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EDIT: anyone ever used waterless carwash products?

purbeast0

purbeast0

No Lifer
EDITED POST - about waterless carwash

so last night I was doing some googling to see different ways that people get pollen off their car and came into some of this adam's waterless carwash, which actually seemed to be heavily praised by quite a few people for doing a quick cleaning job - such as getting pollen off.

i've had my new car for under a week and it's covered in pollen, and on black, that doesn't look very good. other than the pollen my car really isn't dirty at all as I haven't even driven it too much.

has anyone used this waterless carwash stuff before, and if so, is there anywhere to get it B&M? i noticed the adam's brand seems to be only sold online. i was trying to get some today if possible, because i want to get the pollen off my car tonight after week so it looks nice for the weekend. or if anyone hasn't used it, what's the quickest way to get pollen off w/out a full carwash? i just don't want to do a full wash because i don't have all of the tools and materials for it yet.

ORIGINAL - What do you wash your car with?

since i got a new car i'm going to want to take the best possible care of it.

i don't know too much about what is good/bad products on the market to keep a car really clean, so that is the point of creating this thread.

and i'm not talking about detailing with waxing and stuff like that, i'm just talking about what you may wash and clean your car with every couple of weeks.

so what do you all use to clean the car? the wheels? tires? interior?

i have leather interior so is there anything specific i should not use on it?

also what types of sponges do you use that work the best and do no damage to the exterior?

what is the best way to dry with what types of towels?

sorry for the noob questions but appreciate the answers!
 
Last edited:
purbeast0 said:
since i got a new car i'm going to want to take the best possible care of it.

i don't know too much about what is good/bad products on the market to keep a car really clean, so that is the point of creating this thread.

and i'm not talking about detailing with waxing and stuff like that, i'm just talking about what you may wash and clean your car with every couple of weeks.

so what do you all use to clean the car? the wheels? tires? interior?

i have leather interior so is there anything specific i should not use on it?

also what types of sponges do you use that work the best and do no damage to the exterior?

what is the best way to dry with what types of towels?

sorry for the noob questions but appreciate the answers!
Click to expand...

About the leather.
Do not, repeat, do not use all in one cleaner-conditioner wipes.
Conditioning leather without cleaning it will cause it crack.
Plus, they put other crap it in that isn't good for leather.
Get the Lexol Cleaner and Conditioner bottles, follow instructions.
 
You'll probably get a different answer from everyone but here's what I use:

1 smaller bucket for washing wheels - I just use car wash soap with an old wash mitt these days not a specific wheel cleaner and variety of brushes like I use to.

2 x wash buckets w/grit guards - 1 for soapy water, 1 for rinsing the mitt/sponge off in

Soap varies but usually P21S - occasionally I'll use Optimum No Rinse or some store bought Meguiars wash if I run out of everything else.

Traditionally I use a lambswool mitt but currently I'm using blue Lake Country Foam sponges. They're very gentle, almost too gentle since they have trouble getting the bugs off the front bumper. 😉

For drying I still use a California Water Blade. Followed by a waffle weave microfiber towel if I want to make sure it's completely dry or if I'm going to polish/wax afterwards.

As for tires & interior - 303 Aerospace Protectant. Works on rubber, vinyl, leather, you name it.

And for glass - Stoner's Invisible Glass. Hands down the best glass cleaner I've used and you can get it at Walmart.

I think that just about covers it without going into too much detail. I typically get most of my stuff from www.autogeek.net if you want to look around at what's out there. They also have guides on how to do specific car care tasks you might want to take a look at.
 
I use a microfiber mitt and Super Shampoo from Meg's. Hyperwash is also very good.

Leather matters what car it is. Gliptone is great. Lexol is not terrible and easy to find. Tanner's Preserve is also very good.

For wheels I use a separate microfiber mitt and the same soap.

Interior is 303 cleaner and protectant.

To dry I use an absorber and finish up with microfiber towels.

Cobra Microfiber is a great bang for buck.

Autogeek.net is a great shop. Use coupon code autopia
 
I just throw mine into the local hand wash. My paint is so f-ed up now, I've been thinking about saving a few dollars and going to the regular octopus wash.

I have tons of swirls, someone threw some sort of turpentine on my door, rock chips in the bumper, my hood has tons of rock chips also...etc.
 
What you use isn't as important as how you use it.

Pre rinse the entire car until the water is clear. Don't use pressure on the wash mitt to scrub or rub off difficult spots, only use it's own weight to move the suds around in straight lines along the lines of each panel. If things aren't coming off, either need to let them soak and come back to it, or time for clay.

Use a separate bucket for rinsing, don't use the same mitt for wheels/tires/wheel wells, etc.

Don't use fabric softener when you wash your car washing materials, and don't mix with any other laundry like towels, etc.
 
ok wow thanks a lot of good replies in here. i'm definitely going to be checking out that website and place an order on there.

as far as that california water blade goes, is the dry or jelly one better to get? i like the whole idea of not even using a towel to dry the whole thing, but rather use one to just get the missed spots.
 
first wash of the season i do a mix of dawn and meguiars gold class. again for the first wash only to strip it of all the crap thats been collecting. I then immediately wax it. I know there's some controversy in using dawn but i did this last year and this year and the results came out phenomenal.

all other washes i just use meguiars gold class
 
bump for a new question...

so last night I was doing some googling to see different ways that people get pollen off their car and came into some of this adam's waterless carwash, which actually seemed to be heavily praised by quite a few people for doing a quick cleaning job - such as getting pollen off.

