Optimum No Rinse Tips

J

JonB

New member
I just gave the Mustang its second wash since layering on a few more layers of BF a few weeks ago. I have been using Z7 instead of BF wash, and I think that the shine and slickness seem to be holding up much better than when I was using the BF wash.

I seem to remember someone saying that it was tested and found it to be highly alkaline, but I can't remember who, when or where. Or maybe I imagined it......



H
 
It does have "Tuff Suds" which is in the Pinnacle wash....which BradB claimed stripped the wax off of his car. I use AutoInt's "C" wash with good results, no losss in shine and a small loss in slickness.
 
I have a BF "New Car Kit" (includes BF Wash) sitting on the shelf waiting for spring. I work in a lab and have access to a pH meter, so maybe I'll take the BF wash in Tuesday (I'm off Mon) and see what the pH is.



I'm planning on washing my Klassed truck tomorrow, and was thinking of trying some of the BF wash on it, but after the last two posts maybe I wont!:eek:
 
I just did a BF wash myself on my friend's car that I BF'd (3 coats) last weekend. It's hard to tell if there's any diminishment in shine because it's been overcast here in LA, but it's definitely not slick anymore.



I'm going to apply 1 more coat tomorrow and then do a wash with either Z-7 or Meguiar's next weekend to see if that helps.
 
I have not tried Z7 with Blackfire protectant, but I have used both Meguir's and Blackfire wash with it. For what its worth I liked the results much better with the Blackfire wash (think it helped rejuvinate the shine more than Meguir's).
 
Anyone have any secret tips? I tried searching for ONR, but the search engine said no threads... which I know is a lie!

Personally, once I mix my ONR and water, I fill up a spray bottle with the solution and spray down the whole car. That way, the solution is already working on any stuck on dirt, and hopefully doing it's "encapsulation" thing.

Since I'm doing this in my garage in winter, it doesn't evaporate at all.

As well, after doing the wheels with ONR, I take a cheap Costco MF and wipe off the rotors to get the rust off, so no squeeking when driven next.

Who else has some special sauce?
 
gewb said:
I only use distilled water, even when making up a bucket - never needed more than one gallon.
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I use the distilled water when I make batches of clay lube and such, but when I'm washing my two cars, I just use tap water. It's heated that way too :)
 
When you mix up a bottle for a spray down before the wash, mix it at QD strength. Especially if the car has excessive amounts of road salt and grime on it. Spray it down and then do the ONR was as normal.
 
I use a 1 gallon pump sprayer mixed with ONR to presoak the vehicle, and a bucket of hot water and ONR. Wash the panel, clean wash media, wash again, spray with OID and dry.
 
integritydetail said:
I use the blotting technique for the first drying pass. Then spritz Optimum Car Wax on and buff to a shine. Wash and wax in 30 minutes.
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Yeah, drying seems to be the weak point with the ONR wash. You take dirt suspended in the ONR solution, and suck it up into a microfiber towel versus rinsing off with water. Now you've got the dirt on the towel fibers, and is it still encapsulated with ONR?

I've been drying the car with my Big Blue as I normally would with a standard wash, but was wondering if that was a good idea or not.
 
integritydetail said:
I use the blotting technique for the first drying pass. Then spritz Optimum Car Wax on and buff to a shine. Wash and wax in 30 minutes.
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Same here, although I've heard people say OCW isn't a good drying aid, it works for me and is very durable for a spray wax. I love that stuff.
 
My process:
1. pre-soak with QD strength
2. use two bucket method with ONR in both buckets
3. Have 2 to 3 mf mitts (have like 1/4-in long fibers) plus a Uber sponge for lower rocker section
4. I will wipe, flip wipe again then rinse. Mitt and wash bucket stay much cleaner
5. Dry using two towels: initial wipe, drying wipe
 
shizam1 said:
Yeah, drying seems to be the weak point with the ONR wash. You take dirt suspended in the ONR solution, and suck it up into a microfiber towel versus rinsing off with water. Now you've got the dirt on the towel fibers, and is it still encapsulated with ONR?

I've been drying the car with my Big Blue as I normally would with a standard wash, but was wondering if that was a good idea or not.
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If you see dirt on your drying towel, you should be making another washing pass. It's hard to describe but if you can see the solution on the panel has a dingy appearance, you make another pass before drying. If done properly you will not soil either drying towel. As a matter of fact that is a great tip for those new to ONR. You should use a light colored drying towel to see if you are doing the wash completely.
 
integritydetail said:
If you see dirt on your drying towel, you should be making another washing pass. It's hard to describe but if you can see the solution on the panel has a dingy appearance, you make another pass before drying. If done properly you will not soil either drying towel. As a matter of fact that is a great tip for those new to ONR. You should use a light colored drying towel to see if you are doing the wash completely.
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That's assuming when you go over the panel with a MF soaked in ONR solution that it picks up ALL the dirt.

Isn't it more likely that you get some dirt suspended in the ONR solution that remains on the paint? And trying to eyeball it seems difficult, depending on the color of the car ( black or silver in my case ), and the color of the ONR, etc.

Maybe I should be doing two passes with the ONR soaked towel ( with rinsing/re-soaking in between ) for added safety.

FYI - I use the Big Blue drying towel ( not white ), and I rarely see any dirt on the towel.
 
How about just using two microfibers to wash with instead of one. Wash with one, then a second pass with the second before you go back to rinse. I always have two or more wash mitts or towels in the solution bucket. It may take a couple times but I swear I can tell by looking at the remnant solution on the panel whether I need another pass or not. There's no guessing if you can see what I'm talking about. There really not much danger if you do dry it off a little dirty either as long as you aren't using much pressure, but when you get it down your dry towel will be clean.
 
Yeah, I'm going to switch to a two MF towel approach. First one gets the dirty stuff, and second one is more damp then soaking with ONR, and will remove most of the remaining liquid. Then onto the MF towel for drying. It shouldn't increase my time by more than 5-10 minutes, and will be extra insurance that I'm getting all the gunk off!
 
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