Questions about ONR in winter on dirty car???

R

ride92

New member
I bought a new CX-5 meteor gray last spring and have been loving the car. I had to spend a weekend "fixing" the finish from the idiots who washed the car for the final check with dirty shop rag "Arrgggghhhh". Any how I polished the finish to my liking and washed the car all summer with the 2 bucket method and a Megs microfiber mitt and GoldClass wash. Used turtlewax ice shine lock sealant and Megs ultimate liquid wax. I also used Megs ultimate spray wax about once per month.

Now that winter has finally arrived and snow has fallen I've been using ONR with the 2 bucket method. Since I can't wash the car every day it gets quite dirty in between washes with road grime and salt, especially on the lower parts of the doors and rear end. What is the best way to go about washing the car? I can't be getting the hose out when its freezing out. I've tried the MF wash mitts, and a lowes proline sponge, the old grout sponge now labeled for cleaning. I was thinking of picking up some a 5 pack of pluffle towels from TRC via amazon since they are on sale. Would that be a better media to use? About 5 towels or so for the car? The sponge worked and came much cleaner then the wash mitt does. The wash mitt seems to not release the grime into the rinse bucket too well but I'm worried the sponge will lead to scratches. Any advice would be appreciated, this is my first experience with ONR and rinseless washing.
 
If you're using ONR, don't need the hose. Just fill a single bucket with room temp water- you can do this in the sink- and wash like that. I like to pre soak the car with an ONR solution and a pump sprayer. Really grimy areas I carefully wipe with a mf towel I throw away before doing the area with the wash mitt.
 
I'd use more towels personally. I use 12 on a mid-sized sedan. More towels means more clean towels touch the paint and less chance of marring.
 
Bigger issue IMO- how to get the salt off the undercarriage and out of the various nooks and crannies in order to prevent corrosion.

Back on-topic, I myself would run the vehicle through a touchless to get the majority of the [dirt/etc.] off before doing the ONR wash. Yeah, the chemicals can strip LSP and potentially do even worse stuff (if mixed incorrectly), but that's what I'd do.
 
I always pressure wash before a rinseless wash when the car is really caked with winter grime. Then move on to the rinseless wash--used ONR for years but have found UWW+ to offer more lubricity and it doesn't stain towels. I use this type of mitt with a grout sponge stuffed inside--allows me to control how much solution I use, you can change the mitt as often as needed and then throw them all in the washer when done.

http://
MF%20Mitt.jpg
 
Like others have suggest, I always pressure wash it off prior to using ONR when it's "too" dirty for just ONR. I have a coin-opp wash 6 blocks from my house so I go there to pressure wash it and then ORN back in the garage. At the very least I would get a pump sprayer filled with an ORN mix and pre-rinse before going at it. I prefer to use these longer nap MF towels and just toss them when they get too dirty. With towels you get 8 clean sides vs. a mitt or sponge that only has 2. I've tried sponges, even the raved about BRS, which I sold with a quickness after trying it. IMO MF towels are safer and can get into more ares that sponges can't.
 
RaskyR1- I agree completely about using plush, long-nap towels like the ones you linked to (even though I'm using plush, long-nap mitts just because I have a bunch of 'em; good thing I have so many since they only have two sides).

And yeah, if a vehicle has deep crevices/etc. you simply must be able to get your wash medium in there. Though I'm toying with the idea of using IUDJ through my (Xmas present) Tornador Black to sorta pressure-wash such areas clean (in addition to using the PW first).
 
Accumulator said:
Bigger issue IMO- how to get the salt off the undercarriage and out of the various nooks and crannies in order to prevent corrosion.

Back on-topic, I myself would run the vehicle through a touchless to get the majority of the [dirt/etc.] off before doing the ONR wash. Yeah, the chemicals can strip LSP and potentially do even worse stuff (if mixed incorrectly), but that's what I'd do.
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Ok, touchless Car wash isn't a bad idea, but then follow with a ONR wash? I just ordered some collonite 845. How does that stand up to touchless washes?

And I know I don't need a hose with ONR. I said, I can't be getting the hose out, hence the reason for doing the ONR.

Back to my original questions, I use a garden sprayer and spray the car down with a higher concentrated ONR solution and then proceed to wash. It's just that it really does a number on my wash mitt. I'm thinking the Pluffle towels since they are plush but also waffle weave so there's little pockets for the stuff to get trapped in. Am I just wasting my money on getting those towels? I have a bunch of Kirkland towels, they don't seem to harm my paint so they are good enough for me right now. Should I just use a bunch of them instead?

Any ideas on how to rinse off the under carriage? It's pretty well clad under there with plastic. Any way to get a better "rinse" at home to get more grit off to begin with?
 
Put 6 plush MF towels in a bucket with your solution (IUDJ for me is the best)...let them soak for a couple mins then presoak one panel (bottle sprayer with Rinseless solution; I use a paint spray gun with approx 100 psi of pressure) then proceed to wash with one of the presoaked towels. Use one clean side of the towel per panel (or more if really dirty). Gently dry off the panel with a quality WW towel then proceed to the next panel.
 
