Cleaning car without rinsing?
 

I know this may sound funny, but I like to be environmental friendly. I used microfiber rags, and a spray wax to wipe down my car, and remove dirt. It really did look good when I was finished. As long as I use a different part of my rag with each wipe, I avoid any risk of scratching it right? Is there any downside to this method of cleaning the car?

You are probably scratching the hell out of your car. Check this stuff out, and the instructional video:

Spray-On Car Wash Kit - Cleaners - Car Washing - Car Care - Griot's Garage

:iagree:

:iagree: i agree to the agree.

hello, mr.onzedge! :D

Great advice, Iam just worrying about how to wash my car during this winter, don't want to go to coin wash anymore.

THANKS!!!!!!!!!

:tup::tup:

alcheng- while no-rinse is great for appearance, you will still want to get the undercarriage washed. be like having a pretty girl with dirty underwear. yikes.. :icon14:

I was also considering the touchless car washes, followed by the spray wax I would put on manually. But I have heard bad things about touchless car washes?

I been using a product that imho opinion is superior to the griots. I will vouch for both wash and wax as being unmatched thus far. The tire/interior cleaner cleans tires but doesn't add shine. When using it in the interior its kinda iffy. Id rather use meguirs or mothers.

Whip Wash

The touchless wash can be used if your car is really muddy or dirty and you know you have had a coat of wax on it within the previous 2 months and have kept up with it using a quik detailer and wax product. I use them occasionally to get the undercarriage cleaned or to take off excessive dirt when in a hurry.
I prefer polymer based waxes just because you can actually feel your clearcoat is being protected. Using these types of waxes I would presume will give protection from harsh chemicals in the touchless.

damn I'm just itching to say something mean haha. OP seems like a nice guy though. in before the trolls

RE: I like to be environmental friendly. How is water bad for the enviorment?

You not using water to wash your car will have 0 impact on the environment. The manufacturing of your car created a nice amount of pollution. Its thirsty v6 engine is not fuel efficient and uses premium gasoline. There's all sorts of weird chemicals in that spray wax you use, and chances are the bottle its in isn't recyclable. You are going to wash those rags in the laundry, using soap and water. so you really aren't saving much by not washing your car properly. if you want to go green and want a clean car. Keep it in the garage or get a car cover and just wash it less often.

True.

:barf:

yep :tup:

Ride a bike.

Anyway, there're some cities has banned car-wash on drive way, here Toronto is one of them. I haven't heard of anyone getting a ticket but my friend told me they set this law couple years ago.

It's like the city doesn't want the chemical liquid goes into the household drainage, thus those chemical will goes to the lake before it got filtered properly.

Is it pretty much accepted that touchless car washes are the best + easiest way to wash your car today?

You seem a little too picky with the ladies. ;)

We are under water restrictions in Houston right now, and I 've got a nazi stormtrooper environmentalist for a neighbor. To save aggravation, I have been using a California duster and spray on waterless car wash. Seems to be okay, especially since I wax heavily.

The whole situation is rather stupid since I have to wash the rags by themselves. The washer probably uses more water than me using a bucket to wash my car.

:icon17:

oof, california duster. helloooooo, scratches.

no. i dont use touchless wash because it doenst clean well enough, or the pressure is too high and strips off wax.

they're fine if there's plenty of wax/sealant under the dust and the panels have not been exposed to rain or dew.

I use Optimum No-Rinse, one of the more popular of this type product

Except if you have a Nismo - the water pressure is not recommended for the big wing. I guess wind is better than water.

OP, depends on your color. I live in Florida which has awful sunshine and rainstorms year round. I am fanatical about cleaning my car weekly at the minimum and I have had my car for over 2 years. While I wash with water and soap 90% of the time, I have starting using extremely soft beach towels and high quality micro fibers and over lubricating the paint for a "waterless car wash". My silver paint has never looked better and I have been tracking scratches under gas station lighting at night (which is deadly) and while this may not be the ideal option, its been sufficient so far.

Point is, if you car is a little dirty and you have one of the lighter colors of our car, don't beat yourself up if you use a really high quality 1/2 & 1/2 water and detailer mix and a high quality towel to clean your ride in needy circumstances. These aren't 1920s fords in a museum where the paint needs to be treated better than human life. Take my advice or leave it but I have preformed a waterless wash on my silver in extreme circumstances and it looks fabulous.

Just my 2 cents :tup:

Not if you follow the advice of the Junkman! :tup:

I have an S-load of wax on the car, and am very careful to drag the fibers in one direction, and never use any downward pressure.

The strands are coated with wax, and supposedly, the dirtier the thing gets, the better it cleans.

but yet, ive never been tempted to smell the undercarriage of my car :happydance:

:icon18: lol

Aaaa-Choooo!!

kenchan, so do you prefer your lady have rust-proof treatment??

lol

:happydance:

But I like pretty dirty girls.

Only good girls wear under wear anyway.

My car is the platinum graphite color. It is well protected with multiple coats of Zaino. It is covered during the day and garaged at night. I use a California duster to remove light dust and touch it up between full hand washes with a quick detailer spray and the "blonde" plush towels that I purchased from Zaino which are super soft and plush. I turn them often, use plenty of detailer and don't rub hard. They get tossed in the washing machine by themselves with a little liquid detergent afterwards and use about a half tub of water as 2 towels will do the whole car. No discernible scratches in the paint and I receive compliments almost daily about how my car still looks new after 2 years.
But I live in Sou. Cal where it can be weeks or months between rain and what the heck is snow ?

Well, I decided to take it to a touchless carwash. When it was finished, I pulled to the side and proceeded to finish drying/waxing. Well on the passenger side of my bumper, I noticed huge scratches. I wonder if the hoses in the carwash somehow got too close and scratched my car? I will post a pic of the damage shortly.

http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/x...a/IMAG0509.jpg

oh, sucks about the scratches

I use a quick detailer from turtle wax in-between washes, works amazingly but I was super anal when i bought the car and washed it about 3 times a week lol.

Now she gets it once a week but I hate driving a dirty car, so I'm on my 3rd large bottle of detailer for this season lol

Guy at the body shop seems to think it looks like a shopping cart ran into my car. I'm still suspicious about the touchless car wash though. So I guess I will have the bodyshop make my bumper look brand new, and then it's time for the clear bra to be installed. I already had rock chips and such on my front bumper, so I suppose this would need to be done anyways before installing the clear bra. I just planned on waiting until next summer...

I use ONR. Its great stuff for a quick rinseless wash and in between detailing

I don't know about best. But easiest is about right. Remember. Touchless car wash uses acid based soaps that eat away at the clear coat over time. As I stated earlier. It is safest to use after a wax protectant has been applied by hand. It reduces the clearcoats exposure to harsh chemicals.

I know this sounds stupid but it is true. I have a 66 SS chevelle that hasn't seen a water & soap wash in 12 years. My 2011 370Z has seen water & soap once in about 5.5 months.

Mainly I just use a California duster and wipe them down followed with a quick wax or detailed wax on them after the dusting. Of course the other thing is I never drive them in bad weather. Only sunny day drives. Of course I have had several friends that say what the hell...... Drive the damn things!

This stuff is the best, I have used it since my Z was a newborn. Unless your car is incredibly filthy, this should be safe when used properly (i.e. 2-bucket system).

Hmm. I'll have to try that :tup: