California Duster

[CHILI]

Has anybody ever washed one? The "strings" on mine are pretty dirty, but I'm not sure if they have some sort of oils or something that helps pick up the dirt. Anybody ever try it? Did it work the same afterwords?

[dd74]

Do you mean a feather duster? Hmmm...I would think drying it after you wash it would be the big challenge. I don't know. It might get "clumpy" and scratch your finish.

Why not buy a new one? Are they expensive?

Great car, btw, Chili. Love the mountain shot in the TRE run thread.

[poorsha]

Seems to me that my father used a similar brush cleaner years ago when we lived in England (1967).
He never cleaned it and would tell me it acttually worked better the dirtier it got. Something to do with the oil that was applied to the brush.
I believe the brush was called Annette (sp?).
He used it every day to wipe down his Wolseley which was cleaner than our home....honestly.

[ted]

Chile,
Your car detailing talents just dropped from the lofty perfect 10 score.

The California duster is treated with paraffin wax.
Although I've owned and used them in the past the concept escapes me now? I've got a nicely detailed car with a fine layer of dust on it. Now take this dirty mop of a duster and run it over your paint and it will lift the dust right off? Come on that duster after a couple months looks worse than the fine layer of dust on the car. I've never touched my car with anything more disgusting than a 6 month old California duster.

I had a black 33 Ford that I would have detailed; a high speed foam pad would take all the swirls out. One pass with a California duster would leave micro scratches everywhere it touched.
But it would get most the dust off. I stopped using the dusters years ago.

[cegerer]

They don't recommend washing them. "The dirtier it gets, the better it works" according to the label. Never bothered to think that one thru, but I'm not an anal concours kind of guy either. Does what I need it to: quickly remove dust and get on road! -- Curt

[84porsche]

I use the "California duster" but I am careful to see what it picks up and where I leave it so I don't end up scratching the paint with something still attached to it. But all in all, the California duster is about $10 and it is worth it to buy a new one if it is bad because the damage to your Porsche can be alot more than $10.

[CHILI]

Thanks guys. I don't have the label any longer so I didn't know about their claim.

Mike,
You are a man of exquisit taste. 33 Ford, the A/X car, the Turbo look, and that bug. Man, that bug! I know it's cheesy to use the duster, but with a fair amount of wax on the car, it's easiest and doesn't scratch. I too shake it out after almost every stroke.