Used Bilt Hamber QD on my M340i today for the first time today after your recommendation Jon. It’s absolutely awesome, and will be a mainstay of my washing process. Absolutely love this stuff!
I really love it as well. I use at 1:9 with DI water mainly and its just perfect for tidying up the panel without introducing too much material that needs excessive buffing. Which really is what a QD should do. And the charged polymer to reduce scratching as well. its just a great product and so much value. I love it as well.
Big fan of drying aids, replaces wash and wax, as you add protection... Honestly, demon shine, in its bulk Carplan hi rinse offering, is so useful and cheap as a drying aid, leaves a great shine and no streak.
I've come to the conclusion Bilt Amber products are all excellent. Must have to order it online because I've never seen the products in the shops I go too. Most of the stuff ive bought since getting into car cleaning has been Meguires and Autoglym.👍🏼🇬🇧. Great channel by the way. You are officially the scientist of car detailing.
Ive come to this conclusion as well. There a few niggles I have with a couple of the products. But its just such a good range of products and where possible its all "concentrates" thats rare.
Good advice Jon & great for speeding up the drying/topping process. I quite like a few products for this method depending on what I'm wanting. For a boost in protection I typically use either neat QD or some BSD diluted 1:2. If I just want a pure drying aid with no protection boost I use ONR at QD dilution which adds slickness & helps stop water spotting.
Bought the towel (orange) which you recommended, misted car with qd, you not gonna believe how easy was removing water ( no streaks no hustling around) , ask my Miss to come check :) it’s totally worth money , thanks for recommendation.
One more for BSD diluted with Megs Last Touch. Been using it for years. Specially good during winter to add extra protection. I've been playing with DDsi as well during the summer months and it works great to.
Ok ... I stopped using fairy liquid & a sponge.. Now have Autoglym Polar trio. AG wheel cleaner(didnt know you can clean wheels) AG detail spray. & Bilt Hamber HD. Shiny car.... Until I drive anywhere. Do you power wash the mud off after a rainy day out. Or just wait untill wash day? Asking for a friend.... This channel is a great resource... Thanks very much
I wonder if those qd that are slick and we apply over a very hydrofobic sealant we already have, when the slickness goes, the hydrofobicity comes back?
Problem with using drying aids is ‘layering’. You’ve now coated whatever protection you originally laid down with whatever wax, sealant, or SiO2 is in the drying aid. If you’re not bothered then it’s fine, but if you’ve now coated the original layer you laid down (which you used for a reason) then you may not be getting any benefits of the original layer! If it’s like for like I.e. wax on wax, SiO2 on SiO2 then I’m sure it’s not too bad! There’s a really good new channel popped up called ‘V-Project UK’ who talks about this on their ‘should you use a drying aid?’ Video! Makes sense to me!
use BH at 1:10 as a drying aid and your life will be fine :) sure there is such thing as overdoing it with LSP products though and also just like using products that dont play well togther your right. Some of these drying aids are mega concentrated, like turtle wax rinse wax and like you need to be carefull with them. Or yes say you have a really good ceramic coating, this coating tells you so much in its product claims how amazing it is, and how superior it is and how it will keep the car cleaner. And then you go and cover it a spray wax because you feel you need to etc.. there is an obsession with layering and over using product is more likely to just make a mess.. BH at 1:10 as a drying aid though I would use on anything. If you use it at 1:3 as a drying aid you will make a mess.
Forensic Detailing Channel - Yes totally agree! Too much LSP is just waste of time and money! I’m still going to play devils advocate though (healthy positive debate) that applying a drying aid at any dilution will still layer just at a lower dilution. I think the main thing though is just to make sure that if you do opt to use a drying aid that you stick to like for like, e.g. wax on wax, sealant on sealant, etc otherwise the original layer is also pointless and a waste of time and money! I find the CarPro DHydrate towel is so good at drying it negates the need for the extra cost of a drying aid! That’s just my experience though. Great channel. Thanks for your hard work.
