Hosepipe ban

ShinyTom · 04-05-06, 04:01

Hi all,

Is anyone else out there also now under a hosepipe ban?

Just wondered what tools or products were best for keeping the car looking good if you are not supposed to use a hosepipe?

I've heard of a water-less wash but am not sure if it is available in the UK, or how safe it is to use on a semi-dirty car (i.e. after say 1 or 2 weeks and 200 miles of driving in typical UK conditions).

One idea I had was buying one of those pump sprays usually used to spray insectacide in gardens - has any tried this? I think the spray is too fine/light though to be really useful.

Any other ideas much appreciated.

Regards,

Tom

steveo3002 · 04-07-06, 10:15

use loads of watering cans ...takes a bit longer but does a ok job

mheaford · 04-11-06, 02:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShinyTom

Hi all,

Is anyone else out there also now under a hosepipe ban?

Just wondered what tools or products were best for keeping the car looking good if you are not supposed to use a hosepipe?

I've heard of a water-less wash but am not sure if it is available in the UK, or how safe it is to use on a semi-dirty car (i.e. after say 1 or 2 weeks and 200 miles of driving in typical UK conditions).

One idea I had was buying one of those pump sprays usually used to spray insectacide in gardens - has any tried this? I think the spray is too fine/light though to be really useful.

Any other ideas much appreciated.

Regards,

Tom

Our ban started just over a week ago. I actually bought some Optimum No Rinse Was & Shine from motorgeek. It's fairly expensive at £13.95 for 32oz but a lot of highly respected people rave about it here so I thought I would give it a go.

I tried it out on Saturday and was pretty happy with it. I followed this guide (I used the dilution ratio stated on the optimum bottle):

http://autopia.org/forum/showthread....=Optimum+Rinse

I liked the idea of a kind of prewash spray to get any particularly dirty areas cleaner before the MF toucehd the paint.

Here are some other threads on the product:

http://autopia.org/forum/showthread....nse+Wash+Shine
http://autopia.org/forum/showthread....hlight=optimum
http://autopia.org/forum/showthread....=Optimum+Rinse

Hope this helps.

ShinyTom · 04-11-06, 05:08

Thanks for the info - I'll give Optimum a try!

Stevie_UKAccord · 04-16-06, 07:25

Come and live in Scotland, we never get a hosepipe ban lol

Been raining on and off for about 2 weeks now,

evolutionvalet · 04-20-06, 01:31

Hi,

there are quite a few 'waterless' cleaners out there. the one I have used is Miracle Dry Wash.
Works well and leaves a polymer resin behind to give the shine. It doesnt scratch or leave swirls.
I would use it for a detail spray when the vehicle is slightly dusty.

Good for hosepipe bans I guess.

Kev

westondetailing · 06-17-06, 02:44

I was in the UK about a month ago, and theres these franchises called ******, they use ***** because of the hosepipe ban. so should be a great alternative to you here is the info i copy and pasted it from their site

[snip]

check them out at (URL removed) and (URL removed)

when i was there they had products on backorder so you may wanna check back with them this week tho

i found the same products here in the states search google for ******, ordered some from them will let you know how they perform once i run tests

hope this helps

Mike

JulesE34 · 10-17-06, 11:48

Hi,

I'm in Basingstoke and we are slap bang in the middle of hose-pipe ban territory.

If you have a Karcher pressure washer you can obtain a hose with a filter attatchment on the end so that your karcher can run from a rain-water butt. Bonus is that you don't get any rain spots!

Jules

K1 CERB · 11-10-06, 05:12

Living in Kent, I can only just remember Hose Pipes!

I now run 3 buckets....Wash the roof & Windows, rinse the Roof. Chamy the roof
Wash the O/Side Windows & Upper door Panels, Rinse the windows & Upper Doors, Chamy etc etc etc... takes as long as before & is not as satisfying

K1 CERB

Taubs · 11-10-06, 05:27

I bought a "Dirt Worker" from the bike section of a widespread UK motoring store. Its basically a water container with a pump in it and a hose attachment - designed for cleaning moutain bikes and the like. It runs off of a 12v cigarette lighter and delivers a nice flow rate. It holds 15 litres, but I find I can now wash the entire car with about 10 litres of water. A lot less that when I used a bucket.

for £60 its not a bad price.