Waterless Car Wash - How to safely clean you car without a hose & bucket

[Mike Phillips]

Waterless Car Wash - How to safely clean you car without a hose & bucket


Washing your car using a hose and bucket is the traditional way to remove the dirt and road grim to get your car clean and shiny. The ability to have running water flushing off loosened dirt along with the soap suds offers lots of lubricity to help prevent any of the dirt or other abrasive particles from potentially scratching the paint.

The problem is that use the traditional method of a water hose and bucket is not always an option for everyone with a dirty car. It's also not the best way to wash a classic car like in the pictures below.


Different types of waterless car washes
Some waterless car washes focus primarily on cleaning while some focus on cleaning while at the same time adding some gloss and protection.

If you're going to detail a car that has been neglected so the paint has swirls, scratches, water spots and oxidation, then a good choice for a car in this condition would be a cleaning only waterless car wash as there's no benefit to adding gloss and protection to a car you're getting ready to buff out.

If you've already detailed your car and the exterior in ins excellent condition with a fresh coat of wax, then using a waterless wash that adds gloss and a little protection is a good option as it will work better on paint in this condition.



The key to success
The key to using a waterless car wash successfully is to follow these three tips,

1. Use plenty of product - Plenty of product means lots of lubrication.

2. Use plenty of clean, microfiber towels - Plenty of towels means less chance of cross-contamination. That is by switching to a clean towel often you reduce the potential to rub dirt removed off one panel only to rub it over the next body panel.

3. Use good technique - Good technique is to fold your microfiber towel 4-ways to give you 8 clean sides to wipe with and after making one pass over a section of a panel with one side of the towel, turn to a clean side for the next pass. Continue doing this till you've used up all 8 sides and then switch to a clean fresh towel.


Cleaning classic cars using a waterless wash

As a practice, I never use a hose and bucket to wash a classic or antique car like this restored 1955 Ford Crown Victoria. The reason why is because you don't want to introduce water into places you cannot reach to dry where it can potentially cause rust. Rust is one of the worst types of destruction to classic and antique cars and removing rust can be quite costly. So a good best practice if you detail cars for money is to only use a waterless wash when cleaning restored antique and classic cars.


Using a Waterless Wash with Carnauba to clean a 1955 Ford Crown Victoria
(restored)

I detailed this car in February of 2013, when the car first arrived the paint was filled with swirls and scratches...

Rupes side by side detail - 1955 Crown Victoria




Swirls in the paint






It's been 10 months since I've seen this car and next month it's going up for sale at a classic car auction in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The owner asked me to spruce it up for the auction to help get the highest price possible. Since I had already buffed this car out and applied a coat of wax, except for being dusty and having some light road grime it was still in great shape.

This is a perfect candidate car for a waterless wash that adds gloss and protection.





Tip: Have plenty of clean, dry plus microfiber towels on hand...





Tip: Fold your microfiber towels 4-ways to give you 8 dedicated sides to wipe with...





Gather the leading edges of the folded microfiber towel and lightly lift them upward as you make a single pass over a section of paint.





Start at the top and work your way down and around the car saving the lowest panels of the car and fender lips for last





Lay down a heavy spray of waterless wash to provide plenty of cleaning agents plus lubrication...









Pinnacle Crystal Shine Waterless Wash can also be used on glass as well as chrome and stainless steel trim.
















Save time...
In less time than it would take you to drag out the hose, buckets, wash mitts, drying chamois etc. you can get your car clean while leaving behind a Carnauba wax glossy protected finish.







On Autogeek.net

Pinnacle Liquid Crystal Waterless Wash with Carnauba 32 oz

Pinnacle Liquid Crystal Waterless Wash with Carnauba 64 oz

Pinnacle Liquid Crystal Waterless Wash with Carnauba 128 oz.

Gold Plush Jr. Microfiber Towels 3 Pack

[Mike Phillips]

How many microfiber polishing cloths do I need to detail my car?


