Drying
You are anxious to get rolling in your freshly washed car, hold on Skippy! Follow these instructions first.
What you'll need.
You shouldn't drive your vehicle while it's still wet. By driving when the vehicle is wet you pick up airborne dust and dirt particles. This will undermine your cleaning efforts. You have most likely seen people wipe down their car with an old chamois, while it's good for drying its not easy on the paint. A good micro fiber or waffle cloth with absorb plenty of water and minimize the scratches your paint will suffer.
If possible park on a slope, this will help the water naturally slide off. As always, start from the top down. Go in the direction of the slope. Pay special attention to glass and moldings. Once your car is sufficiently dry open all doors. This will allow trapped water to run to the ground. This will improve your odds when fighting rust. Rust can develop in hard to reach places and you will notice the yellowish streaks flowing down the side of your car. By eliminating excess water in the first place rust is less likely to occur.