Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Drying Your Car

You might be washing your car the right way—but if you're drying it wrong, you're still damaging your paint. Most swirls, streaks, and spots happen during the drying process.

Here are the top 5 mistakes people make when drying their car—and how to fix them.

1. Using a Bath Towel or Old T-Shirt

This is the most common mistake. Regular towels and shirts feel soft, but their fibers are too rough for automotive paint. They grind in leftover dirt, cause micro-marring, and leave behind lint.

Do this instead: Use a dedicated, high-pile microfiber like the Massive Drying Towel. It absorbs more water with zero risk of scratching.

2. Letting the Sun Dry the Car

Letting water dry on its own in the sun causes hard water spots. These can etch into your clear coat and become nearly impossible to remove without polishing.

Fix it: Dry the car in the shade or work one panel at a time. Keep a drying towel or blower handy as you rinse.

3. Drying Without Rinsing Properly First

If you skip the rinse or don’t remove loose debris, you're dragging that grime across the paint as you dry. That’s a recipe for swirls.

Pro move: Foam and rinse thoroughly with The Super Soaper before touching anything. Then dry safely.

4. Using Just One Towel for the Whole Car

By the time you get to the bottom panels, your towel is saturated and full of dirt and minerals. Keep going and you’re just smearing it around.

Instead: Use two towels: one for upper panels and one for the lower half. Or pair a blower with your towel to minimize contact.

5. Not Using a Blower for Trim, Mirrors, and Emblems

Even after towel drying, water hides behind mirrors, trim, and emblems—then drips down your paint later and causes spots.

Fix it: Use a cordless blower like the Ryobi to blast out hidden water before it drips. It’s especially helpful on coated cars where water beads up and clings to tight areas.

Bonus Tip: Dry Coated Cars Faster with Air

If your car is ceramic coated or topped with a spray like Tough As Shell, blow drying becomes even easier. Water flies off the surface and you can dry touch-free in minutes.