I still have and use The Absorber on my wife's car.
They still work great. Pretty sure mine are from around 2005 too.
I've got some from back then somewhen, but I did just buy another for the Golf. I keep them vehicle specific just in case I'm not paying attention one day.
Not all swirls come from drying and so on, though. People don't know how to wash a car. Even doing a good job doesn't take five buckets and three hours. Soak it, rinse it, soak it again with soapy water, and then just let the weight of a microfiber rag handle the scrubbing, front to back (not swirling around). Only the weight of the rag, and keep a soap film on there. If it's still dirty after that, use the weight of your hand.
A second bucket is there to wash out that rag, but don't do that... They come in packs of twelve to twenty four or so. Use a new rag each time and then just wash the things later.
Between the soap film and the lack of pressure, the soap is free to do what it's been doing for humans for over two thousand years, now: It picks up the contaminants and keeps them off the surface.
Drying is to be done incredibly carefully and sparingly. Let the Absorber absorb, or whatever you use. Anything used to dry a car can be used in the same manner, it just won't work as well as an Absorber.
There you are. Regular washing with no swirl marks, and generally no scratches at all. You're not brushing your teeth. Those are rocks; or may as well be. You're cleaning off a surface made of wax-covered paint.
Let the soap do the job; and get good soap. I generally use at
least Mother's Gold Class. Don't be afraid to use a lot. It's there not only to break the stuff down but pick it up away from the surface.
