I've had mine for 10 years and used it religiously. If the car is clean and well rinsed after washing there is no grit to drag...never had that problem or any other scratches. You just have to grip it firmly. As stated earlier it gets about 60-80% of the car dry, depending on the panel design. On my Accord Coupe it's good for the roof, the hood, the doors, fenders, and quarters...on all cars awesome for windows! You'll never had a better squeegee. Areas like the trunk lid with spoiler and bumpers, around wheel wells and molding, etc. still need towel work.