[Antmit]

Hi. I got my M850i after upgrading from a 2008 635d and then a 2014 640i convertible, and never thought I'd love a car as much as this one! I'm in love, and eager to keep it looking as tip top as possible.

To that end, I've recently had a Ceramic Pro 2yr coating applied to it. For washing, I've got Meguiars Ultimate Wash and Wax, along with their wash mitt and drying towel. However, I still worry about swirl marks (it's a black car) and so I've bought a snow foam applicator for my jet washer, as well as some Auto Glym Polar Blast snowfoam.

I've always liked washing my cars but I don't always have time to do it nowadays, and I worry about too many contact washes inadvertently damaging my paintwork...or wearing the coating down prematurely. I've bought the Polar Blast in an attempt to avoid having to do contact washes as frequently, and also to reduce the time necessary to clean it. Will the PB be ok as a substitute for a contact wash, as I have read afterwards that it's meant by Autoglym to be a pre-wash only. If this is true, and people agree with that, then can someone recommend a snow foam that DOES meet my criteria, and doesn't damage the coating? I read that PB is ph-neutral, so that presumably means it is safe for the coating but thought I'd check.

Finally, does anybody use an air dryer to avoid having to manually dry and rub their paintwork as much? If so, can you recommend one that is sufficient to do the job but isn't overkill, as there are many different ones available? I don't want a petrol one as they are too loud and temperamental, so either mains powered or battery operated is preferable. My coating detailer suggested a plain leaf blower, but this feels a bit of a sledgehammer to crack a walnut since there won't be a hose system for honing in on certain areas.

Cheers