Hi Jon@@ForensicDetailing I have been watching a lot of detailing video's and have ordered mostly BH products as well as FSE, TAC Shinee Wax and Carpro Perl. Not quite ready to do a full clay and polish (maybe come spring) so for now looking to do a good wash, chemical decon and some LSP (it's a 1 year old Honda CR-V and seems to have some protection based on water beading). Is safe to use BH QD 1:10 as a drying aid and then Shinee as a LSP and glossy finish? And if so should Shinee be used neat or watered down?
I dont think you will see much difference. You can ditch the drying aid if you want.. but it might help just reduce marring and also make it a bit more slippy.
I’ve had the impression you’re not supposed to use a drying aid on a twisted loop towel as they can clog the fibres. Also, not washing the towel till it’s actually dirty.
@@ForensicDetailingPerso i am using Turtlewax Ceramic wet wax and I do believe that due to hydrophobic specificity even washing do not restore the clogged drying towel…Am I wrong?
Does using a diluted QD with a drying towel not affect the future use of the towel? Surely with a QD acting as a water repellent it must affect the absorbency of the towel unless you wash it after every use?
OH MY GOODNESS! That’s the best thing ever. I HATE drying my car SO much. I’m usually quite lazy and will use something like Polar seal during my once a month wash. I assume I can’t mix the HD with that .
Love BH stuff... interested in the slickness. I used to used BH DSW as a paste was then Sonax BSD as a topper/drying aid (especially in winter( but the grabbiness of the BSD made me look elsewhere, like the Turtle Wax Hydrophobic Sealant.. but the beading on that is crap, so I've gone back to BH DSW for the time being, and will top it up with BSD eventually. I wonder if this would be the 'cure' to the BSD grabbiness, as BSD doesn't need applying after every single wash like I was doing....!
I've only just found your channel. So many great videos and honest, cheerful and in-depth reviews. The only problem is the amount I'm now spending on detailing products! I can sing a rainbow??
I find that Gtechniq QD is my fave. I've literally tried everything else, and for me, it's perfect! Saying that, Infinity Wax Synology QD offers INSANE water beading. We've had pretty bad rain the last month around here, and it's still one of the most pert beads, I've ever seen from a QD.
Beadmaker adds gloss and is slick, but has no durability, chemical resistance or good hydrofobics and is not easy to use. There are better products that also add protection.
BM is great for drying. If you use it lightly you get gloss without changing the water behaviour underneath. Only lasts a week or two at best this way but the glow is great. Definitely one of the most pleasurable detailing products.
Excellent vid John as always! Would BH QD be ok to apply on top of ceramic coated paintwork? I'm planning on getting BH Auto Foam and Shampoo once my existing AG Polar Blast Foam and TW Sealant Wax spray have finished. I've only ever used the TW as a drying aid and then use a KKD Silverback drying towel.
should drying towels only be used on a "clean surface"? my car is currently very contaminated cause i dont feel good contact washing my car , afraid of making swirls , i normally make a routine wash with a gyeon foam and iron remover
you can dry a car that have contaminated paint sure. you will scratch the paint up when you clay it off so dont worry to much.. just avoid buffing the cr@p out of the paint when you dry it. Im not using a sealant, towel is fine buffing over the QD.
Forensic Detailing Channel do you not find the use of a drying aid reduces the absorbency of the drying towel very quickly? One of the reasons I stopped doing it as I couldn’t wash the towel after every time I dried the car
hey james Ive done a video on how to wash and dry microfiber these towels you cant tumble them.. so just 30 deg wash no much detergent.. good rinse and spin and air dry and they last a long long time.
@@ForensicDetailing Ok, i thought you wanted to keep the main channel for longer, more polished videos and the second channel with quick takes without any editing and such.
