Water spotting is the bain of my auto detailing process. This happens when you use hard water to wash the car and let it dry on the surface. This can be avoided by using filtered water to rinse or properly drying the car. The filtered water approach seems to be the most effective but it is also the most expensive. I’m currently looking for some cheaper alternatives before biting the bullet so I need to find a good way to dry the car. This is typically done by either using a towel or somehow blowing the water off. I personally hate to towel dry cars. To me, it’s tedious and somewhat counterproductive as there is an increased chance of introducing scratches. So, I’m realistically left will blowing the water off of the car. In the past, I would use a leaf blower that I have for the house but it’s too weak and it ends up taking too long to dry an entire car. I thought about buying a more powerful leaf blower but what I really wanted was something dedicated and this led me to research for specific car blow dryers. I felt that these were a better option because the appeal is that they blow warm filtered air. There are a lot of different options and most of them are pretty expensive unless you buy the smaller underpowered units. After going down the rabbit hole, I discovered that there is such a thing as pet dryers used by pet groomers. These are essentially the same thing as a car dryer as they too blow warm filtered air. Most pet dryers will come with some drawbacks if you’re using them for auto detailing but for the price, I was willing to give it a shot.
The unit that I decided to buy is one made by Homend. I chose this one because it is one of the few that offers dual motors which in theory, should offer more blowing power. I personally always use both motors to get the best performance so all the examples that you see in the video above will be with both motors on. This unit is advertised as having 4.2 horsepower with both motors on and it comes with a hose, 3 hose nozzles, two additional filters, and a manual.
I’ve been using this dryer for the past few weeks and I have to say, it does such a good job. It completely changes the game and makes me regret all the time that I spent towel drying. I personally feel that the process goes by much quicker and I’m doing a much more thorough job than I ever did with a towel.
The great thing about using a blower is that you can control the air and point it where you want. You can use it to clear big panels like the hood, roof, and doors and it will be extremely effective at that. A towel can do this too but where the blower really shines is the nook and cranny. With a blower, you can direct the air in between the various gaps of the body panels, the window trims, grills, and everywhere else. This is just something that I could not do with a towel. My Supra has so many places that water can hide that no matter how well I towel dry, it always seemed like more water would periodically drip out from behind the panels. The air, on the other hand, is able to reach all the way back and push everything through. Remember, this unit also blows warm air. This means it is also actively drying the car as it’s blowing the water away. So if there is any straggling water that’s stuck somewhere, it’ll just be dried by the warmth. You don’t have to just focus on blowing it away.
Earlier I mentioned that there were a few drawbacks that come with a pet dryer for auto detailing. The list is small and there are workarounds but these are things to consider. First, most pet dryers are going to come with a shorter hose. This unit comes with a hose that rests at about 3 feet and expands to about 7 feet when in use. I personally found that this was usable on my various cars but if you plan to use the dryer on a taller SUV or truck, then this may be a problem. You’ll have to find a stand to lift the dryer up or just hold it in hand. Second, pet dryers typically have shorter outlet cables. Mine has a 5 1/2 foot cable and this meant that I had to use an extension cord if I was going to get around the entire car. These next two things are particular annoyances of this Homend dryer. First, it has the outlet cable pointing in the same direction as the hose. In use, this is just an annoyance as you’ll have to work around the two cables. Second, the Homend comes with rubber feet. This may work for a pet groomer, but when drying a car, you’re going to have to carry this thing around a few times especially considering the hose length. However, this is an easy fix. The rubber feet can be easily swapped for some caster wheels. Since I already had a dolly around, I decided to just throw it on that and call it a day.
Overall, I would have to say that this is a good investment. If you’re thinking about giving a car dryer a try, I can definitely give a recommendation. If you pick up an adequate unit like the one shown here, you’ll be able to dry a car like never before if you're used to using a towel.
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Homend Pet Dryer: https://amzn.to/32tTyt7
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All the Auto Detailing Equipment I Use: https://www.amazon.com/ideas/amzn1.account.AF43XRPGVOUH2E5CJXQY4FIOGVAQ/3AI3XVAQEMORX?type=explore&ref=idea_cp_vl_ov_d
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