Review & How-To: Optimum No Rinse Wash & Wax

[Solomonn]

Apologies for bumping this thread but I've got questions!

1) Is this a replacement to the conventional washing method where much more water (and seemingly more shampoo) is used?

2) If I'm applying a wax after washing, claying and poilishing, could I still use the ONRWW which already carnauba wax in it? Or is it better to use the ONR instead?

Defo appreciate anyone who could answer me Q and chime in! Thanks buddies.

[Blade]

1) Not just this product, but any rinseless wash is an alternative method where water restrictions are in place, or it's too cold outside, or you're too lazy to drag out the hose, etc.

2) If you're claying and polishing anyway, there's no need for the extra wax in a rinseless wash. Stick to regular ONR, or any non-wax regular rinseless product.

Hope that helps.

[builthatch]

if i could only pick one, ONRWW vs. ONR, i'd pick ONR because it's more versatile in terms of being able to clean stuff inside or clean when a wax is absolutely not wanted, such as post-polishing with OPT polishes to apply a coating or protection.

but both are on my shelf.

[bluegoose]

Nice review. I have a weird question. Has anyone gotten nauseous from using this? I usually don't wear gloves and after using for the first time I got a little nauseous toward the end. I figured it was probably something I ate and blew it off. Used it again last weekend and the same thing happened. I never had anything like this happen using ONR. Maybe I'm sensitive to this formulation. I'm going to wear nitride gloves next time but was wondering if anyone else has ever had a reaction to car cleaning products as this was a first for me. Love the way this stuff works tho so hopefully wearing gloves will solve this for me. Cheers.

[GanenR32]

Nice review. I have a weird question. Has anyone gotten nauseous from using this? I usually don't wear gloves and after using for the first time I got a little nauseous toward the end. I figured it was probably something I ate and blew it off. Used it again last weekend and the same thing happened. I never had anything like this happen using ONR. Maybe I'm sensitive to this formulation. I'm going to wear nitride gloves next time but was wondering if anyone else has ever had a reaction to car cleaning products as this was a first for me. Love the way this stuff works tho so hopefully wearing gloves will solve this for me. Cheers.

I get the same thing. I love ONRWW for use around the house. Works great as a floor cleaner / wax....and I like the smell but if I use too much it does give me a headache and make me nauseous.
I need to try it in a much more diluted form and see if that helps. This is really my only knock on this product. I also much appreciate that they have it in "user" sizes at reasonable prices.

[LaFawnduh]

You really should use gloves. First, it removes oil transfer from your skin to wash media. Second, polymers while safe will dry your skin. Finally, any chemical no matter how safe should be treated with care and if you are doing this a lot you can never know the long term effects.

I use very thin nitrile medical gloves and it is also nice afterwards as your hands don't have that odd feel and need to scrub.

[swanicyouth]

You really should use gloves. First, it removes oil transfer from your skin to wash media. Second, polymers while safe will dry your skin. Finally, any chemical no matter how safe should be treated with care and if you are doing this a lot you can never know the long term effects.

I use very thin nitrile medical gloves and it is also nice afterwards as your hands don't have that odd feel and need to scrub.

I'm just wondering.... Do you wear gloves when you shake hands or open door handles? Do you wear a helmet when crossing the street or driving in a car? Do you use a dental dam when you....? Because you are significantly more likely to experience morbidity or mortality from one of these activities than washing your car with a rinseless wash without gloves.

I can't see there being a significant relative risk from the casual exposure to ONR. Maybe if you are drinking it or bathing in it - you may have an issue. But can you point me to a single case where someone has become sick from getting ONR on their skin (other than an allergic type reaction that is literally possible from anything)? Getting nausea from ONR is from the smell - not getting it on your skin.

I've been using ONR & similar for years now and have not noticed it being detrimental to my skin in any way; nor have I seen a single post regarding "oil transfer" onto your wash media causing streaks or any other wash related issues.

I'm not going after you, I just think cautioning people they should wear gloves when using ONR is a bit much - considering I've never seen this recommended by Optimum or any other rinseless manufacturer. It's probably one of the safest "chemicals" out there used in detailing - next to plain water itself. In fact, if you read the MSDS of ONR it's quite safe, contains no known hazardous ingredients, and doesn't even advise seeking medical attention if you ingest it (unless it's a large quantity - which the same can be said for water).

[Setec Astronomy]

Swanic, I just want to point out that I believe the people talking about the adverse reaction are referring (as is the thread) to ONRWW, which does have some additional ingredients beyond what ONR has in it. I asked for an MSDS over at the Optimum forum so that should only take a few weeks. It may be that ONRWW also has no hazardous ingredients.

[builthatch]

ONR (both types) dries my hands out, esp. certain parts, but ONRWW does it way faster. i've noticed that. no other adverse effects, though.

there is one part of my right hand in particular, the pointer finger side of my middle finger, that is like a weather vane for oncoming "chemical-induced" dryness. as soon as that area feels a certain way, i know my hands are going to dry out...and they do.

my hands get abused because i lift weights all the time (callouses and chalk), throw a baseball a lot and i also skateboard (grabbing grip tape and palming asphalt/concrete), so i'm used to them seeing action but the detailing chems in particular seem to really do a number to my hands.

i remember years ago talking to Phil Yiu in the Sander/BBS booth at Waterfest and he was explaining to me how he just couldn't seem to get his hands conditioned well and they were getting destroyed from the detailing products he was using, so he started wearing gloves...that's why you always see those purple gloved hands in all of his videos, haha.

i don't wear gloves because i don't use these types of chemicals on a daily basis, but i will condition my hands after a detailing session. throughout my wife's pregnancy, she obv was visiting doctors and one of them had samples in the office of a gold bond lotion aimed at diabetics. she swiped a sample and it's fantastic stuff for my post-detail conditioning, so the next time she went back she grabbed a few more lol.

[Setec Astronomy]

Well, they put the MSDS up on the OPT forum faster than I expected, it's the same as the regular ONR: no hazardous ingredients, based on product testing non-irritating to the skin or nose and throat (inhalation). Both say if you get it on your skin, wash with soap and water.

I guess I'm going to have to look at the traditional Optimum wash and see if it says if you get it on your skin to wash it off with ONR (joke). Ok I did , it also says to wash it off with soap and water. Interestingly, while the Optimum Car Wash is on the alkaline side of neutral, the ONR's are on the opposite side (that of course is for the undiluted product).