Often times the question comes up,

"How many microfiber polishing cloths do I need to detail my car?"

Usually this is from the perspective of detailing a car, as in a single Saturday detailing session.


I would just interject that another consideration is,

How many microfiber towels to make a SMALL wash load?


It's best to not wash microfiber with other types of materials, including cotton towels or a load of work jeans or t-shirts. So ideally you want to only wash microfiber towels with similar microfiber towels in a dedicated microfiber towel wash load.

Thinking about how many microfibers you need from this perspective, you want enough microfiber polishing cloths to run at least a small load through your washer and dryer.

Something about making a wash and dry load with only 4 items always seems kind of wasteful.

So instead of stocking up on enough microfiber polishing cloths for a single detailing session, stock up on enough microfiber polishing cloths to at a minimum make a small wash load.

How many microfiber towels do you need to clean a car using a waterless car wash?

That depends upon how dirty the car is as well as the size of the vehicle to be cleaned.

A good rule of thumb for an average size car is 12 average size microfiber towels makes for a good small wash load in most washing machines. So use 12 as a target number to shoot for when building up your supply for microfiber polishing towels.

[ZeroSP]

Great tips, especially on the number of towels needed. Just have to make sure it is really good cloth like the Gold Plush.

[GenesisCoupe]

Nice write up! I actually just washed my Genesis in my works garage and noticed that CG Ecosmart RU is not friendly on windows. Leaves a heavy streak.

[Slimsadie]

Great write up. I am always a little scared to waterless wash but have had zero problems. It is actually fun

[Mike Phillips]

Great tips, especially on the number of towels needed. Just have to make sure it is really good cloth like the Gold Plush.

I agree. It's vitally important the you use clean, soft towels when doing a waterless wash.

Nice write up! I actually just washed my Genesis in my works garage and noticed that CG Ecosmart RU is not friendly on windows. Leaves a heavy streak.

Pinnacle Crystal Shine works well on any smooth, hard surface.

Great write up. I am always a little scared to waterless wash but have had zero problems. It is actually fun

I rarely do a traditional wash or a rinseless wash, almost all my washing is waterless washing. Unless I'm going to decontaminate the paint with something like Iron X and then I do a traditional was as the Iron X needs to be rinsed off the car.

[swanicyouth]

Nice write up! I actually just washed my Genesis in my works garage and noticed that CG Ecosmart RU is not friendly on windows. Leaves a heavy streak.

Me thinks EcoSmart RTU is best used @ 1:1. There is some mention of this someplace in the CG's universe. My experience with waterless washing is that paint will mar easier and faster if you exclusively do waterless washes. This likely isn't an issue if your polishing the paint afterwards, or the paint is light in color or all jacked up - but on dark/black cars, I have noticed and have since moved away from the practice. I don't think the waterless wash product or technique is what causes this per se, but that fact that your not pre-rinsing abrasives off the paint.

However, as counter productive as it sounds, hosing the grit and abrasive dirt off the paint, followed by using copious amounts of waterless wash to clean the car afterwards is faster than the 2BM with equally good results on non-filth encrusted cars. Using DI water to mix your waterless product and as a final rinse means water spots aren't an issue if your working outside.

Just what I've experienced.

[HateSwirls]

A lot of towels?
Do you use the Gerry Dean method?
Seems popular.


Not only do I use a bucket but I also spray the WW unto the paint, it gives me added lube.

Give it a try I think you'll love it

[HateSwirls]

What's the major difference between a WW and RW?
Pretty much same steps.

[PiPUK]

Mike,

Much of the time the vehicles which our products are used on are really quite heavild soiled. That means traffic films and often mud whjch, of course, has pretty big abrasive particles. My experience and applying basic scientific ideas tells me that waterless and rinseless washes are a recipe for damage - if you are going to touch the paint, you need those bits of grit away first. Others seem to trawl on. What is your view? Would you still be willing to use waterless on a vehicle with significant levels of particulate soiling?