Are these the right steps for using optimum no rinse?

H

hademade

New member
I have been practicing detailing for a while now and i am starting to feel comfortable with it. I did the traditional method, but i plan on using optimum no rinse when starting my business. Now i am ready to test out onr. Are the steps below the correct order for doing a detail with optimum no rinse.



1. Wash the car with the onr solution using a wash mit (using two bucket method, with grit guard)

2. Dry the wet area with a waffle weave towel

3. Wash the wheels with the remaining onr solution with tire brush, and dry with tire microfiber.

4. Then I clay bar the car using 2 ounces of onr with a gallon of water

5. Then i use the optimum opti clean for waxing the vehicle

6. Then i am finish with exterior detailing



So do these steps look right, i want to be sure before i practice on my vehicle. I want to do the right technique.
 
Wash a section at a time, dry immediately. I wouldn't use a waffle weave, personally I don't think they have enough nap. I prefer to use thick 500+ gram 16 x 16 microfiber towels.



I usually do the wheels/tires first since I mostly work outside and it is always windy. Sucks to have the car nice and clean and get tire dressing overspray on it. This way, any overspray is washed off when I wash the car. I obviously use a different ONR bucket for the car after I clean the tires/fenderwells.



Once you have washed a panel, you can clay it before drying.



Opti-clean isn't a wax, its a waterless wash. Do you mean Opti-Seal?



There are a ton of videos about this on youtube, just search "Optimum No Rinse Wash".
 
Scottwax said:
Wash a section at a time, dry immediately. I wouldn't use a waffle weave, personally I don't think they have enough nap. I prefer to use thick 500+ gram 16 x 16 microfiber towels.



I usually do the wheels/tires first since I mostly work outside and it is always windy. Sucks to have the car nice and clean and get tire dressing overspray on it. This way, any overspray is washed off when I wash the car. I obviously use a different ONR bucket for the car after I clean the tires/fenderwells.



Once you have washed a panel, you can clay it before drying.



Opti-clean isn't a wax, its a waterless wash. Do you mean Opti-Seal?



There are a ton of videos about this on youtube, just search "Optimum No Rinse Wash".
Click to expand...



Do what this man says. His videos are what finally convinced me to use ONR. And I've never looked back!
 
Scottwax said:
Wash a section at a time, dry immediately. I wouldn't use a waffle weave, personally I don't think they have enough nap. I prefer to use thick 500+ gram 16 x 16 microfiber towels.



I usually do the wheels/tires first since I mostly work outside and it is always windy. Sucks to have the car nice and clean and get tire dressing overspray on it. This way, any overspray is washed off when I wash the car. I obviously use a different ONR bucket for the car after I clean the tires/fenderwells.



Once you have washed a panel, you can clay it before drying.



Opti-clean isn't a wax, its a waterless wash. Do you mean Opti-Seal?



There are a ton of videos about this on youtube, just search "Optimum No Rinse Wash".
Click to expand...



I meant opti-seal, i don't how i got those mixed up. So i would need a separate bucket for for the wheels and tires. I will purchase the thick 500+ gram 16 x 16 microfiber towels. I will also watch more videos on youtube, until i get the technique. Thanks for the advice it was really helpful for me.
 
i don't use a grit guard, but i do use 2 buckets. i have black paint and it seems to be comfortable with my technique.



i use a WW but as scott suggested to me, i lightly drag it across the paint just to pick up the surface moisture. i let the MF towels with more nap do the final dry.



the product is pretty easy...one panel at a time and start high and work your way down so no water streams onto a panel you just finished. ONR is actually much easier than conventional washing IMO.



opti-seal isn't required after every wash. one coat will last 6-8 weeks, so you could just apply it every other month and you would be alright. some kind of prep work before the intial coat of OS would be a good idea.
 
tuffluck said:
i don't use a grit guard, but i do use 2 buckets. i have black paint and it seems to be comfortable with my technique.



i use a WW but as scott suggested to me, i lightly drag it across the paint just to pick up the surface moisture. i let the MF towels with more nap do the final dry.



the product is pretty easy...one panel at a time and start high and work your way down so no water streams onto a panel you just finished. ONR is actually much easier than conventional washing IMO.



opti-seal isn't required after every wash. one coat will last 6-8 weeks, so you could just apply it every other month and you would be alright. some kind of prep work before the intial coat of OS would be a good idea.
Click to expand...



