DriWash questions.....legit or snake oil?

S

spellcaster

New member
I haven't been to the forum for four years. I got out of the detailing industry when I developed sensitivity to some of the chemicals that created health issues, so I've reclaimed my Amateur status.

My question concerns DriWash. I live in a region that is under stage 4 water restrictions, so car washing at home is illegal. I used a commercial carwash once, a few weeks ago, but the results were dismal. I'd been aware of DriWash for years, but always viewed it with skepticism. Now, I'm thinking that it might be the best alternative to leaving my car unwashed for the next six months.

Can anyone here give me a pro's opinion on whether it'll hurt my paint or cause long term damage? I've done a search of the forum, but haven't seen anything definitive. Online consumer reviews seem mostly positive, but I'd prefer to hear from people who know. Thanks.
 
1. DriWash, are these like the Kozak drywash cloths you're referring to? I've never used them but someone else may offer an unbiased opinion.

2. does your car wash have a self-directed power wash option using just water under pressure to rinse your car?

3. if you wait 6 months what do you do, here and now, with pollen, ice/salt, Canadian geese, road grime, pollution...?

4. do you have a garage in which you can conceal a bucket wash at minimum?

5. maybe pay a pro to maintain your car on a monthly basis?

Just trying to throw some ideas out.
 
Thanks for the response, jmsc. I don't know much about the product right now. I assumed it must be a cream or liquid that's applied with a special cloth, but that's just a guess. My landlord has only used DriWash on a very expensive motorhome that's several years old, and has never seen water. He thinks it's great, and I just heard that one of the people I work with is a dealer, so I can probably find out more.

There are at least four commercial car washes in town, and I suspect there's an assortment of styles among them, The one I tried was a touch-less high pressure wash and it was really unimpressive. (it made my car about as clean as it usually is two weeks after a hand-wash)

Aside from the appearance consideration, I'm not comfortable just letting it go with no cleaning for six months. Pollen's a factor here, road tar because of all the summer road work, bird droppings and insects are all things I want to deal with right away. instead of letting them bake in the summer heat.

I probably could sneak-wash it here....200 feet from the road, and the landlord (who lives in the attached house) has
suggested it to me......He'd undoubtedly let me garage it long enough for a bath. The fact is, this is a real water shortage, and this is one of those things I need to have a clear conscience about. It burns my butt to have paid 12.00 for an inferior job at a car wash, and I'm sure it uses more water than I would, and I wouldn't be surprised if the DruWash is the same cost or more. But, I do see looking for a substitute for water washing as the right thing to do.

Worst case scenario, I could get it hand-washed for 25.00 at the local Chrysler dealership........but I ran their detail shop for five years and it was not amicable when I left. That's why I'd like to do it myself.

I just remember what dry-polishing a car that's not really clean does....Just grinds the dirt in and leaves swirl issues in the paint. I'd like to hear from a pro that I'm not going to do more harm than good if I use DriWash.
 
Is this DriWash 'n Guard out of Ithaca, NY?

Heard about them back early 2000's. If it is, this is a waterless wash product. Spray on wipe off.
 
I acquired some DriWash from a local distributor at a car cruise just out of curiosity. As usual with a product that has not been reviewed on any of the forums I trust, I tried it out on door jambs and underhood. My biggest issue with it was that it dried too quick, regardless of temp or humidity, so it took too much product to keep the surface damp enough for my MF to sweep away any dust and dirt and too much rubbing to remove the dry product streaks. So it was relegated to door jambs and such. It did do a nice job on all the underhood plastics on the wife's BMW, with decent longevity. I'm not a fan of many detail sprays, preferring to use a waterless wash for the extra lubricity. My current go-to is Ultima Wash & Wax +, so that's the yardstick by which all others are measured. Three of my family fleet are darker colors, including my black DD, so I feel safer when any rubbing or wiping is minimized. However, if I see the guy again, I'll probably buy more DriWash, just for the container. It's sold in a narrow bottle with a pump-up sprayer that has a tip resembling an aerosol paint tip, and it spreads and atomizes the product better than any other sprayer I've ever used. My UWW+ goes on nice and smooth without any runs.

PS. There's a bunch of other waterless products sold here that are probably great. I've not tried 'em all, but I just prefer The Ultima stuff so far.

