ONR on salty cars - Question about drying

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

I'm slowly warming up to ONR but quickly got scared a little bit in the drying process. I'm using ONR with multiple microfibers that I do not re-introduce into bucket.

Usually in summer a do a normal 2 bucket wash and soak my drying towel (Chemical Guys gray matter) in water and ring it out, then do 2-3 sprays on it of beadmaker and another 2-3 sprays on the pannel I dry.

Now with ONR, my towel is dry but I spray about 5 sprays of beadmaker on it then 2-3 on the pannel. One thing I kinda didn't like was that in some cases I could see still a bit of dirt inside of bubbles or like some dirty water, I wasn't to sure if it was ok to go over it or not, I did but I'm sure I probably shouldn't have. Instead should've done a another pass with a cleaning microfiber that I used before but oh well.

That said, my question is, should I maybe opt for a plushier drying towel for cases like these where they could safely remove that dirt or what you all recommend I do differently.

For some context, here is what car looks like when dirty, as you can see I only had enough towels for my first time to do half the car and roof and hood and trunk hahaha, next time I'll add more towels. Note I do a ONR pre soak to.

https://i.imgur.com/ViEeW0W.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/MWz7m1I.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/aqLIhkS.jpg

[spazzz]

More towels is the way to go.
You could have tried to rinse a towel out in the bucket(which is tough with ONR) to get those questionable spots

I always grab more towels than I need for 1 wash, could be 6 could be 12...all depends.

You might want to fill a quart/liter bottle to mist panels for a pre-rinse to loosen some of the cold months nastys

Other than that I am sure you were fine with the Beadmaker as a lubricant.

[Texchappy]

Started using ONR when we were stationed in Kansas and couldn’t use hose washing. Was very nervous at first but didn’t have any problems with it there over the winters (or since or in any season). Salt and sand was definitely part of the equation and no problems were noticed — and this was before the towel method and pre-spraying every time always was the norm.

[vobro]

I'll pre rinse if I can, when really dirty I'll go over the panel again then dry. Nothing wrong with a presoak, using more towels and multiple passes to make sure the panel is clean before drying. What's the thought process behind using Beadmaker?

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

More towels is the way to go.
You could have tried to rinse a towel out in the bucket(which is tough with ONR) to get those questionable spots

I always grab more towels than I need for 1 wash, could be 6 could be 12...all depends.

You might want to fill a quart/liter bottle to mist panels for a pre-rinse to loosen some of the cold months nastys

Other than that I am sure you were fine with the Beadmaker as a lubricant.

Yeah I definitely do a pre-soak QD dilution. I just curious with my drying towel if it's good enough to not marr the paint. I assume the principle of always using a new clean side of my drying towel is the way to go!

I also wonder if I run out of towels is it fine to use one I already used as a touch up for spot that I may have missed. Dropping towels in ONR it's supposed to bring the dirt down to the bottom as it says.

Also a follow up question, after washing my towels some stay visibly dirty but feels soft to the touch, are they fine to reuse? I used all my Eagle Edgeless towels which are expensive and the rest are costco. Would be a shame to avoid using those again... my understanding is staining will not marr in any way it's really just the dye that is colored away?

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

I'll pre rinse if I can, when really dirty I'll go over the panel again then dry. Nothing wrong with a presoak, using more towels and multiple passes to make sure the panel is clean before drying. What's the thought process behind using Beadmaker?

Hey! I use beadmaker as a drying aid (instead of wiping the pannel dry with a drying towel) and also to "renew" or top up my protection. I have jescar powerlock as my base protection/LSP

[The Guz]

This post reminded me of Yvan when he made this video.

[spazzz]

I feel ya on the stains after washing.
That is the one big downer about ONR. I want my towels clean, clean, clean, not stained.

I soak my rinseless towels with a splash of Zep industrial orange degreaser in a bucket for a day or two before a hot wash/extra rinse. This helps them wash clean.
I am trying Zep 505 for the soak now, which seems to draw the dirt out better....jury is out on that one for awhile.

I use Eagles for the rinseless and dry. The car isn't wet enough to use my PFMs which would just soak up the Merlins mix anyway.

The problem being Canadian, I would guess is product availability and prices. I feel for ya, but your rich, you drive a BMW!!

[57Rambler]

I just curious with my drying towel if it's good enough to not marr the paint. I assume the principle of always using a new clean side of my drying towel is the way to go!

Assuming the towel is clean (ie. free of any abrasive particulate), technique may have biggest effect on whether or not you marr already-perfected paint. Blotting (vs. wiping) will always be the safest mode.

Also a follow up question, after washing my towels some stay visibly dirty but feels soft to the touch, are they fine to reuse? I used all my Eagle Edgeless towels which are expensive and the rest are costco. Would be a shame to avoid using those again... my understanding is staining will not marr in any way it's really just the dye that is colored away?

If your towels pass the Mike Phillips towel test - How, why & when to inspect your microfiber towels when detailing cars - then they should be fine despite the staining.

You could always use some of these Carbon Black Edgeless Microfiber Polishing Cloth 12 Pack towels. They're inexpensive, excellent quality, and you likely will not notice staining anymore. They advertise them for wax/polish removal but they are versatile and work fine for rinseless. Grab a dozen or two when they go on sale.

[Kaban]

Don't even waste your time with doing ONR on a salty car. What a nightmare process that is. You're literally just wiping salt around and not removing it from the areas that really matter and might cause rust on your vehicle (undercarriage/wheel wells/door jambs/ hood jamb). I did ONR once on my car when it barely had any salt and lets just say I don't ever plan to do that again. I love ONR for what it is and I use it daily, it's one of my favorite products, but I only foam cannon/pressure wash in the winter these days. If you don't have that kinda luxury just pay the 5 bucks and go through a touchless wash. MUCH better than ONR which is useless if your car is seriously nasty and completely salt covered.