ONR: The Definitive Thread

[integritydetail]

ONR Dilutions (Per Label):
Wash solution: 1oz per 2 gallons
Clay lube: 2oz per gallon
Quick detailer: 8oz per gallon (updated from 6oz on earlier version)

ONR Directions (Per Label):
1. Add 1oz to 2 gallons of water in a wash bucket
2. Soak wash media in solution and wash vehicle in sections
3. Dry each section two clean towels consecutively

Alternate Method w/Presoak (Thanks SUPERBEE364 and EXCELDETAIL)
1. Spray down each panel with QD strength ONR. (pump type garden sprayer)
2. Wipe each panel down gently with a dripping wet MF from the ONR bucket.
3. Rinse and squeeze out the MF, get it dripping wet again, and redo the same panel.
4. Dry the panel with a clean MF followed by a second MF
(Sup prefers to use distilled water exclusively, too.)

No Rinse Guide With Pics by:Excel Detail

FAQs (Thanks Dr. G, BENCE & ANTHONY O.):
1. Why does it feel slimy and not foam?: ONR should feel somewhat slimy, as this provides lubrication/encapsulation which carries away the unwanted dirt particles from the surface. This is a good slime.
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.
3. What are the environmental advantages?: Much less water is used by eliminating the rinsing step, not to mention on average only 2 gallons are used to wash vs. 6-10 gallons with the two bucket method (not including rinsing). Also, with a regular wash the mitt will release the dirt into the (usually 5 gallon X 2) rinse bucket, it would likely end in the storm drains when you dumped the buckets. With the ONR wash you can wash your mitts in your machine and dump the remainder of the 2 gallons of solution into the sink or toilet where the dirt goes to the right place where water can be treated/purified. Optimum Products also come packaged in HDPE bottles (which are one of the few widely recyclable plastics)
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.
5. Is there any advantage to using DI/distilled water to make the solution?: Softer water cooperates well with ONR. ONR's actives bond to the minerals of hard waters, therefore you may add more ONR to harder waters. DI/distilled water have no such minerals and the cleaning/protecting power of ONR can be exploited without weakening. These kind of waters will feel slimier than tap water.
6. My ONR Clay lube lost its color, will it still do the job or is it ruined?: ONR may lose its color when the sun hits it directly, but this won't affect its performance.
7. My car is really dirty, should I use more of the concentrate?: Using significantly more than the recommended dosage won't multiply ONR's performance; it will work effectively with the recommended amounts. You can still fine-tune the dosage to your exact needs (soiling of the vehicle, water hardness, wash media type, etc.).

(1 oz per gallon vs 1 oz per 2 gallons)
Thank you for bringing up this question. The polymers in No Rinse have reactive groups that bond and trap dirt particles making the dirt particles virtually non-abrasive. They also bond to oily particles and emulsify them into water. The latter is equivalent to the cleaning action from soaps which also work by emulsifying oil particles into water. However, with soap there is no interaction with dirt. This is why adding No Rinse to a regular wash also helps protect the paint from dirt particles.

The No Rinse polymers also bond to all automotive surfaces and create a slick surface and act as a barrier to protect paint from marring. That is something that soap will not provide since surfactants in soaps have no affinity for painted or other automotive surfaces.

When you use 1 oz. of No Rinse in 1 or 2 gallons of water for your wash at the molecular level this provides hundreds of billions of polymer molecules to do what was said above. Additional product will not be necessary except if you are using tap water that contains high levels of minerals such as calcium hydroxide or silicates. In these cases some of the polymers will bond to these minerals and take them out of solution therefore more product might be necessary to compensate for this effect. This is another reason why adding No Rinse to a regular car wash soap improves the results when using tap water.

For claying, the recommended level is 2 oz. per gallon, however, the actual product usage is far less. For instance if you are using 16 oz. of clay lube to clay a car, at this dilution you are actually putting 1/4 oz. of No Rinse on the surface. Same thing goes for using No Rinse as a quick detailer.

These levels were of course tested for several months and hundreds of washes of heavily soiled cars before we started offering No Rinse three years ago. I hope this helps answer your question. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. Thanks again.

Dr. G (copied from Optimum Forums Ask Dr. G section)

8. Can ONR be used to clean windows and interiors? Yes, ONR can be used for an interior and exterior glass cleaner. It can be used at the regular QD mix.....a bit stronger if you're doing nasty windows and a bit less if doing more regular upkeep type cars.

If you notice streaks and smears then you need to cut it back with water.

ONR Technique (Thanks SCOTTWAX):
Body: YouTube - Washing a Cayenne with ONR

Wheels: YouTube - Optimum No Rinse and wheels part 1
YouTube - Optimum No Rinse and wheels part 2



Engine: ONR engine detail

Claying: YouTube - Claying with Optimum No Rinse

Touch-ups: YouTube - ONR vs bird bomb

Fenderwells:YouTube - Fenderwell cleaning with Optimum No Rinse Wash

ONR Wash Media Threads:
ONR Users: What kind of mitt do you use?

My Favorite ONR Mitt

ONR Media...??

ONR Media
ONR Capabilities Threads:
ONR, think youe've reached the limits!

Shun the nonbelievers! (Another ONR thread)

ONR on my silverado

Tried out some ONR (pics)

ONR time :)

Whoh! I clayed with ONR and my car looks stunning!

