Autoglym Hi-Tech Flexi Water Blade – Product Review
March 19, 2022
Keeping your classic clean and dry is not only imperative to its longevity (not to mention your capacity to enjoy it) but it can also be a very therapeutic experience. Without getting too philosophical cleaning and tidying is a Zen exercise. Well, we think so anyway. Some people despise having to wash their cars and bikes and will be more than happy to nip down to the local car wash to pay someone else to do it. But for those of us who embrace it and see it as part and parcel of this wonderfully diverse hobby then you’ll appreciate that drying is just as much a part of the process as actually cleaning the thing and a water blade is a great option.
And that’s where the Autoglym Hi-Tech Flexi Water Blade comes in. It’s a bit of a mouthful, granted (disclaimer: do not attempt to put it in your mouth), but it’s a nifty bit of kit that will dramatically decrease the time you spend drying your pride and joy after its latest bathing session. There are obviously other methods one can employ when trying to remove water – and therefore prevent those nasty spots – from a vehicle’s paintwork but we’ve been using Autoglym’s blade for a while now and we really like it. One of the big hitters in the detailing industry Autoglym know a thing or two when it comes to washing and drying cars so let’s take a look at their drying blade and see how it performs.
Get your own Autoglym Hi-Tech Flexi Water Blade here.
The Product
We like Autoglym here at Car & Classic. We like their products. My dad always used them when I was growing up and so I naturally followed suit as soon as I was old enough to have things that needed cleaning. Having been around since the mid ’60s they have a wealth of knowledge and experience to bring to the table. Their Hi-Tech Flexi Water Blade essentially works the same way as a window cleaner’s squeegee. It’s made of soft, flexible silicone to allow it to work effectively around the contours of a vehicle’s bodywork without causing any damage while also being rigid enough to not feel flimsy, enabling it to efficiently and quickly wick the water away.
The Test
Having recently driven over 400 miles in some rather inclement weather the test subject – our Volvo 940 turbo estate – was primed for a good clean and so we set about the task, utilising the Autoglym Water Blade to dry it off after a thorough wash. With plenty of other things to be getting on with we wanted to get the car dried as quickly as possible to avoid those horrible water spots that ruin many a cleaning session when the water is left to sit on the bodywork and evaporate naturally.
The Result
Using the Autoglym Hi-Tech Flexi Water Blade is an oddly satisfying experience. It wicks the water away incredibly quickly in one smooth motion, leaving the panel in question completely free from moisture and the entire car was mostly dry in a matter of minutes. The blade works best on larger, flatter areas of bodywork and glass (perfect for our big boxy Volvo then) and so an additional cloth or towel is ideally required to mop up smaller areas and harder to reach nooks and crannies afterwards but for the bulk of the drying it’s an easy, efficient way to immediately expel water from your vehicle. Unlike a towel it obviously doesn’t require any regular ringing out and has far less potential to collect any detritus, further speeding up the drying process.
The Verdict – 4 out of 5
At the time of writing the Autoglym Hi-Tech Flexi Water Blade can be picked up for fifteen quid, which is a bargain. Easier than towel drying and much longer lasting we think it’s a great bit of kit. These blade type dryers do tend to get some bad press but that’s only because people don’t know how to use them correctly. The vehicle in question must be completely clean and free from any dirt for the blade to work at its best, but then that’s the case for any drying method you choose to employ. As long as you do a proper job cleaning in the first place you’ll have no issues with scratching your paintwork. A bit of care and attention is all that’s required, which should be a given when washing your classic anyway. We’ve given it four out of five due to the nature of the thing not being able to reach into every space but we think it’s an incredibly useful addition to anyone’s cleaning arsenal and it consistently leaves a perfectly dry, streak-free finish.