Bill
 
spellcaster said:
Not 100% sure I understand the question, but basically, it's not permitted to use a hose.
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I think he meant does your water restriction permit you to do a rinseless wash since no hose is needed? At least that's how i read it ;)
and Dry Wash n Guard has the best spray bottles. Mine lasted for 13 years and just broke a few months ago when i dropped it. I have since purchased 2 more empty bottles. As stated above, the older Dry Wash N Guard dried to fast and dusts horribly IME.
 
KBzPTGT said:
I think he meant does your water restriction permit you to do a rinseless wash since no hose is needed? At least that's how i read it ;)
and Dry Wash n Guard has the best spray bottles. Mine lasted for 13 years and just broke a few months ago when i dropped it. I have since purchased 2 more empty bottles. As stated above, the older Dry Wash N Guard dried to fast and dusts horribly IME.
Click to expand...

Yes, that is what I meant. Something like ONR using the Gary Dean method or something similar.
 
Maybe I'm dense, but I'm still not understanding what a rinseless wash is. Does that mean soaping the car with a mitt from a small pail of water and then just towel-drying it?
 
spellcaster said:
Maybe I'm dense, but I'm still not understanding what a rinseless wash is. Does that mean soaping the car with a mitt from a small pail of water and then just towel-drying it?
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Almost. Rather than soap, you use a dedicated product, such as ONR (Optimum No-Rinse) DG 931 or 932 (Duragloss rinseless wash with Aquawax), Meguiars D114 or many of the others sold here. You mix typically 1 oz. of product for each 2 gallons of water and wipe it over the panel with a suitable applicator (such as a grout sponge or a Meguiar's Microfiber mitt-my personal favorite), then wipe the panel dry with a suitable towel. With proper technique, it's as safe as a hose and bucket wash but only requires you to carry a couple gallons of solution to the car. Do some searching here using the term "rinseless" and you'll find numerous threads and posts on product and technique. I probably do less than five 2-bucket washes a year; Everything else is rinseless.

Bill
 
Basically it's like washing your car with a spray wax or quick detailer is what Dri wash n guard is. Not bad product if your car isn't super dirty, it fills ok as well. There are many "waterless" car wash products. Waterless and Rinseless Wash Products. That is from the company here. There are others like shine supply, chemical guys, stuff on Amazon, stuff from meguiars you can get at an auto parts store, etc.
 
I have never used DriWash, but from what others have said it seems like it would cause marring unless your car was very clean to begin with. As Billy Jack mentioned it sounds like a "Rinseless" wash would fit the bill for you. You don't need a hose, just a bucket with 2 or 3 gallons of water. Each of us has our own prefered technique and products to use, but here is a link to a video on how to do a rinseless wash https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7LiR1l9ZVk If you go to youtube and do a search for "rinseless car wash" there are many more video's. Note: I find using more rinseless solution on the wash media than Sonic reduces marring.

Optimum No Rinse (ONR) I believe was the first rinseless and has been around for over 10 years so I'm surprised you've never heard of it. After using it for at least the last 10 years I switched to Ultima Waterless Wash+ as I find I get less marring and a slicker finish, but there are many others besides these two.

LINKS:
Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine

Ultima Waterless Wash Plus+ Concentrate

It helps if your car has a coat of good slick sealant or wax on when doing a rinseless wash.
 
pwaug said:
I have never used DriWash, but from what others have said it seems like it would cause marring unless your car was very clean to begin with. As Billy Jack mentioned it sounds like a "Rinseless" wash would fit the bill for you. You don't need a hose, just a bucket with 2 or 3 gallons of water. Each of us has our own prefered technique and products to use, but here is a link to a video on how to do a rinseless wash https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7LiR1l9ZVk If you go to youtube and do a search for "rinseless car wash" there are many more video's. Note: I find using more rinseless solution on the wash media than Sonic reduces marring.

Optimum No Rinse (ONR) I believe was the first rinseless and has been around for over 10 years so I'm surprised you've never heard of it. After using it for at least the last 10 years I switched to Ultima Waterless Wash+ as I find I get less marring and a slicker finish, but there are many others besides these two.

LINKS:
Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine

Ultima Waterless Wash Plus+ Concentrate

It helps if your car has a coat of good slick sealant or wax on when doing a rinseless wash.
Click to expand...

Infinite Use Detail Juice is the way to go. Rinse less wash. You can use a gallon of distilled water to wash your entire car. No hose needed and no water runoff. YouTube "Garry Dean Wash Method" and you will be good to go.
 
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