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Rinseless wash

12K views 53 replies 18 participants last post by  sda3 
#1 ·
Anybody here rinseless wash their car? Last winter I took the ST to a touchless car wash but this year I'm going to try rinsless. I've been doing some reading up on it and found a couple of interesting things.

A lot of guys are using a sponge, either a grout sponge or one designed for car washing. Reason being they are very good at safely removing the dirt and grime and they are cheap.

The other is the wash method. The two main ones are the 2 bucket and the Garry Dean method. The 2 bucket you pre soak a panel then use a mitt or sponge with a bucket of rinsless wash solution to wash, rinse in the other bucket then dry. The Garry Dean method is to soak a bunch of towels in a bucket with your rinseless wash solution, pre soak a panel then take a towel trom the bucket and wash the panel. Once the towel is dirty you grab a clean one from the bucket and continue. The nice thing about this is you are always using a clean towel on the paint. The only bad thing is you will need/use a lot more towels.
 
#2 ·
Do you mean like with chemical guys Eco wash? Its waterless and you just spray?
 
#4 ·
Ahhh okay
Then I have no idea lol

IMA try out that waterless product tho
 
#5 ·
Rinseless washing is a tough topic for me at least.

I'm a true believer in Pre-Soaking the car then pressure spraying away which removes far more dirt then a rinseless wash which in turns mean your touching the paint with less dirt on the surface. There are techniques being used to wipe the panel that help reduce the damaging process.

If your a paint surface freak like me, I think pre-soaking and using a pressure washer is best.

Pre-Soaking and pressure spraying away removes a lot of dirt prior to the actual washing process!
 
#6 ·
Rinseless washing is a tough topic for me at least.

I'm a true believer in Pre-Soaking the car then pressure spraying away which removes far more dirt then a rinseless wash which in turns mean your touching the paint with less dirt on the surface. There are techniques being used to wipe the panel that help reduce the damaging process.

If your a paint surface freak like me, I think pre-soaking and using a pressure washer is best.
Do y'all have any waterless chemicals?
 
#14 ·
#16 ·
A guy just did the windows of my house with a system that filters the water 3 ways, then de-ionizes it. He washed first then rinsed with the filtered de-ionized water and left them wet to just dry on there own. I was still expecting spots but they came out perfect with no drying. Would be an awesome way to do a car but it's a little to pricey.
 
#18 ·
Hmm. I have an ro system in the house. Need to try using that water as a final rinse.


If I'm tappin I'm probably lifting.
 
#22 ·
My opinion on rinseless washes - excellent if used correctly.

Im in socal so weather is not a big factor. Generally just a light coat of dust on the paint and road grime on the bottom half. They work great in this environment. If your paint is heavily soiled I wouldnt risk using a RW.

I use a pump type "bug" sprayer similar to this:

Amazon.com : Chapin 20000 1-Gallon Lawn and Garden Sprayer : Patio, Lawn & Garden

I think I bought mine for around $10. Mix up a wash strength solution (ONR recommends 0.5 oz:1 gal H2O) and pre soak paying special attention to the lower half, the door jams (yuck!) and rear hatch/bumper, but do the whole car. I was amazed how dirty the solution was as it rolled off the panels. Its not high pressure by any means but it does the job very well. Then proceed to wash as normal (I recommend the multi bucket method and plenty of long nap wash mitts).

Just a tip for those who dont have the option or choose not to do a traditional wash.
 
#24 ·
I typically use Optimum No Rinse and occasionally their version with wax. When used properly, it will not mar your paint in any way. Use nice big fluffy microfibers for the wash, grit guard, 2 buckets, and a few big waffle weaves to dry. If the car is particularly dirty, do a pre-wash like above. I have washed cars for years with rinseless with no increased marring.

A lot of people like Ultima Waterless Wash+ and it gets rave reviews. I have never personally tried it however.
 
#25 ·
I've heard go things about Optimum No Rinse. I used a couple of MF mitts my first try and no mater how much you try to clean it on the grit guard it still looks dirty, think I'll try the towel method next time. Using a pump sprayer to pre rinse is a must, especially if your car was as dirty as mine was.

I had some Pinnacle Liquid Gloss Rinseless Wash and that worked pretty good and have a bottle of Ultima Waterless Wash+ that I'm going to try the next time I wash the car.
 
#26 ·
I use Rinseless wash all the time. At shows prior to judging, in the winter with a decent amount of debris, etc. I have probably only caused slight swirls using this method but I only use it in a pinch. You just have to use a generous amount of spray before wiping down your panel and be sure to use a lot of Microfibers. I use about 10-12 MF's per rinseless wash because you want to fold after every wipe.

I personally use Adam's but I know there are other good brands out there to use.

Also, get a good spray bottle like the Kwazar Mercury Pros. It is honestly a life saver, especially during longer sessions. I have about 4 big bottles and 4 small bottles of them and they are amazing. If you have any questions, just hit me up and I can help out with what I can!
 
