ONR: The Definitive Thread

[Emile]

Updated with new fenderwell cleaning video.

This is my only gripe with Optimum No-Rinse. There is no good way to clean the fender wells, especially if there is not enough room to get a brush up in the fender wells.

[WilliamSit]

is the large natural sea sponge a good wash media for ONR?? ONR seems to suit my situation very well with my car parked in apartment parking lot and the securities are not too friendly about hosing the car

[akimel]

is the large natural sea sponge a good wash media for ONR?? ONR seems to suit my situation very well with my car parked in apartment parking lot and the securities are not too friendly about hosing the car

I don't know about the sea sponge, but a number of us have had good luck with ONR using the Proline grout sponge from Lowe's. It is soft and releases the dirt well.

[CharlesW]

is the large natural sea sponge a good wash media for ONR?? ONR seems to suit my situation very well with my car parked in apartment parking lot and the securities are not too friendly about hosing the car

Yes!
It seems that about any wash media that is suitable for regular washes works with the rinseless washes as well.
So far I have used; Cotton chenille mitt, cotton chenille covered sponge, grout sponge, sea sponge, MF towel, Cobra Bone MF covered sponge.
They all require a slightly different technique because of the different amount of wash solution they retain, but all have worked good for me.

[dublifecrisis]

The grout spong gained a little respect back from me this weekend after I gave it a 2nd chance. They do seem to fall apart quicker than a chenille mit but they're cheap enough not to worry about it.
btw-I also used one of the new Viking plush QD towels and it also worked really well with ONR. If you folks haven't picked any of these up they're pretty nice.

[WilliamSit]

great, i always want to try sea sponges!!

is it really that hard to get the dirts off the towels?? it's kinda sad to make my clean arctic white miracle towels dirty

[muddy]

I have been using ONR for a while but just wanted to clarify a few things and have a few questions:

2. Why is my wash media so much dirtier than when I do a traditional wash?: ONR binds the dirt to the wash media intentionally. You should change mitts as needed. They can then be soaked in regular detergent to release the dirt before rinsing or washed in the machine.

I am a little confused about this part. You can soak your sponge or mitt in a bucket of a shampoo like Gold Class? Am I doing this after I am done working on the vehicle and rinsing is referring to cleaning the mitt before putting it away?

4. Should I still use the two-bucket method to prevent marring?: ONR softens water, so the bigger particles just sink to the bottom of the bucket. It’s like having a built-in grit guard in the wash solution. Smaller particles end up in the wash media.

In the above question, does wash media refer to the sponge or mitt or whatever?

I have been using ONR with MUCH less pressure than I would using my Schmitt with a normal soap and water washing. Do you guys do the same, or do you use similar pressure?

I use my grout sponge for ONR washes and when I start to clean with ONR I keep the sponge drenched in the solution. Lots of it just runs off and onto the floor since I the sponge is so wet. Do you use your sponge or mitt sopping wet or not so much?

[Woob]

"I am a little confused about this part. You can soak your sponge or mitt in a bucket of a shampoo like Gold Class? Am I doing this after I am done working on the vehicle and rinsing is referring to cleaning the mitt before putting it away?"
- Yes you can clean it after you've finished with the detail.

"In the above question, does wash media refer to the sponge or mitt or whatever?" - Yes dirt is suspended in the wash medium and wash solution.

If it's a grout sponge usually you don't need alot of liquid since it holds so much. If it was a sheepskin mitt, usually the mitt needs to be slightly heavy enough to go on the paint and gently glide.

[Chris Thomas]

I have been using ONR for a while but just wanted to clarify a few things and have a few questions:



I am a little confused about this part. You can soak your sponge or mitt in a bucket of a shampoo like Gold Class? Am I doing this after I am done working on the vehicle and rinsing is referring to cleaning the mitt before putting it away?



In the above question, does wash media refer to the sponge or mitt or whatever?

I have been using ONR with MUCH less pressure than I would using my Schmitt with a normal soap and water washing. Do you guys do the same, or do you use similar pressure?

I use my grout sponge for ONR washes and when I start to clean with ONR I keep the sponge drenched in the solution. Lots of it just runs off and onto the floor since I the sponge is so wet. Do you use your sponge or mitt sopping wet or not so much?

The first question is referring to cleaning your wash media after you are finished with the wash. By detergent, I meant dish washing liquid or APC. Gold Class shampoo is to gentle to clean out your wash media.

On the second question, I use light-moderate pressure. If I cannot get the panel clean, I will use a mild APC then follow up with another ONR pass. Bug blocks work good with ONR for bugs, tar and trim.

[Chris Thomas]

I have found DP rinseless wash and gloss to be on par with ONR and I like the smell of the DP a little better.

Just my 2 cents

You might start a thread called: "DP rinse less wash: The Definitive thread" that would be more appropriate than interjecting a DP plug into an ONR thread. I have used it and it is a fine product (thanks for the sample Meghan!), but am wondering why you'd post your opinion in an ONR thread?