I just recently purchased a 2007 Civic EX Coupe in Nighthawk Black Pearl. One of my concerns was that the black would show every bit of dirt/dust/etc. A salesman recommended the "California Car Duster" to keep the car clean between washes. I wash my car every week or so in the spring/summer/fall and when the temperature/weather permits in the winter. I usually wax it at least once a month (although I'm looking into doing a sealant followed by a quality carnuba wax at some point in the near future) or every 2-3 washes.

Living around some farms and having no garage, my car collects a fine layer of pollen and dust daily. Does anyone have any thoughts on whether this product is worth the $16 at Wal-Mart to dust the car off in the evening?

 

yes it is good between washes. buy one with the wooden handle and not the plastic one. another option is the sonus dust wand. california is the original duster though. both excellent products

 

do not use this if you have anymore than a slight layer of dust.

 

agreed your still smearing what ever your dusting off all over the paint. pollen is a very bad idea to dust off. because it is an abrasive. but dust might be ok

 

i dont even use my cali duster on vehicles anymore, learned the hard way. use it around the house now

 

i use the cali duster and let the threads run across the paint with no pressure at all.
granted this is IF I have very thin dusting otherwise I would`nt bother using it at all

 

dont use it...sucks but thats how you gotta roll if you have a black car. IF you wanna use it...you should polish the paint, then seal it and do carnauba so you wont actually be scratching the clear.

 

yea i cali dust my itr like once a week, but then again mine CW! I will NEVER own a black car specifically for the reason of dust. No matter what you do, as soon as you wash a black car and drive it down the road it looks dirty. Whites and Silvers are the EASIEST colors to keep looking clean! They hide dust the best... back to your post,

I use the cali duster and really like it but if i were you id be cautious using it on a black car!

 

for a black car, finish kare products have anti static problems. of course they still attract dust, but i did notice a huge decrease in the amount of dust that is attracted to the car while at the drag strip and sitting in the garage.

 

Thanks for all the responses!
I ended up buying one and gave the car a couple washes and a two layers of wax before I used the duster. When I have some time and some borrowed garage space, I'm hoping to do the whole paint sealant/carnuba wax job.

My thoughts so far on the duster...it gets most of the dust off ( and seems to sweep the rest around) and helps keep it looking clean a little longer, but as soon as it rains, its back to the car wash. Im learning that the water spots look worse than the dust collection.

Will I buy a black car again...probably not...at least until I have a garage with room to wash it often and keep it out of the elements a little more.

 

dont use it. my friend got his car detailed (black GS300) and wanted to show it off to me but had a little dust, so he got his duster and without any pressure just gently glided it across his hood..and whaddyaknow a bunch of fine tiny streak scratch things

 

It talks about the streak/scratches in the booklet that came with the duster. Apparently the fibers of the duster contain a wax that can cause what look like scratches. The first time I used it, I noticed some of these but they disappeared the next time I rinsed the car off and used an absorber to dry it.

It didn't appear to actually scratch anything, the car still beads nicely when wet so I'd assume it is not doing too much damage to the wax. As long as it isn't damaging the paint and only leaving these fine streak marks from time to time, I'm not too concerned. Heck, this car has a ton of tiny stone chip marks on the front end from all the highway driving the previous owner (and I) do. This car is still in excellent shape, but the paint isn't in pristine condition.

 

I used to use one but then stopped when a local detailing guru told me about the scratches it can leave behind. I do use the smaller dash duster for my interior, though.

 

I have been using it for years, doesn't leave any scratches. car is black....only use it on light dust though.

 

i got myself one, it works amazing. esp right before a date. ; )

 

ive been using mine for about 4 yrs. and its awesome...

 

I have used the same one for at least the last 15 years and I have nothing but good things to say about it. The more it is used, the better it will work. I have 3 black vehicles and I use it on each one. Anytime you clean a vehicle, you will be putting fine scratches in it. The duster works great when followed up with detail spray and a micro fiber towel. Wax at least every other month to help protect from the fine scratches. It works great to keep a daily driver clean, however if I had a black show car with an expensive paint job, I would not use the duster and only wash with water. The metallic pearl paints seem to help conceal fine scratches better than straight black finishes.

 

im surprised no one mentioned to the new guy buying the duster. wrap the duster in newspapers for 2 days or so, so the oil in the fibers can be absorbed out..

 

PatrickGSR94: The dash duster is great. Although, with the really big dash, I'm tempted to use the car duster on the dash as well, get the job done in 1/4 the time!

DFW, DrCivicx, & burke420: After a few weeks of use, I totally agree with all of you.

1Jackleg: Thanks for sharing your experience. I would be less inclined to use this on a fancy paint job or a show car as I am on my daily driver that already has more than its fair share of stone chips and other paint issues. I wax about once every month or two regardless of the duster and as you say, that should protect against most of the scratches.

E-Money: I'm not normally one to read the instructions, but for this one I did... I let the duster sit on newspaper for over 48 hours...maybe that's why I'm liking it so far. The more I use it, the less it leaves the wax marks (aka-"scratches") on the car.

My overall rating: Great for a daily driver, gets better the more its used, and only for light dust between car washes with a regular 1-2 month wax job.

 

I have been using my Cali Duster for a few years. Works great!