#27 ·
Thanks to living in a drought area where home-washing your car is illegal I've used Optimum No-Rinse on my car almost exclusively since I got it in 2012 - allows me to wash the car inside my garage (away from nosy neighbors) and I only use 2-4 gallons of water depending on how dirty it is. Does a great job and I haven't had an issue with marring. If the car is more dirty than usual (such as after driving in the rain) I'll fill a pump sprayer with water and a bit of the Optimum to pre-soak the car. I use a single bucket with grit guard. Immediately after washing my microfiber mitt and towel go into the washer (using free & clear detergent that truly rinses clean) to remove anything they may have picked up and then I let them air dry.
 
#29 ·
Hey guys...and gals,

A properly formulated product along the lines of ONR is actually safer than an old school bucket, soap and water hose. Water is natures solvent but it's not the best at lubrication. Something is needed to emulsify, suspend and draw grime away from paint. Again a proper formula does just that. Emulsifies the grime, draws grime to the wash media and cushions paint while rinsing, lastly leaving a polymer behind to help in protection.

Anthony
 
#30 · (Edited)
DISAGREE!

Pre-soaking the the vehicle is by far the best way to remove dirt and road grime. This is why we formulated Pre-Soak.

I do not know any professional detailer that would take a customers car and just wipe it down with a rinseless wash or waterless wash. It is just not the safest way to remove contamination!

Your MO is to touch the paint as less as possible! Pre-Soaking and pressure spraying away removes nearly 90% of the dirt before washing.

SF TEAM
 
#38 ·
I can tell you this, I'm not a pro detailer but I take on a job (besides my own rides) about once a month, and I call it a hobby/jobby. Anyway, my cabinet is mostly full of Chemical Guys products, and most of them, I like. I own and have used eco-washing products but I've not liked the results of them. I've used the rinse-less type, and the no-wash bucket type, and in both cases, while the car is clean... there's contaminants left on the paint that a pre-soak / full wash process removes. I've also inadvertently scratched my car with a rinse-less type, and near as I can tell it was because the product could not properly lift the grime off, despite appearing so.

Bottom line, full wash for me. I'm too much of a stickler for glass-smooth paint, and obviously avoiding swirls and micro-marring, etc is the thing. Also, I've noticed with rinseless products that I'm actually using tons more towels to clean the car, so it is a tradeoff and I don't view it as a worthy one. Just more cleaning (in a washing machine) down the line, and more contaminants in towels instead of on the pavement.
 
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#39 ·
The problem I have preached for years is the lack of information on when to use a rinse-less wash and when NOT to use.

I find it very misleading when companies advertise using a rinse-less or waterless wash on a already clean car. Ummm... ok that is what a Quick Detailer does!

Hands down, waterless washing and rinse-less washing will mar your paint!

Kam
 
#41 ·
I've used rinseless and waterless in the past and prefer to use the rinseless. ONR and UWW+ seem to be the two most popular but duragloss, pinnacle, and blackfire also make some good ones. Haven't tried the gary dean brand but I hear it's pretty good too. As said earlier, it's safe if done correctly...you have to know when your car is too dirty for a rinseless. 9 times outta 10 I'll do the two buck wash but every now and then I'll pull out the ONR and do a rinseless.

Presoaking does have its place tho. A pressure washer alone will not get all the dirt off by itself, as seen in this video.

 
#43 ·
Right when I saw this I had to laugh! "encapsulating polymers"

There is no such thing!

Oh the joys of fancy advertising words.....

I have to stop responding at this point Anthony.

Kam

Are you in anyway a chemist? A formulator of your own products? I see you have been doing this since 2012 and have a PO box listed for an address. You understand who Dr. David Ghodoussi is right? He not only used to design or make automotive paints but he also manufacturers his own products. They are not private labeled. He is an organic paint chemist.

So no such thing as "encapsulating polymers"? You understand you're clearly wrong correct?

Being a formulator of products you have never heard of "hydrocarbon encapsulating polymers"? Or "micro-encapsulation"?

Read this from an article:

Encapsulation carpet cleaning products and equipment used to employ the chemistry has seen many advances. Advancements in polymer chemistry make low-moisture encapsulation a real winner for interim commercial carpet maintenance in addition to residential carpet cleaning applications. There are some amazing encapsulation products used for more than low-moisture cleaning.
Here is a link that you can easily click on and read the above in its full context. The Science of Encapsulation: Polymer Chemistry Optimizes Cleaning Potential | 2012-12-03 | ICS Magazine

Here is another person who entitles their article "Encapsulation Using Hyperbranched Polymers"

Dendritic macromolecules, such as hyperbranched polymers are increasingly being studied in the context of encapsulation. The intensive research on encapsulation using hyperbranched polymers is motivated by factors such as a cost-effective polymer synthesis and a customizable property profile. Hence, in the past few years, hyperbranched polymers have been employed as carriers for several guest molecules such as dyes, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, catalysts, and aromatic hydrocarbons
Would you like the link for it also?

So you can see the arrogance and ignorance now, as others can, in your statement of...."Encapsulating polymers?! Ha.....no such thing!"

I thought you wanted "truth in detailing"? A simple Google search would have revealed this to you. I deal with a fair number of chemists in this industry.

Thank you for your time. Merry Christmas!
Anthony
 
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