Car buffs may point with pride to a freshly washed and sparkling set of wheels, but maintaining a vehicle in showroom-clean condition can be a chore.

Typically, car cleaning involves soap and water, hoses and brushes, sponges and towels — and ample elbow grease.

Of course, having the right tools eases the effort, and one of the big ideas in car cleaning comes from California with the California Water Blade.

This amazing device amounts to a scientific amplification of a super-duper squeegee capable of removing 90 percent of standing water from any surface of a car in a third the time it takes when using towels or sponges.

The ultra-soft silicone blade conforms to any surface shape and whisks away water with only a single stroke of the hand.

It leaves no residue of lint, as does a towel, chamois or sponge, and this property makes the California Water Blade the ideal tool for cleaning glass surfaces too.

The big idea behind the California Water Blade is simple: The business end consists of medical-grade silicone in a flexible flat sheet, which measures a foot wide by 2.375 inches deep, with a T-Bar leading edge to grab liquids.

Draw the blade through standing water and, miraculously, all of the water disappears in only one stroke.

Priced at $19.99, the Original California Water Blade comes from the California Car Cover Company at 800-423-5525, or the internet address of www .calcarcover.com.