I will remember to start high and work my way down. So opti-seal would be only good to use every other month. Thanks for the advice about the opti-seal. I haven't used it before, so i wasn't sure how frequent you was suppose to use it.
 
Opti-Seal last several months for me, but wax/sealant longevity is dependent on washing habits, environment, fallout issues, etc. There really isn't a definitive answer how long a given product will last until you use it in your particular detailing regiment. One of the nice things about ONR is how it adds back slickness and gloss with each wash.
 
Scottwax said:
Opti-Seal last several months for me, but wax/sealant longevity is dependent on washing habits, environment, fallout issues, etc. There really isn't a definitive answer how long a given product will last until you use it in your particular detailing regiment. One of the nice things about ONR is how it adds back slickness and gloss with each wash.
Click to expand...



The opti-seal does last a while which is good. I guess i have to try it out first to see how long it will last on vehicles. I have heard good things about onr on the slickness and gloss.
 
Scottwax said:
I wouldn't use a waffle weave, personally I don't think they have enough nap. I prefer to use thick 500+ gram 16 x 16 microfiber towels.
Click to expand...

I've noticed you mention this a few times and I haven't asked about it...until now.



Have you had problems with WWs? I've never had issues with the nap.



Would it not make more sense to use the fluffy MF for the ONR wash stage than the drying stage? I make sure my ONR MF has enough nap to prevent marring from all the rubbish sitting on the paint.



I'm only asking 'cause I know you only have limited experience and you need a helping hand. :eyebrows:
 
Paul-in addition to the lack of nap, WW towels have never felt as soft to me. I don't really even like them for conventional washing, I would occasionally get some towel streaks from them.



I use a microfiber covered foam pad to wash and two 16 x 16 530 gram MF towels to dry. One towel for the first drying pass, second to make sure the surface is completely dry.
 
Scottwax said:
WW towels have never felt as soft to me.
Click to expand...



I know what Scott is saying - - I guess I would agree. The WW drying towels do have somewhat of a coarse texture compared to other MF towels.



Walmart has these giant, deep-pile towels for around $8:



towel3.jpg
 
Tom P.- So far my opinion on those plush MF drying towels from Walmart is mixed :think:



They do dry well, without that "leaving tiny droplets behind" that I can get with other plush MFs. But they seemed to leave lint on the Tahoe the last time. I say "seemed" just to qualify this a bit, but I can't imagine how else said lint got on there.



I'm still using them, but not for overall drying.



As for the coarseness of WWMFs, some are softer than others, and the (admittedly imperfect) CD-test is still a good idea.
 
Scottwax said:
Paul-in addition to the lack of nap, WW towels have never felt as soft to me. I don't really even like them for conventional washing, I would occasionally get some towel streaks from them.



I use a microfiber covered foam pad to wash and two 16 x 16 530 gram MF towels to dry. One towel for the first drying pass, second to make sure the surface is completely dry.
Click to expand...

Ok thanks. So how many 16 x 16 530 gram MF towels would you use per car?
 
Accumulator said:
Tom P.- So far my opinion on those plush MF drying towels from Walmart is mixed :think:



They do dry well, without that "leaving tiny droplets behind" that I can get with other plush MFs. But they seemed to leave lint on the Tahoe the last time. I say "seemed" just to qualify this a bit, but I can't imagine how else said lint got on there.
Click to expand...



Yeah, the towels are too large for my taste, they get too heavy when soaked. I have not noticed any lint, maybe I'll check for that next wash. I do notice those MF fibers being deposited on glass, but all of them seem to do that.
 
tom p. said:
..I do notice those MF fibers being deposited on glass, but all of them seem to do that.
Click to expand...



The lint from my WWs is miminal, espeically it seems when using QD, but the lint from those plush ones was really something (in the right light, at just the right angle) on the hood of the Tahoe. Far worse than I ever got with my WWs and more like I get from my gold-colored Pinnacle MF mitts.
 
Alfisti said:
Ok thanks. So how many 16 x 16 530 gram MF towels would you use per car?
Click to expand...



2-4 in most cases, folded into half, then half again. Depends on the size of the vehicle, temperature and humidity. When the first towel becomes too wet to be effective, I set it aside and use the other side (after unfolding it) to wipe down the interior after I finish washing.
 
I have Sonus Der Wonder WW and cobra supreme guzzlers WW. I haven't used either yet but I got a good deal. I'll post up my reviews on them. Has anyone tried either of them?! The Sonus stuff does look nice..
 
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