Hand pump spray foamer to wipe off winter salt

[SixZee]

I do not have access to running water or electricity in the parking lot. For the winter, 2 bucket method of washing is out of the question due to apt super's suggestion. Coin-op wash is 15-20 min drive from my place so not good a quick wash to remove the salt. I thought I could use hand pump spray foamer like IK Foam 1.5 Sprayer or Griot?s Garage Pump-Up Foamer to pre-soak and then wipe down with Wolfgang Uber rinseless wash.

What do you folks think of this idea for a quick wipe down i.e. till I manage to make a trip to the coin-op wash? Is there any better, less water consuming method?

[Desertnate]

If you are in a situation where you can only use a rinseless or waterless wash, I would use those wash methods AFTER blasting off the salt at the coin-op car wash.

The crust of salt and grime in the winter is pretty hard and very abrasive. I'm not sure how well simply soaking the panels will work and would want to power wash the majority of the material off the vehicle before attempting any hands-on cleaning process.

[howardm4]

I use a regular hardware store 1gl tank sprayer w/ wand w/ ONR to pre-wet the panels before I even hit it w/ ONR & BRS for rinseless. It gets most of the crud off (at least where I live).

[UncleDavy]

It is definitely best to try and blast off as much crud as you can before touching the paint surface. You can look into a Worx Hydroshot. It will provide about 30 psi and you can draw water right from a bucket. I use it in the winter if it is too cold for the garden hose.

[spazzz]

Do you have any touch free gas station washes near you?

I find those easier and about the same price as the do it yourself places.
With the soap,rinse and dry they get most of the sand and caked salt off.
There is still a film left that you could rinseless off way easier.

I basically do what howardm4 does.
I had been using ONR but will switch to ECH20 this year.
I will still use ONR or D114 in the pump sprayer for a pre-rinse.

[SixZee]

Thank you, folks.

I had a feeling that salt is too abrasive. Good that I decided to ask here.

I live in a county where we have some pretty odd water disposal regulations so there are not too many car washes, to begin with. Not a single touchless wash in the county. One coin-op that is 15-20 mins out-of-my-way drive. But if blasting salt off first is the only solution then maybe I will have to make it on the weekends.

Hydroshot is out of the question. The super suggested not to use any running water in the parking lot. 2 years ago, a lady slipped off the wet leaves and she is suing the development owners and the landscaping company. Even though I work in an obscure corner of the parking lot, he suggested not to take a chance. I can do wipe downs but no running water of any kind. I actually use, hardware-store 1-gallon garden sprayer but he suggested to avoid that as well.

@howardm4, can you elaborate on the process? If I HAVE TO use it then better to have a knowledge of it. What is BRS? Thanks in advance.

[howardm4]

I just mix up a gallon of water w/ 2x the normal ONR rinse less dilution and start by spraying that at the top of the panel simply to reliquify the crud and let it start falling off the panel. Make a bucket of regular ONR rinse less (<insert your favorite rinse less here>) and have second bucket (or maybe a 3rd) also w/ a bit of ONR for use as rinse and sponge cleaning. The goal being to get as much sponge based crud out of the sponge and not to 'infect' the primary bucket w/ crud (even w/ GritGuards). Get the sponge wet (JUST before it starts dripping wet) and do the roof and horizontal panels. The vertical panels get saved for last and even those do top half first and then finally the bottom (where all the crud really lives). Again, minimize the transfer of crud.

things to keep in mind:
it's winter it ain't gonna be anwwhere close to perfect.

I accept that I'll be doing a clay & polish in the Springtime anyway but try to get the crud off w/o re-introducing it via bucket.

if the car is too cold, the solution will frost up on car panel (I keep a thermometer including a cheap infrared pistol in the garage)

BRS = Big Red Sponge (Optimum sells this for around $18? as do several others like the Lake Country blue sponge) that has cross-hatch cuts.

I use ONR because it's cheap and I'd rather use a bit more of that (including an extra bucketful or 2) than installing too many extra scratches/swirls but in general use ECH20 or now trying Feynlab.

Maybe this is overkill but its easier to avoid scratches.

In the Springtime, I'll hit the underside/bottom of the vehicle w/ a salt dissolver solution

[SixZee]

I use ONR because it's cheap and I'd rather use a bit more of that (including an extra bucketful or 2) than installing too many extra scratches/swirls but in general use ECH20 or now trying Feynlab.

Maybe this is overkill but its easier to avoid scratches.

In the Springtime, I'll hit the underside/bottom of the vehicle w/ a salt dissolver solution

Thanks a lot. Makes sense.

Feynlab ceramic coating is what you are using?

Which salt dissolver do you use? This year, I will be spraying with my garden hose as all car washes in my neighborhood advertise it but nobody does it. The underside is always bone dry.

[howardm4]

Feynlab Rinseless

For salt, I use CRC SX128 in a foam cannon w/ flexi-wand.