Steaming a car exterior?

[xxnonamexx]

What is your take on Dupray ONE Steam Cleaner for the exterior of a car? Do you use this in place of water and soap? I haven't seen much about this way to wash the outside of the car.

[Mike Phillips]

What is your take on Dupray ONE Steam Cleaner for the exterior of a car? Do you use this in place of water and soap? I haven't seen much about this way to wash the outside of the car.

Here's my take, it's not the best option when other options are available.

I'd choose a waterless wash, rinseless wash or traditional wash over trying to clean the exterior of a car with a steam cleaner.

Steam is great for cleaning but clearcoats are scratch sensitive and at some point "something" has to touch the paint to loosen dirt and road film so that it can be either wiped off or rinsed off and the three options I listed above all bring more lubricity to the process than dry steam.

[irvsmith]

The only time I have heard of this being done is when the rubber seals are severely deteriorated (Model T or other vintage/barn find.). This was a before the release of waterless but I could see that it would be really coated in dirt but can't do a two bucket.

There is a video of Larry Kosilla doing this on a Porsche barn find.

[vanev]

I do this quite a bit, actually.
I also find using a handheld steamer works great for the task, and that a heavy duty steamer is not always necessary.
The main reason I use steamers for the exterior is that I use shop wash methods, rinseless wash solutions, and at times waterless wash products as the main approach for washing a vehicle.



A lot of the time, if not most of the time, I perform a decontamination approach of some kind .
Steamers offer some type of moisture, when access to a hose is not an option, or water restrictions are a problem.
If using a Degreaser or an All Purpose Cleaner as part of the decontamination process, these often have some type of "flash" or possibly some type of solvent in them.
This can cause the color additive in these products to stick, and the "flash" can cause the color additive to dry, stick, and stain very quickly.
Staying on top of the process with a steamer ensures no staining and sticking of any products used.

Steamers are also great for loosening up contaminates of all kinds on the paint and clearcoat.
They can cut the time factor way down in this regard.
They are also great for maintaining an already clean car as a wash method.
On tires, wheels and wheel wells, steamers are particularly effective.

[GSKR]

Here's my take, it's not the best option when other options are available.

I'd choose a waterless wash, rinseless wash or traditional wash over trying to clean the exterior of a car with a steam cleaner.

Steam is great for cleaning but clearcoats are scratch sensitive and at some point "something" has to touch the paint to loosen dirt and road film so that it can be either wiped off or rinsed off and the three options I listed above all bring more lubricity to the process than dry steam.

Ditto