John after using QD as a drying aid at 1:10, do you then go back over the dry panels at 1:10 for the glossy effect as a quick detailer spray? Or does this product provide the glossy effect when used in the drying aid stage? Sorry if this sounds like a silly question, never used QD before but it’s got my attention with its practicality, and keen to learn more from the detail God. Thanks John. Keep up the good work!
I've never understood a drying aid...please explain the difference between using a drying aid and not, as when I dry my car ..i don't use a drying aid and it's fine.please explain the benefits of using it Jon
its to help when cars sometimes dont have protection the water sticks to the panel... but products like BH QD contain charge polymers to reduce marring and lubricate the surface like a waterless wash... and also the material can form a film which you buff out at the end to a gloss.
@diydetailofficial thanks! Should i wash (i dont have washing machine, so i usually soak in soap & vinegar) my twisted loop drying towel straight away after i dry my car that has been spray with drying aid (ceramic spray) ? Or i can use it multiple times? (I usually wash my car 1-2 times a week)
I generally wont use a ready mixed QD as a drying aid really when I have one I can mix 1:10 just pure econmics drive that. unless Im using something like Wet coat or Rinse Wax.
Hey Jon, just wanna ask something.. I had may car coated, and whatever maintenance product the installers recommend seems to be too pricey. I mean, I can afford it, but I'm also interested in cheaper alternatives. So we have a local brand where I'm from known for their budget products, and I bought a product labeled "Ceramic Spray Wax". It's marketed as a maintenance product for ceramic coatings, and is "infused with pure 9H silica". I asked an agent for the directions on how to use this, and they suggest it to be used after every wash, and to avoid exposing to water before the 24-hour cure time. My question is, is this something I can use as a drying aid? One, to not have to dry and apply this separately, and two, to conserve water with just a single drying stage.
I always wanted to apply a drying aid but these to question is important to know before i do Will it change the water behavior on lsp ? And will it affect the look off my wax ?
I just use it at 10:1 so I can use it as a QD as well at this ratio without having to mix more up in another bottle.. Ive not tried it at 1:20 as a drying aid. I may well do though.
Forensic Detailing Channel. Thanks, makes sense. I use at 1:20 and that works well here in the heat of Cyprus, even delaying washing until early evening here, at this time of year you have to be quick! Then top with QD at around 1:4. Used like this 5 litres will last a long time and is great value.
Great video, I was using BH Auto QD 1 to 1 and following another video you did recently showing water behaviour of BH double speed wax, you suggested ratio of 10 to 1, so did that and works great, car looks glossy, slick to the touch and neighbous have asked what I used. One thing though with the double speed wax, I like it on the panels and initial loading of the applicator pad is fine (I dampened it first) but find after having to reload my applicator with more wax it starts to leave crusty bits on the panel and looks strange, no other wax I use does this, any ideas?
thats build up of wax on the applicator and its drying out. I would just have a couple of applicators. Double speed is not the niceest wax to work with, but its solid performance once its on and buffed.
Hi mate all the way from Australia, just wanted to say, I love all your vids. They are helping me a lot also im starting off my new detailing business. Just wanted to know does the drying aid wreck your drying towels? And how do you keep them in tip top condition?
thanks for kind words buddy. So some of the materials in drying aids can get absorbed into the towels and are not easier washed out. Like siloxanes and waxes and stuff. drying towels do loose their absorbency over time from absorbing excess detergent or other chems.. but this is just normal they also get wear and tear... if you wash your towel wrong or its loaded with excess material it can reduce performance.. like I say though not a massive issue really. you will know when a drying towel is dying. One tip just wash it in warm water once every 6 months and a shot of vinegar no detegerent.
@@ForensicDetailing cheers mate thanks for your reply, they are so many chems out there im going crazy trying to figure out which one is the best for me. I do love the old school waxes but I'm really digging the new stuff. It's never ending lol.
yes although it does not sort of thin the water down like a QD. a QD typically has a small amount of a water miscible solvent and you see the water sort of fall off the panel as it hits it. that can be usefull. ONR wont do that.
