After you’ve washed your vehicle, the next step is, of course, to dry it.
With a traditional soap wash, once you’ve rinsed off the soap after washing there is no more lubrication left from the soap. Even though quality microfiber towels are safe for your vehicle’s paint, there is always a chance of lightly marring the paint especially with softer sensitive paintwork. This where a drying aid comes in to play; it adds lubrication between the paint and microfiber to prevent swirls or “love marks” while drying.
There are several options when choosing a drying aid. Many companies make specifically labeled drying aids but there also other products that can be equally substituted. For example, any spray wax or quick detailer can be used because they will have much more lubrication than water alone. These products will also help add a small layer protection back to the paint and help displace the water as you dry.
Another option is to use a rinseless wash product diluted to a quick detailer dilution. This can be a much more cost effective option because you’re buying a concentrate. Using a rinseless product will not add any protection however, only lubrication. This is fine if you are wanting to add your own preferred last step product.
Whichever decision you make, just add a couple sprays of your drying aid to a panel or your microfiber and dry as you normally would. You should notice a smoother feel while drying and even a glossier finish if your drying aid has added gloss and protection.
My preferred drying aid is P&S Beadmaker. It is super slick and has a very nice scent as well!