First Thoughts on Optimum Quick Clean (waterless wash)

[cptzippy]

First Caveat: Not a pro here by any standards.



That out of the way. Got my bottle of the new Optimum Quick Clean waterless wash a few days ago and got a chance to use it today. Used it on my wife`s MDX that had been washed (at the dealer - forgot to tell them) on Monday. It hadn`t been driven more than a few blocks in the meantime and was mostly just had dust and dew on it in the interim. As is usual with their product, it worked well and surpassed my expectations.



Here`s my thoughts:

1) Have plenty of plush MF handy. I started out with just two but probably would have been better off with six. They get damp quick and depending on how dirty the car is I believe it would be safer.

2) Also think it would be handy to have a bottle of OID or other QD handy with a separate towel to wipe off the panel after the wipe down with the plush MF. It tends to leave a little bit of a streak very quickly.

3) Maybe I applied it too liberally but I used about a 1/3 of a bottle on the midsized crossover. Wouldn`t want to go much dryer with it because I would be worried about marring. The concentrate definitely seems like the way to go with this.



Hope this little bit of info helps.

[Dan]

So, question, why would you use this vs ONR at QD strength?

[cptzippy]

If I believe the adverts with it, it has an added different polymer that makes it safer to use as a wash. Other than that, I don`t know why one would.

[Chris@Optimum]

You may have used too much, but you need to get comfortable and "trust" any new product. Also, I use a damp MF to wash instead of just letting the product wet the media. I also always follow each panel with a "drying pass" just like ONR because this waterless wash leaves protection behind and must be polished off lightly. Other waterless washes that only clean probably need less buffing.



Copied from OPT forums:



1. - For what reason would someone not just use ONR in the place of OOC for the purpose of cleaning paint. What I mean is: When a car is at the stage where OOC would be a good solution for cleaning, why not use ONR in a spray bottle and MF towels to achieve the same result?



No Rinse used as a quick detailer works fine for a car with light dust while Opti-Clean can be used on a car with several days of build up. The reason is that Opti-Clean contains the same polymers in No Rinse that encapsulate dirt but at a much higher concentration than No Rinse QD as well as other polymers not used in No rinse that offer more lubricity and gloss.



2A.- Will Opti Clean have any negative affects on looks, durability, or protection if a sealant or wax is applied directly after using it? Context: Someone has washed their car at night and decided to come back to it in the morning to seal. Because of the condensation on their vehicle they decide to wipe it down with Opti Clean before sealing.

2B.- Same question for ONR

2C.- Same question for OID



Based on the chemistry of these products (Opti-Clean, No rinse, Instant Detailer), there should be no bonding issues or affects on the longevity of waxes or sealants when you use these products before or after application of waxes or sealants. The protective film these products leave behind is dissolved and removed by the chemical solvents and abrasives used in waxes or sealants. None of these products contain detergents or solvents to remove waxes or sealants and therefore they only add protection not remove them.



3A. - What are the finer points of reasoning on the ONR directions stating to use a MF towel rather then a wash mitt or other media? I prefer using an MF towel but would like to know the reasoning behind that being specifically stated.



The reason we recommend Microfiber towels is that there are anywhere from 50,000 pores per square inch for an average microfiber to 200,000 pores per square inch for a very plush Microfiber towel. These pores are active sites to trap dirt and remove it from the surface. Therefore you get a much greater cleaning and protecting effect from a microfiber towel than a wool mitt, etc. The towels we offer are on the upper end of the range I mentioned. The only draw back when using a Microfiber towel as the wash media is that it is hard to remove the dirt that is trapped by No Rinse from the towel unless you use a strong detergent like Power Clean.

Another great wash media is a soft sponge (minimum 80 PPI) that works great for washing with No Rinse. The advantages of sponge over Microfiber is that dirt particles can get adsorbed into the sponge and away from the surface. We are working with a foam manufacturer to develop a mitt that not only is safe and gentle for the automotive paint but also has good cleaning and dirt release properties. Once we complete all the testing and development, we will make this new foam mitt available to help make the wash process with Optimum No Rinse easier.



4. - What is the main difference in OOC and ONR? What I mean is: Is their something interesting you can point to that wouldn`t require us to be chemists to understand? Such as: Do they have a much different PH? Does one contain much more protective polymers then the other? Which has a stronger cleaning ability if used in the same way?



While both of these products are pH neutral, Opti-Clean contains much higher levels of polymers than No Rinse as well as some new polymers that we developed for this type of application. The added polymers are necessary to compensate for using a fraction of the water as compared to a regular No Rinse wash.



5.- Do the polymers in OOC have any level of UV protection in them?



You do get some level of UV protection from the reflection effects as well as some sacrificial UV protection (the polymers breaking down rather than the paint). But for UV protection, you need specific compounds designed to block UV light. The main product we offer for exterior application that provides the most UV protection is Optimum Car Wax which contains these specific chemicals to block UV light.



Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. Thanks again.

Best Regards,

David (Ghodoussi)