How come you don't blow the majority of the water off with the leaf blower first and then pick up the rest with your drying towel and QD? That's how I do it so I'm just curious.
the blowers tend to atomise the water and you end up chasing your tail, its a lot slower. With a towel I can remove 99% of the standing water on the panels in say 30 seconds.
@@ForensicDetailing I see. In the summer I rarely need to hand wash my car, therefore I just rinse off with a pressure washer and blow it dry. I've got the big Milwaukee blower which gets rid of 95% of the water in 2 minutes. I don't really want to use a towel unless the car has been hand washed, which is the reason I went that route.
@@ForensicDetailing seems like i have been making a major armature mistake! I thought i made it to the big leagues because I was snow foaming and using high end LSP’s, but making an armature mistake like this is probably the culprit of the swirl marks i have been seeing turn up.
Great product, a bottle goes a long way. I dilute mine with water from the tumble dryer. I've never found BSD to be grabby but I always knock mine back 50% and spray onto a wet panel and then dry.
BSD is nice and cheap but I'm now moving to Turtle wax seal n shine, because it's not grabby and had the same hydrofobicity, chemical resistance and so ons like BSD.
I rarely use a towel to dry my cars. I use the blowy end of my wet/dry vacuum, which also has the benefit of removing water from the small nooks and crannies. Do you see any benefit to using Bilt Hamber QD in conjunction with my blower?
Which is better, the Purestar Duplex or the Liquid Elements Silverback? I have and Silverback and it’s great as I don’t drag across paintwork, just pat it, but feels like it takes ages compared to this lol
Purestar Duplex towels are a game changer, I can wholeheartedly confirm that using them is every bit as easy as it looks in the video, with or without a drying aid.. They are AMAZING!
Was thinking about using Bead Maker as a drying aid since I still have some and don’t use it that often. Might try it diluted as well. Does anyone have got some experience with it?
I use Beadmaker as a drying aid with The Rag Company pluffel towel and it works beautifully, i don't dilute it i use it straight and put a few shot into the towel each panel .
You’re asking an incredibly broad question. Are you using a wax, sealant or ceramic coating? You want a qd like TW wax and dry for $4.50 or a qd infused with Sio2? you swim in a pool of gold coins every morning like Scrooge McDuck? maybe look at Polish Angel. The honest answer is you need to look around b/c there is a ton of products out there in the US market. There’s no silver bullet and this is a scene where you’ll have to experiment.
Its not designed to be a concetrate. So Im not sure if you can water it down. Im sure you could but you wont get the beading boost you get from using it as inteneded.
@@ForensicDetailing I’m considering it but very unsure does it take much longer to dry the car with I was considering getting the dewalt as I have the polisher and some other stuff so would already have the batteries and charger
you can stay away from the glass. Also BH knocked right down is not too bad but yer this does happen your right. the old ghosty streaks when you use the wipers.
sure. But I am like one of these guys that says if you use a ceramic coating, from a company like Gtech. Maybe maintain it with their products is best. You dont have to but at least you know your using sort of products which will play with the coating weell.
@@ForensicDetailing Cheers John many thanks. Keep up the vids. So glad I subscribed at the beginning of lock down. Informative, funny, easy to understand, no jargon and your independent. Great work! 👍🏽
@@ForensicDetailing What about meguiars hybrid ceramic or ceramic quick detailer ,I also have meguiars ultimate detailer, just wondered if I could use what I already have 👍
@@p8rdm you can use them this way but an SI02 spray again it might be a bit expensive to blast all over the car prior to drying. Only way is to try. I just used a SI02 this week as a drying aid and it was lovely. Really a QD "should" be able to be used as a drying out... but its sometimes a case of sux it and see.
What's the best way to wash your drying towels and microfibre cloths? Is it by hand, in machine, tumble dry, do you have to use a detergent etc? Watched a few videos about washing drying towels and microfibre cloths separately and using special microfibre soap but seems a big hassle if your not a professional detailer.
