It makes no sense at all and there's absolutely no consistency to it. I've followed all the 'rules' of car washing to avoid scratches and swirls - used a pressure washer, pre-wash detergent to loosen dirt, light scrub using 2 bucket method (and even 2 seperate microfiber cloths to avoid dirt buildup in them), then gently dried with a quality soft sponge by simply dabbing and picking up water instead of wiping to avoid risk of aggravating scratches.
Car is as clean as the day I got it but wtf - take it out in the sun and there are hideous, blatant scratches and swirls in isolated parts. Some are even clusters of very deep scratches. It's almost like the car was hosed down with nails and coins.
I tried to do it myself because I don't trust hand car wash places. Even though I've never had any big problems in the past with my old cars, just the thought of how they operate doesn't add up to me. They wash hundreds of cars a day, usually employ young foreign people who are most likely getting minimum wage, and I can't imagine they thoroughly wash their tools/cloths often enough to avoid dirt buildup. But they seem to always wahs my cars with minimal to no damage. I don't know how, but I guess I'm just not made to wash my own car.
Does anyone else have this problem or am I just cursed? What could possibly cause so much damage during washing despite taking all the necessary precautions and then some?
What about those DIY ones where you just use pressure washers/ foam etc?