Go with the Eagles. I have both. The pluffles are pretty thin. They look thicker in the pictures than they really are.
 
RMD said:
Go with the Eagles. I have both. The pluffles are pretty thin. They look thicker in the pictures than they really are.
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Wow, I was almost going to pull the trigger on the pluffles. I was thinking the difference in weight was probably due to the open design of the waffle weave and the two would be very similar. How well do the Eagles hold up wash after wash?
 
ride92 said:
Wow, I was almost going to pull the trigger on the pluffles. I was thinking the difference in weight was probably due to the open design of the waffle weave and the two would be very similar. How well do the Eagles hold up wash after wash?
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See my post here:
http://www.autopia.org/forums/car-detailing/182212-maintaining-mf-towel-feel.html?highlight=

I think I may have used too high heat when dying with my first set. I've been more conservative with my 2nd, using less heat and not drying completely. I take them out of the drier when slightly damp and hang dry now. The new set seems to be holding up much better.
 
Ok, so I'm going to pull the trigger on the Eagle edgeless towels. my next question is about washing them. They say to wash new towels right away before first use so I will but my washer has so many settings and features I don't know what would best. Hot, warm or cold water? Should I use the steam feature during the wash cycle? Would the steam help after they've been used or is the heat going to be too much for them? Pre-wash, pre-soak, extra rinse? There are buttons and cycles I haven't even used on out washer yet and it's 4 years old. I plan to dry them on air only with the less dry setting. I guess the drier senses the amount of moisture left in the load.

Also what is the recommended drying towel to get. I have a large plush microtex platinum 2 in 1 drying towel from walmart that works well but is hard to ring out so by the end of the car it's leaving streaks. I also have a megs water magnet WW but I feel that thing does about 2-3 panels and then just spreads the water around. Anyone used the Pluffles to dry?
 
ride92 said:
.. I just ordered some collonite 875. How does that stand up to touchless washes?
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Sorry, but I'm not familiar with their 875...do you mean 845? Generally, Collinite waxes are fine and are actually my second-most favorites overall.

I'm thinking the Pluffle towels since they are plush but also waffle weave so there's little pockets for the stuff to get trapped in...
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Don't count on the "pockets" preventing marring. The dirt will scratch before it gets trapped in them and can also do it *when* trapped there.

Any ideas on how to rinse off the under carriage? It's pretty well clad under there with plastic. Any way to get a better "rinse" at home to get more grit off to begin with?
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Absent something pretty involved, maybe just do the "undercarriage wash" at the touchless carwash.
 
ride92 said:
Ok, so I'm going to pull the trigger on the Eagle edgeless towels. my next question is about washing them...
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MF is tough stuff and IME the heat of a "hot" setting on the washer and/or any setting on a properly-operating dryer will be far lower than "too hot". I wash my MFs on hot/'"sanitary" and dry them in the dryer on "low". But many MF manufacturers say to *BOIL* them so the "steam" setting shouldn't hurt anything. I've accidentally dried mine on "high" with no problems.

IMO people pamper their MFs far more than is necessary.

Also what is the recommended drying towel to get. I have a large plush microtex platinum 2 in 1 drying towel from walmart that works well but is hard to ring out so by the end of the car it's leaving streaks. I also have a megs water magnet WW but I feel that thing does about 2-3 panels and then just spreads the water around. Anyone used the Pluffles to dry?
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I like plush drying towels but eventually the always leave lint behind. Others prefer waffle-weaves. The "just mvoes water around" is common...seems like all MF Drying Towels eventally "die" and act like that. Try washing with that "steam" setting and see if that helps.

Rather than wringing them out, just buy more. Sorry, I know it's easy for me to spend your money, but I honestly think that's the answer. FWIW, I like "Dry Me Crazy" towels from Microfiber Madness/CarPro.
 
Accumulator said:
I like plush drying towels but eventually the always leave lint behind. Others prefer waffle-weaves. The "just mvoes water around" is common...seems like all MF Drying Towels eventally "die" and act like that. Try washing with that "steam" setting and see if that helps.

Rather than wringing them out, just buy more. Sorry, I know it's easy for me to spend your money, but I honestly think that's the answer. FWIW, I like "Dry Me Crazy" towels from Microfiber Madness/CarPro.
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You should give these a try as they don't have the open split ends like other plush MF towels. I've yet to see another MF towel like these on the market. ;)

PFM Drying Towels
 
RaskyR1 said:
You should give these a try...
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Yeah, next time I get new MF Drying Towels those will be on my Short List.

I was glad to see GG offer them, between those and their long-throw polishers they've really upped their game recently. Note that Autopians aren't so quick to say "that's pricey [crap] for stupid people who waset their money" about stuff from GG these days, which really pleases me as I've always liked Richard....cheesey ad-copy and all ;)
 
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