped w/ Reload)...I mean its "sick slick"...and yet when I park the car for even 15 minutes, dust is already on the car, and if its a windy or breezy day...forget about it. I can try to "drive" the dust off....doesn't work...some comes off, but I wouldn't even think of running my hand over the paint after the car sits for even an hour.

There is one "gotcha" when you have a really nice paint finish on a dark colored car...you WILL SEE even the most smallest dust particles very clearly...as apposed to a car that is light colored or neglected and you don't see much of anything.

I park my car in a parking lot at work where it sticks out like a soar thumb...in a good way. People are always looking at it or asking me about it...but it shows dust and pollen so easily, its almost a curse at times.

There's lot to be said about light colored cars, especially silver and white...but then again, I had light colored cars in the past and none of them got the compliments my current car (with a darker color) gets.

Its a trade off...

[2003 Ap1]

I wouldnt dar touch my paint with any ds if it hasnt been washed. I have a silver car and when its washed it truly looks amazing. I did a paint correction on it a few weeks ago. My paint is really smooth, and I threw an Adams sealant and Adams americana on it. Dont get me wrong it looks great, but when the green pollen gets on it it really kills the shine.

I wash my car as often as I can, especially now that warmer weather is here. I would say that after only a day or two the pollen piles on. I guess its just something we live with. I just figured it wouldnt hurt to ask.

What is the purpose of "anti static" detail spray?

[dougaross]

As long as there is any moisture in the air, any dust that settles will stick (and will eventually bond with the paint if not removed within a few hours requiring a wash.)

Let me tell you...I have an incredibly slick surface on my car (Opti Coat topped w/ Reload)...I mean its "sick slick"...and yet when I park the car for even 15 minutes, dust is already on the car, and if its a windy or breezy day...forget about it. I can try to "drive" the dust off....doesn't work...some comes off, but I wouldn't even think of running my hand over the paint after the car sits for even an hour.

There is one "gotcha" when you have a really nice paint finish on a dark colored car...you WILL SEE even the most smallest dust particles very clearly...as apposed to a car that is light colored or neglected and you don't see much of anything.

I park my car in a parking lot at work where it sticks out like a soar thumb...in a good way. People are always looking at it or asking me about it...but it shows dust and pollen so easily, its almost a curse at times.

There's lot to be said about light colored cars, especially silver and white...but then again, I had light colored cars in the past and none of them got the compliments my current car (with a darker color) gets.

Its a trade off...

Sorry for a bit of a hijack

How soon after applying OC do you apply Reload? How often do you apply Reload after that?

[SeaJay's]

I wouldnt dar touch my paint with any ds if it hasnt been washed. I have a silver car and when its washed it truly looks amazing. I did a paint correction on it a few weeks ago. My paint is really smooth, and I threw an Adams sealant and Adams americana on it. Dont get me wrong it looks great, but when the green pollen gets on it it really kills the shine.

I wash my car as often as I can, especially now that warmer weather is here. I would say that after only a day or two the pollen piles on. I guess its just something we live with. I just figured it wouldnt hurt to ask.

What is the purpose of "anti static" detail spray?

I also have a silver car that has been properly treated and has a good coat of wax on it. I actually use a california duster this time of year to help keep the dust down. It works great if used properly (don't let the weight of the brush lay on the paint, just let the fibers do the work). I have not had a problem with marring or swirling at all. Even on my old black Avalanche it worked great.

The purpose of "anti-static" sprays, i think it's really made for those cars stored in garages. When you drive your car builds up static (as I'm sure you know). As soon as you pull into your garage that static will attract any dust that's there. The anti-static detail spray is suppose to keep it to a minimum (at least this is my understanding of it). But honestly it's not going to solve the problem 100%. There are several threads about grounding your car etc to prevent this. But it seems more like a pain in the butt than anything.

Once spring is over the pollen and dust will be much less. I'd suggest trying a California duster to help. Or pick up a sample of the Finish Kare detail spray and give it a try. Honestly I didn't notice any difference in the amount of dust or pollen that was attracted to my car. My car also sits outside 24/7.

[Mike Phillips]

Just to interject because I've had the question of dust and anti-static products come up a lot over the years on forums and so I checked with a chemist on the issue and the one thing he said was even you could turn the surface anti-static, the dust in the air has its own charge and you can't remove the charge from all the dust in the air.

I've also been told that clear coat finished in and of themselves have their own static charge or electrical charge of some sort to them and that's part of the problem. If I dug around enough I could find posts on this topic on MOL

Wiping a car down with water, or a spray detailer, (which has water in it), can help to reduce the electrical static charge on your car but at some point it will return to it's normal state and attract the electrically charged dust in the air.

No simple solutions.

Also, as John, aka silverfox pointed out, any moisture in the air or a bigger factor if you park your car outside, DEW that forms on your car will take the dust that landed on the car and turn it into a film that is no longer sitting or resting on the surface but will have then bonded to the paint.

The more days that go by with more dust and more dew and you have a pretty substantial dirt coating on your car.

I think I talk about that in this thread,

Tips & Techniques for using a Spray Detailer to Remove Light Dust, Fingerprints and Smudges (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/tricks-tips-techniques/23128-tips-techniques-using-spray-detailer-remove-light-dust-fingerprints-smudges.html)



The definition of light dust
Here's what light dust means... if you walk over to the hood of your car and you can see visible light dust, and with a strong breath blow over the hood and see the light dust move, this is light dust.

Light dust is just that, it's a light accumulation of airborne dust and contaminants that have landed primarily on horizontal surfaces and have not in any way bonded to the paint.

Once light dust bonds to the paint it is no longer light dust but is in fact a film of dust or a film of dirt.

For example, if you wash and dry your car on Monday morning and the car sits outside exposed to the elements all day, (dry weather, as in it's not raining or snowing), and by that Monday night you can see an accumulation of light dust on the surface, this is light dust.

Now if you leave your car parked outside overnight and dew forms on the exterior panels, the light dust will mix with the dew moisture and begins to form a film that will no longer simply blow off with air or dust-off using a tool like a California Duster. At least some portion of the previously un-bonded light dust has now become a bonded film.

If this pattern repeats for a few days, a week or a few weeks, that is each day dust settles on the car, the dust mixes with dew moisture over night, then the daytime dust will become a dirt film on the paint.




And here's one just for fun...

Static Electricity and Dust Attraction to your Car's Paint (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/29355-static-electricity-dust-attraction-your-car-s-paint.html)



:)

[SeaJay's]

As always great info Mike!

[2003 Ap1]

Thanks for all your inputs. Mike you have answered my question and then some. I appreciate the links and you vast knowledge. I think I will just keep to my wash and dry with detail spray for now.