winter wash idea, will it work?

**raysaint** · 11-21-2023, 03:28 PM

So for our new red mazda, I just finished winter prep: after decon, clay, Eraser, got one coat of Klasse sealant on the paint (hope I used enough, it did bead next day), then a coat of 303 touchless sealant on paint, wheels, trim, grille/front end. Black trim had one coat of Perl, 2 coats of old DG bumper/trim dressing.

Probably can't do rinseless washing because no hose to pre-rinse. However, short of a good thorough wash, we have a DIY coin-op wash (4 bays) which isn't always busy. Could I get thru the winter with a few washes where I spray the car with foam (from a foam gun), maybe Carpro Lift, wait a few minutes, hp rinse, then dry with waffle weave or other mf towels? And if so, would a drying aid help? Would the towels rub in the remaining dirt and marr?

**chefwong** · 11-21-2023, 03:53 PM

HP rinse and No Mechanical Agitation ?

How about waterless or rinse less after the HP rinse at the coin op ?
I can't imagine taking a towel unless I know the paint is -clean-

**Setec Astronomy** · 11-21-2023, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by raysaint

Probably can't do rinseless washing because no hose to pre-rinse.

Well, it's not exactly rinseless if you need a hose to pre-rinse...right? Most people either go to the coin op for the pre-rinse, then come home for the rinseless wash, or use a sprayer of some sort for the pre-rinse, see Chef's recent sprayer thread.

**Texchappy** · 11-21-2023, 05:23 PM

When I was in Kansas, the sprayer route worked well for winter rinseless routine.

**MisterSnoop** · 11-21-2023, 05:31 PM

I just did a foam and rinse at my local coin op. The car got clean enough that I could have followed-up with a RW but I wouldn't have used a drying towel at that point as it doesn't get the car 100% clean. This go around, I used their spot free rinse and called it a day.

I used Griot's foaming surface wash but in the winter, I may switch to something like Ammo Frothe Anti Salt.

**98CayenneTA** · 11-21-2023, 06:37 PM

Bring your own bucket, soap and wash mitt to the coin op on a slow night and wash it like you would at home in the summer.
Just use there water and there heat

**raysaint** · 11-22-2023, 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by Setec Astronomy

Well, it's not exactly rinseless if you need a hose to pre-rinse...right? Most people either go to the coin op for the pre-rinse, then come home for the rinseless wash, or use a sprayer of some sort for the pre-rinse, see Chef's recent sprayer thread.

What I was meaning was I thought all the loose dirt should be rinsed off before starting rubbing the paint with the rinseless soap. I can't do that at home. So your suggestion would be an option.

**raysaint** · 11-22-2023, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by MisterSnoop

I just did a foam and rinse at my local coin op. The car got clean enough that I could have followed-up with a RW but I wouldn't have used a drying towel at that point as it doesn't get the car 100% clean. This go around, I used their spot free rinse and called it a day.

I used Griot's foaming surface wash but in the winter, I may switch to something like Ammo Frothe Anti Salt.

Another option to consider, kinda my original idea. What did you use to spray the foam? Would a small pressure pump sprayer work? And no agitation with the foam on the car?

**Setec Astronomy** · 11-22-2023, 09:47 AM

One of those YouTube guys promoted an airless paint sprayer from Harbor Freight for pre-spray in a rinseless wash. I bought one, and after letting it age in the box for a few years, tried it out--and it really does work well for the purpose. It siphons out of a bucket. It's probably (definitely?) more of a pain than a pump-up or battery one, I could argue it has a better spray for the purpose. It has a sharp spray for blasting stuff off, but it doesn't spray a lot of liquid, if that makes sense. I also have let it sit with the rinseless (I've only used it with Ech2O) for a year and it started right up after...which is more than you can say for some pressure washers.

**MisterSnoop** · 11-22-2023, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by raysaint

Another option to consider, kinda my original idea. What did you use to spray the foam? Would a small pressure pump sprayer work? And no agitation with the foam on the car?

SPTA cordless foamer. I've had some foam consistency issues in the past where it sputtered. SPTA doesn't offer any parts for it so I replaced the foaming felt disc insert with some from IK and it seemed to work ok. Foam could have been thicker. I took a short video:
SPTA cordless foamer - YouTube

I did not agitate, just let it dwell and then rinsed. My goal was a prerinse so that I could go home and do a contact wash (rinseless) later in the weekend if I wanted to. If you were going to foam, dwell, agitate, and rinse, that may take longer than one round of putting money in the coin op. You may be able to do half a car at a time. If the car is really dirty, I'm going to want a prerinse first.

You could use something like an IK pump up foamer or Griot's has a cordless foamer now as well but I haven't used that.