Here's my testimony to ONR

Another ONR Lover (pics inside)

[Derek173]

This the latest product from Optimum I have tried and just like the rest I was beyond impressed!

Optimum really makes great products. I am still amazed by opti-seal, can't believe the shine/protection provided by a simple wipe on product.

[dervdave]

Good post IntD. !
Just like Optimum, it certainly makes things easy

[wfedwar]

Originally Posted by integritydetail

[size="3"][font="Arial Black"]
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. When the mitts would release the dirt into the rinse bucket, it would end in the storm drains, and the whole environmental responsibility would be BS. When you wash your mitts in your machine, the dirt goes to the right place where water can be treated/purified.

This doesn't make sense. Dirt from a car wash going in a storm drain isn't the issue. It's dirt. The point is you don't have to rinse, and can dispose of your wash in an alternative way. You also use less water.

[Inzane]

Originally Posted by integritydetail

When the mitts would release the dirt into the rinse bucket, it would end in the storm drains, and the whole environmental responsibility would be BS.

Say what?? How the heck would the contents of my rinse bucket end up in the storm drains, unless I specifically dumped them in there?

I usually wash with the 2 bucket method and when I'm done washing my cars both buckets go inside (my house) with me and are dumped in either a drain or toilet, which go... to the domestic sewer system, which IS treated, not the storm drain system.

[Scottwax]

Dump the ONR mix into your lawn. That is the "greenest" way to do it.

[mobenzowner]

Originally Posted by Scottwax

Dump the ONR mix into your lawn. That is the "greenest" way to do it.

Thats exactly how I do it. Onr has got to be my one product I couldn't do without.

[Robb]

Great thread, we've needed this for a while, should help a lot of people

[integritydetail]

Originally Posted by wfedwar

This doesn't make sense. Dirt from a car wash going in a storm drain isn't the issue. It's dirt. The point is you don't have to rinse, and can dispose of your wash in an alternative way. You also use less water.

Originally Posted by Inzane

Say what?? How the heck would the contents of my rinse bucket end up in the storm drains, unless I specifically dumped them in there?

I usually wash with the 2 bucket method and when I'm done washing my cars both buckets go inside (my house) with me and are dumped in either a drain or toilet, which go... to the domestic sewer system, which IS treated, not the storm drain system.

Thanks for pointing that out! That is a little hard to understand. I edited it into another question and hope the intention of the explanation is more clearly stated now.

[Inzane]

Originally Posted by integritydetail

Thanks for pointing that out! That is a little hard to understand. I edited it into another question and hope the intention of the explanation is more clearly stated now.

it would likely end in the storm drains when you dumped the buckets. With the ONR wash you can wash your mitts in your machine and dump the remainder of the 2 gallons of solution into the sink or toilet where the dirt goes to the right place where water can be treated/purified.

I still think you're off the mark on this particular point.

I don't treat my mitts or my wash buckets any different whether I doing a traditional wash or when using QEW (similar to ONR). In both cases my buckets get dumped inside, not in the storm sewer. And in both cases my mitts get washed in my machine (when required).

I'm not sure why anyone would do that aspect different between conventional and ONR washes.
(Exception given to Scott's suggestion, I might try the dumping on lawn option with ONR when I start using it).

[integritydetail]

Originally Posted by Inzane

I still think you're off the mark on this particular point.

I don't treat my mitts or my wash buckets any different whether I doing a traditional wash or when using QEW (similar to ONR). In both cases my buckets get dumped inside, not in the storm sewer. And in both cases my mitts get washed in my machine (when required).

I'm not sure why anyone would do that aspect different between conventional and ONR washes.
(Exception given to Scott's suggestion, I might try the dumping on lawn option with ONR when I start using it).

I gotcha, you are ahead of the curve on your methods. Most people don't take the time to properly discard their solution, so that directive is more for them. When cleaning a car you are not just removing dirt. There is oil, tar, acidic droppings, and many other contaminants that end up in the water. Admittedly, they are negligible amounts, but if you do the wheel method or engine method with an APC pre-treat, I'd recommend not dumping it on the lawn. As far as washing the media, you have to consider the spectrum of people using ONR. You see no need for special treatment of your media, but by reading all the posts Autopians put up, there is a legitimate concern about the dirty look of a mitt and it not releasing in the ONR solution in the same way it does with conventional shampoo/detergent. Those who are used to only using one mitt seem to worry about marring from the dirty looking mitt, so I added the "change mitt as needed" and "wash in a machine" directives for them.

Thanks for your feedback!
Chris

[Blade9]

Originally Posted by Inzane

I still think you're off the mark on this particular point.

I don't treat my mitts or my wash buckets any different whether I doing a traditional wash or when using QEW (similar to ONR). In both cases my buckets get dumped inside, not in the storm sewer. And in both cases my mitts get washed in my machine (when required).

I'm not sure why anyone would do that aspect different between conventional and ONR washes.

I actually think he got it right with the editted version. Most people I know won't lug their almost full buckets after a traditional wash back into the house to pour down the toilet or wash sink, etc. With ONR, it's easier to do that because the buckets most likely would contain a roundabout couple of gallons. In addition, the rinse water alone after a traditional wash all end in the storm drain. There is no such thing with ONR.

Mitts...same thing. After a traditional wash, the tendency for most people is to rinse them off with water via the hose or faucet to get rid of all the soap. With ONR, the tendency is just to wring them out into the rinse bucket.

Edit to add: Great thread by the way, integritydetail!!