How To: Rinseless Wash (apartment detailing/winter washing)

Dear Connor & Friends

Thanks for taking the time to photograph and document your process. I know this takes a lot of time and energy, and it's a joy to both be on the receiving end of your generosity and to see others enjoy it, too.

I have a question about rinseless washing in general. About how much water will fall on the ground and puddle? I think I might try my first rinseless wash in a few minutes, and I'd want to do it in our basement garage since it's windy and cool outside and I have a cold.

Based on the amount of space I have beside the van in the pair of images below, do you think I could do a rinseless wash in my garage and not create a big mess?

van_space_3893.jpg


van_space_3894.jpg
 
Jaddie said:
Dear Connor & Friends

Thanks for taking the time to photograph and document your process. I know this takes a lot of time and energy, and it's a joy to both be on the receiving end of your generosity and to see others enjoy it, too.

I have a question about rinseless washing in general. About how much water will fall on the ground and puddle? I think I might try my first rinseless wash in a few minutes, and I'd want to do it in our basement garage since it's windy and cool outside and I have a cold.

Based on the amount of space I have beside the van in the pair of images below, do you think I could do a rinseless wash in my garage and not create a big mess?

van_space_3893.jpg


van_space_3894.jpg
Click to expand...

your car doesn't look very dirty so you don't really need to soak your van. a nicely wet microfiber looks like that would be enough to clean it up. the amount of dirt is the determinate on how much water one uses.
 
Dear Charlie & glfahlc

Okay. I'll give it a shot.

The van isn't very dirty, but it's too dirty to wipe down with spray wax, or at least I think it is.
 
Jaddie,

Obviously it will depend on how much water you let get on the ground, but you really shouldn't have any issues with making a mess. As has been suggested, you don't need to worry with doing a pre-spray if that is how dirty your van is right now. Whatever water may end up on the ground (probably only about a gallon or so) will almost certainly be dry by the next day.

My only suggestion would be to make sure those cardboard boxes are off the ground, depending on how your floor is sloped you could end up with some soggy packages!
 
Dear Connor & Friends

The boxes had the Pail Pal double-dolly two-bucket system in those with a complimentary Dirt Dropper. I put that together before doing the rinseless wash. I used Cobra's Bone microfiber sponge on mjlinane's suggestion. He said it will hold a lot of solution. My lack of experience bit me here. Just because it will hold a lot of solution doesn't mean I should have used a lot of solution. I had water everywhere and had to sweep it out. It was 51°F and 27% humidity and I perspired profusely. I think I was nervous about what I was doing. The van now glows with fresh Optimum polymer goodness, though, and it was your write-up that inspired me to try this for the first time.

The pictures don't do it justice, but here they are:

van_after_1st_onr_3897.jpg


van_after_1st_onr_3900.jpg


You can see some of my excess water. Our home's previous owner put up a stud wall in the garage because the main floor was sagging. My handy-dandy father-in-law says where going to install a beam in place of the stud wall so that we'll have more space in the garage.

Thanks for the inspiration, Connor!
 
Todd Helme said:
Even with super soft paint I'm not sure I'd be leery of it (provide the car isn't caked in dirt).

When I had my black Chevy HHR (super super super soft paint, even the softest microfiber would leave faint 'rainbow' marring) I used to use the most exacting wash method. Two buckets, dunking my mitt after each panel, lots of sud, and I would still get some residual marring.

Then I switched to a rinseless wash, once a week, and eliminated any surface marring. It was the only way I could wash it with out scratching the super soft paint.
Click to expand...

Have you tried adding some rinseless wash to the regular shampoo (rinseless used as a conditioner, I've read)? I've read some of the AG products recommend (or at least suggest) this method.
 
Great write up. I will have to get some nice plush microfibers and try those instead of my mitt.

And I love using warm water in the winter :D

Beautiful car!
 
Welcome to the rinseless revolution. I too, don't have much room in my garage for such, but it sure beats having a dirty car!
 
Great write-up, I am also in Madison. I now use a rinseless wash 90% of the time. It's faster, I don't have to move my car out of the garage, and it eliminates the aerobic activity required of a conventional wash when you have hard water. Re: water in the garage, I have an old beater bath towel and when I'm done, I just drag it on the floor around the car w/ my foot. This leaves the floor damp, but w/ no puddles. The damp floor dries in an hour, even at 40 degrees. My wife was dead set against me washing my car in the garage, but after she saw this, she now has no problem with it.
 
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