How dirty is too dirty for S&W?

C

CharlesW

The Rainmaker
Could some of you Poorboy S&W users that clean really dirty cars post a few pictures of just how dirty of a vehicle you would use it on?
I love the stuff, but either go to the DIY spray wash and knock off most of the dirt first or use a rinseless wash such as DP 4 in 1 on a truly dirty car.
A few pictures might relieve my concerns a little.

Charles
 
Sorry no pictures but common sense prevails.......and you have tons of common sense. If you think it's too dirty for a wipe down with S&W then it probably is.

I don't have to deal with the winter conditions you do but pictures will not replace the gut feeling as to "is it too dirty for a spray on wash?" Trust your judgement, if it looks too dirty then it is. I don't know of a better way to put it.

Go with the gut.
 
I think RTexasF said it best. Go with your gut.

I use lots of product and even more MF towels and taken some gritty stuff off my truck. Did I marr the truck. Quite possibly when I used it to extreme. Yet nothing that I did to marr the surface was not correctable. I know my paint is thinner because of this attitude.

In Alaska I had extra-ordinary circumstances. The enviroment is just to frontier-ish as compared to where I live in Texas. All my friend live on gravel roads with a goat trail as a driveway. All dirt and no gravel. All the roads are full of potholes I know that I would never do in Texas as I did in Alaska. Yet, if one takes their time and uses soft strokes with many MF towels you will be surpised as to how effective S&W can be for you.
 
CharlesW said:
Could some of you Poorboy S&W users that clean really dirty cars post a few pictures of just how dirty of a vehicle you would use it on?
I love the stuff, but either go to the DIY spray wash and knock off most of the dirt first or use a rinseless wash such as DP 4 in 1 on a truly dirty car.
A few pictures might relieve my concerns a little.

Charles
Click to expand...

the answer is mud...black yukon has some pictures somewhere that were really dirty
 
Poorboy said:
the answer is mud...black yukon has some pictures somewhere that were really dirty
Click to expand...

CharlesW said:
I did find these pictures posted by Blkyukon, but this isn't really dirty compared to how my vehicles sometimes get.

http://www.detailcity.org/forums/94119-post10.html

Were you referring to these or some others?

Charles
Click to expand...
I also found this thread from 2004, but the pictures are no longer available.

http://www.detailcity.org/forums/80069-post24.html

Charles
 
You can trust it on pretty grimy, dirty car surfaces. I've used Spray and wipe this way quite a few times. It even works well on my BMW's plentiful brake dust covered rims... although i haven't used SnW for quite a while.. mainly.. i hate dirtying up my MF towels. Keep in mind to have plenty on hand as they do get real dirty this way if you are just used to normal quick detailing so i prefer the ONR/4 in 1 route.
 
RTexasF said:
Trust your judgement, if it looks too dirty then it is. I don't know of a better way to put it.

Go with the gut.
Click to expand...

cwcad said:
I think RTexasF said it best. Go with your gut.
Click to expand...
If I went with my gut feeling, I would never have started using S&W to start with. :D


mg031 said:
You can trust it on pretty grimy, dirty car surfaces. I've used Spray and wipe this way quite a few times.
if you are just used to normal quick detailing so i prefer the ONR/4 in 1 route.
Click to expand...
S&W has been a go to product for me for about 5 years so I don't compare it with quick detailing at all.
It has proven to be much more than a QD.
The problem is the different opinions of what constitutes "pretty grimy, dirty car surfaces". :)
That was why I was hoping for some pictures.
The pictures by Blkyukon in the link I posted look about like how dirty my vehicle is after just driving in a light rain. I have no problem with those conditions or even worse. My problem has been how much worse?
Like you, the ONR/4 in 1 is the way I go once I have reached the level of dirt that I'm not comfortable with.
I guess I'll just have to keep trying the S&W on progressively dirty surfaces until I start scratching the paint. :D

Charles
 
Here are the pics for that post Charles

How to use Poorboy's Spray and Wipe


S&W is a great product but I try not to use it on anything dirtier then what is pictured in the link....Don't get me wrong I love S&W, but it does have it's limit. For dirtier paint you could over saturate the area with S&W, let it dwell and use multiple MF to clean and dry....but it might not be worth the time, product and effort though.


Just like with washing, having a good coat of wax/sealant helps with the effectiveness of S&W.

Hope this helps!
 
I think Kirk summed it up pretty well when he discussed circumstances that you run into. If you have the availability of a rinse down when it's pretty dirty, then why waste the product like Blkyukon said.
But if you have no other choice and you want to have the vehicle clean, plan on using more than the usual amount of product and a whole lot of microfiber towels ;)
 
If I'm not able to fully rinse the vehicle, I will use the Spray and Wipe and go over the vehicle with WET microfiber towels, then come back and use the Spray and Wipe again with the some dry microfiber towels.

This has worked out really well.
 
Autogeek said:
If I'm not able to fully rinse the vehicle, I will use the Spray and Wipe and go over the vehicle with WET microfiber towels, then come back and use the Spray and Wipe again with the some dry microfiber towels.

This has worked out really well.
Click to expand...
I had considered using wet MF towels for the first wipe off of the S&W. Actually, I was thinking of using warm water for the first wipe.
My reservation was the possibility that the water would dilute the S&W and keep it from doing its job properly.
If I'm going to go that far, I just as well do a hybrid job. S&W where I feel comfortable with it. (Most of the area above the midpoint of the doors and fenders)
4 in 1 for the lower panels and any really dirt areas.
Maybe even mix up some 4 in 1 in a spray bottle to saturate the caked dirt before using the S&W. The 4 in 1 would make a much more economical soaking solution than the S&W.
Usually, I go to the DIY spray wash for a first rinse when the vehicles are bad, but there are times when it is much more convenient to just leave the vehicles in the garage. Opening the garage door to leave and return loses any residual heat the garage had and also gets the vehicle it self colder.
Since I seem intent on making this into a big deal, maybe I can try all the above. :D
By the time I figure it out, spring might be here.

Charles
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top