DB_NC_95C2

we're in a drought here right ? right

no washing cars at home, so I get this stuff, Optimum No Rinse, that two pro detailers that don't know each other recommended to me.

It's full of polymers, 2 capfuls in 2 gallons of water in a pail, using clean microfiber towels, you 'wash' one panel of the car gently, then 'rinse' the same panel gently with another towel dipped in the stuff, then a 3rd towel you gently dry. It even says you can use the Optimum/water solution for a clay lubricant, although I've not tried that yet.

2 gallons does 3 to 4 panels (i.e. door, roof, fender)

So every night after work, and a couple times last weekend I set about 'prepping' a panel or two at a time, to be followed by 3 more steps each.

(what started this mania is the crap cleaner wax with abrasives used by the bozo detailer the car's seller hired, leaving white specs all over the place)

after each panel is prepared:
lubricant from Griots and clay
wipe down the lubricant residue
hand polish with Griots find hand polish
wipe off the polish residue
hand wax with Griots best-in-show
voila.... whole car is finally done.

crappy picture I know, but the car won't go out for a couple days as 'wintry mix' is on the way and brine's on the road, I'll get good pics outside next time it leaves the garage

Harvey Yancey

Very interesting solution.

BTW - Is that Alonso I see in the background?

DB_NC_95C2

yep, that's Fred... back in yellow again now. I hope he helps resurrect the team, and that a couple other teams are capable of winning. I'm not a McLaren fan, not a Hamilton fan, last year was the first year since 1997 (before Spoonface tried to punt Jacques to win the title in Jerez) that I rooted for a red car, and it's because Kimi was in it.

The Optimum is good stuff, if it weren't for the lousy detailing job I would have taken much longer to do the car, but since I got it in December, I wanted the whole car done 'my way' and the Optimum stuff afforded me the opportunity to do it at my pace, without using a lot of water, and most importantly, without breaking the local laws.

By the way, congrats on your car on the Pano cover!

Cincy_Ron

I love ONR. I can do both my cars in the garage without even turning on the hose. The stuff works great. I use a two bucket method though, one to rinse the mitt, then into the ONR bucket to wash.

James K

Wow that sounds great. I might have to pick up some of that on my way home from work. What's your treatment for wheels?

RallyJon

I use ONR in the garage when it's too cold outside.

The biggest problem I have with it, is that wash mitts don't rinse clean (or as clean) as they do with normal soap. I do a panel, and the mitt is gray-black and you just know it's full of grit waiting to put little scratches in the paint.

Two bucket is a great idea, but if the dirt doesn't come off the mitt, what's the point?

Oh--and leaves. NOTHING gets little bits of leaves out of microfiber.

So now I hose the car off in the driveway, pull it into the garage, let it warm up, then ONR it using 4 microfiber mitts tossing them when they get too dirty.

What could be more convenient?

Stealth 993

I've used it, & it's OK, for a light cleaning. But if your car is really "dirty" it will scratch the paint & put in swirl marks.

It's also a great clay lube, & detail spray! I keep a spray bottle of it in the trunk, so if I get any poop on the car I can clean it off!

If you do use it as a "waterless" car wash, make sure you use a FEW microfiber towels on the car, start @ the top & work your way down, the lower towels get ONLY the lowers, then you are done with them.

The wash bucket method is the "best" way to incur the least amount of swirls. I usually put in a little more then what is required.

trickydisco

No-Rinse is good stuff. I use it on the 330i in the winter when it's
too cold to wash in the driveway.

Two bucket method is a must. I do agree that the mitt gets
plenty dirty and it's hard to get out. It's not for DIRTY cars,
it's to maintain clean cars. If my car is moderately dirty, i do a coin-op
spray first, then take her home to No-Rinse.

DB_NC_95C2

I totally agree that it's not for a DIRTY car, in my case I was only doing one or two panels at a time to prep the paint before clay polish and wax. With the restrictions here it allowed me to go slow at my own pace, keep the car in the garage until I had done every panel and gotten the car the way it SHOULD have been done by a 'professional detailer' ($%^@*&% ... that's for the reseller that got the car 'detailed' before I picked it up. I should have just told him leave it alone and let me do it). I do need to get an extra bucket for a 'real wash' (i.e. my girlfriend's Acura or my Mini). Next I need to get a random orbital and the appropriate product(s) to go with it. My 'hand job' got some of the swirls and spider webs but next it needs orbital work.

troos

I've had some of this on order for two weeks from OCD Garage. (Great looking website and pricing, delivery sucks). Living under the same water conditions as you I'm anxious to try this. If you can't clean a DIRTY car with it, how does it differ from all the detailing sprays on the market?
Tom

993inNC

Looks great We're having a tech session day at my house on the 26th of Jan, come on down and I'll let you show everyone how to do that using my car as the guinea pig We'll even put it up on the lift so you don't have to hunch over

trickydisco

That's a fair point, but I would say that the use of only two buckets
of water means that it cant perform magic. All of that dissolved
and undissolved crap in there... You just can't wait until your
car is THAT dirty.

Used more frequently, it is fantastic at KEEPING your car clean.
You could never do that with simple spray detailers, plus you would
end up with a paint finish with the texture of a skating rink.

gripet

I use Zano's. It leaves the finish feeling buttery smooth. No water necessary.