California duster

Does.

Run. Like. Hell.

Here is my car before (prior owner used one all the time)

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And after I did the paint correction:

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Here, you might want to watch this:

It goes over 3 types of washes, from an automated wash, to being hand washed. The reason why the hand washing didn't do well, was because they used those squeegies to remove the excess water.

 

It all depends on how people use it. Using it properly is the key.

If you use it as a substitute to a car wash, rub it to the paint hard to remove dirt and grime then yes it will definitely scratch the paint.

I use mine daily just to lift off the dust that settled on the car and it doesn't scratch the print. Keeps my car clean longer. Then I have my car detailed inside and out twice a year. Keeps my car looking brand new all the time.

Dan


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Cal dusters (the original ones and not the knock offs) use a yarn that is impregnated with a special wax. This wax is what picks up the dust. But it does leave a residue behind, particularly when new.

 

Not really. You can't push dust on the paint as it will scratch it. Wet water wash is the only way. Ask Todd Cooperrider.

 

Lambs wool dusters spun in the air first to remove any accumulated dust, then stroked in your hand will set up a charge that will attract the dust with hardly touching the surface. I use them on the interior. This helps to not scratch gauge lenses, when they get dusty.

 

I use California Dusters to remove dust with no issues. Ditto with large ostrich-feather dusters. You use them LIGHTLY. You are just removing surface dust from a slippery finish that you keep detailed (I use Eagle 1).

 

California dusters CAN scratch the paint......they also CANNOT scratch paint. As a note, I own a chemical and lubricant manufacturing company. We sell into the paint and coatings market, and I had a conversation with an engineer from PPG a few years ago (I think he had an older Porsche). The short version of the conversation is that a well prepped paint surface has a lower coefficient of friction and allows the dust to be removed much easier. In other words, the same duster used on a clean and shiny car will not scratch the way it would on a dirtier car. So....it is as much about the paint as it is about the duster.

He did say that dragging the full weight of something like a California duster WILL scratch at least a little bit (even on a well prepped paint job). He said he barely allows anything to touch the paint as he dusts, and everything is fine.

As a side note, he also said to be careful about using microfiber or cotton towels. “Regular” microfiber towels (and household towels) use a very tough nylon thread to bind the edges. This nylon thread is not only hard, but the micro surface is distressed and “jagged”, and therefore NOT suitable for cleaning/drying your car’s paint. He said he used only specialty auto microfiber towels. In my experience, he seems to be correct.


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Running anything over dry paint is not good.

The best thing to do is wash the car or use a rinseless wash. If you can't do that, then use a plush microfiber towel along with a quality detail spray. Always use very light pressure.

 

Here is a case where even feathers pushing accumulated debris did create heavy scratches. As did the talons, foot pads, and belly, lol. It was detailed the night before a dust storm of high silica content. Bird had to abort the landing from getting no traction.
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I have an original and use it to remove dust before I detail. Just brush it over the surface very lightly, and it picks almost everything up (Assuming you keep a clean car to begin with).

Follow that with clay and detailer and you get a very clean surface to wax. Use good carnauba, followed with a detailer, and it looks like a mirror.

Oh, use very clean microfiber towels. I have a bucket with about twenty five of them, and I rotate them very often.

My washing machine is in the garage, so when I've used one, I take it directly to the washer.

Once I got the spiderwebs out of the paint with my 456M, they never came back with this method.