i've had my new car for under a week and it's covered in pollen, and on black, that doesn't look very good. other than the pollen my car really isn't dirty at all as I haven't even driven it too much.

has anyone used this waterless carwash stuff before, and if so, is there anywhere to get it B&M? i noticed the adam's brand seems to be only sold online. i was trying to get some today if possible, because i want to get the pollen off my car tonight after week so it looks nice for the weekend. or if anyone hasn't used it, what's the quickest way to get pollen off w/out a full carwash? i just don't want to do a full wash because i don't have all of the tools and materials for it yet.
 
purbeast0 said:
bump for a new question...

so last night I was doing some googling to see different ways that people get pollen off their car and came into some of this adam's waterless carwash, which actually seemed to be heavily praised by quite a few people for doing a quick cleaning job - such as getting pollen off.

i've had my new car for under a week and it's covered in pollen, and on black, that doesn't look very good. other than the pollen my car really isn't dirty at all as I haven't even driven it too much.

has anyone used this waterless carwash stuff before, and if so, is there anywhere to get it B&M? i noticed the adam's brand seems to be only sold online. i was trying to get some today if possible, because i want to get the pollen off my car tonight after week so it looks nice for the weekend. or if anyone hasn't used it, what's the quickest way to get pollen off w/out a full carwash? i just don't want to do a full wash because i don't have all of the tools and materials for it yet.
Click to expand...

A lot of the quick detailing products more or less work the same. Adam's makes good stuff.

The key with these is to use proper microfiber clothes (heavier naps) and use light pressure...you want to lift the dust/pollen off not rub it in.

Black is going to be hard enough to keep swirls off.

Meguiar's makes a product you can dilute 1:1 with water (I think it's Last Touch, if not it's the 135...I use both) which is also an excellent clay lube.
 
purbeast0 said:
i've read a few things this morning suggesting that Ultima is better than ONR for waterless carwash. however, anyone know where to find them B&M so I could just go pick them up this afternoon after work?
Click to expand...

Most of these are only carried at auto 'boutique' type stores like a Driver's Seat.

Autogeek.net FTMFW though! Ships fast and cheap...don't forget to use the coupon Autopia for 10% off.
 
alkemyst said:
A lot of the quick detailing products more or less work the same. Adam's makes good stuff.

The key with these is to use proper microfiber clothes (heavier naps) and use light pressure...you want to lift the dust/pollen off not rub it in.

Black is going to be hard enough to keep swirls off.

Meguiar's makes a product you can dilute 1:1 with water (I think it's Last Touch, if not it's the 135...I use both) which is also an excellent clay lube.
Click to expand...

i'm sorry if im a total noob to all this, but what exactly does the clay lube do? is this something I can use to get the same result as a waterless carwash cleaner? i'm pretty sure advance autoparts carries a lot of meguiars stuff so they may have this.

i'm going to make an order on that other site you all have recommended here, however i'm trying to get this done today lol!
 
anyone ever use Meguiars Ultimate Quik Detailer to clean off pollen? i found it searching online and read a little bit about useages and this seems to be one. they do sell it locally to me as well.

just wondering if anyone has used it before for this purpose (of getting pollen off by spraying and wiping it off) and their results.

also, are normal old microfiber towels recommended for drying, or the waffle ones?
 
Last edited:
A lot of good recommendations in the posts before mine. I didn't see this thread, but here is my take:

Like a good autopian, I am enemy of swirls and scratches, and have enough products to polish and wax all the cars in my town... twice. Yes, I have used waterless wash products, and use it extensively In fact, most of my washing now is waterless, and I am using HD Free or its green twin 3D Waterless wash

As in any other washing method, common sense is your best asset. You wouldn't wash a car caked in mud without pre-rinsing and blasting most of the crud, no matter if you are doing conventional, rinseless or waterless. Take the excess dirt and grime out and then use the waterless.

Is waterless safe? Absolutely. If you can use rinseless, you can use waterless. Let me find some of my posts on autopia and I will do a shamelessly plagiarize myself.


Alex
 
well i got some meguiars ultimate quik detail and used it tonight ...

all i can say is HOLY SHIT! i can't believe how well it worked and how effortless it was. it took me about 30-40 minutes total to do my entire car with wheels. i can probably do it quicker next time too since i actually know how to do it now. ssssssooooooo much easier than doing a full wash.

i tried to take some before/after pics but the lighting doesn't really show the difference at all because it was starting to get dark when i began it, but i tried...

http://imgur.com/a/Hq189

my mom and step dad thought it looked better than when i picked it up last weekend from the dealership. it's incredible how shiny and clean it looks! definitely going to try and just do this every week or two instead of washing it every few weeks.
 
I use the meguiars ultimate quik detail after washing my car and that only takes about 10-15 minutes. I also use it to touch-up the car between washes but I've never tried to use it to do the whole car between washes or remove heavy dirt.

I also use Meguiars Ultimate Liquid Wax and the Detailer definitely keeps that wax look and water beading.
 
Quick Detailers are something you'd use daily / every other day. Trying to do a complete car wash with them will not provide the lubrication/cleaning to prevent scratches and swirls.

You will find Meguiars 135 a much cheaper bulk solution to UQD (ultimate quick detailer), and their Last Touch product more slippery for really dirty days. Buy a couple nice spray bottles or reused your UQD one.
 
yea i was just looking to get all the pollen off and make it look nicer for the weekend, and for that it seemed to work well.
 
I have the exact same issue. I wash my car one day and then next it's absolutely covered in pollen. Black cars are great when they are clean but man are they hard to maintain. Not sure why I keep picking black. I'm going to give this product a try. Thanks for all the info.
 
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