Revisiting Soaps - Cutting Through the Salt Crust

I`m a little surprised that people are finding this so challenging...maybe it`s the "not exactly "salt" ` road deicers, which I`ve heard are more tenacious.

Since getting my pressure washer, I`ve been able to get vehicles "OK, if not close to Autopian" by merely:

-pressure rinsing with regular water
-maybe going over the worst areas with my siphon-feed sprayer and shampoo mix (it hooks up to the compressor)
-pressure rinsing with DI water

Eh...OK, guess I see the answer- doing it my way requires the pressure washer, siphon-feed sprayer, a compressor, and the CRS. And a heated/usable wash bay. And the right LSP (FK1000P). Lot of requirments that I`m fortunate enough to have on-hand.
 
Just to bring this thread to full circle, I ordered me up some Auto Finesse Avalanch. Over the DW, AF seemed to be a bit more favored than Valet Pro. I spent some time checking out YT videos before the purchase, and it does seem as close to touchless as one can get. Many/most reviews advise Avalanch is LSP friendly compared to BH. Here`s hoping intern. shipping is not coming via boat ;-)
 
mobiledynamics said:
Just to bring this thread to full circle, I ordered me up some Auto Finesse Avalanch. Over the DW, AF seemed to be a bit more favored than Valet Pro. I spent some time checking out YT videos before the purchase, and it does seem as close to touchless as one can get. Many/most reviews advise Avalanch is LSP friendly compared to BH. Here`s hoping intern. shipping is not coming via boat ;-)
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Not boat! Does that mean you found AF Avalanche for sale state side??? Or are you paying a premium for air shipping? I`ve always wanted to try it for winter washes.
 
A lot of it comes down to "Are you going to polish in the spring?" If the answer is yes, then do whatever *within reason* and deal with the marring then.

If you`re trying not to polish then I think you`re on the right track. Just realize that even the stronger snowfoams won`t give a 100% touchless wash. I would do what Accumulator posted using the Avalanche to hold you over until you can do a full wash in warmer weather.

I wish I could do something similar but I don`t have a CR spotless, and my hard water would leave spots.

IMO the paint is fairly corrosion resistant compared to other parts of the car. Its the joints, chromes, underside, and exposed metals that I really worry about in the winter.
 
Accumulator said:
I`m a little surprised that people are finding this so challenging...maybe it`s the "not exactly "salt" ` road deicers, which I`ve heard are more tenacious.

Since getting my pressure washer, I`ve been able to get vehicles "OK, if not close to Autopian" by merely:

-pressure rinsing with regular water
-maybe going over the worst areas with my siphon-feed sprayer and shampoo mix (it hooks up to the compressor)
-pressure rinsing with DI water

Eh...OK, guess I see the answer- doing it my way requires the pressure washer, siphon-feed sprayer, a compressor, and the CRS. And a heated/usable wash bay. And the right LSP (FK1000P). Lot of requirments that I`m fortunate enough to have on-hand.
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Accumulator -

Heh, that`s quite a deviation from the other mitt/foam method ;-)
Never got a chance to respond to this reply.

Granted, water seems to affect ones experience with soap products globally. Some products work great for others, to others they are duds.

As a example, modern dishwashers with modern soaps like stuff with ~crud~ on them. They work cleaner/better than having a dishwasher that has had dishes pre-rinsed.


I`ve tried the touchless method on a mild dirty car.
No salt.
Washed 2 day prior. Driven in dry conditions afterwards.
Some light dirt from driving.

Method A
PW Rinse
PW Lance Foam
PW Rinse

and also

Method B
PW Foam (dirty panels)
PW Rinse

Full disclaimer: I`ve only really used ph neutral soaps though. I`ve considered but not knowing how it plays on LSP, adding a splash of APC or TAW . I don`t like playing chemist so I don`t mix-coagulate. I would think a engineer is smarter than I am....

The paint has coatings so the cling factory may be a smigen less due to that.
Either method seems to get the panels clean but not the film.
In some areas, like the rear of one my cars (dual mufflers, aerodynamics) that tends to get almost as grimey as the lower panels, both methods always seem to leave dirt in certain spots that only mechanical agitation would seem to resolve.

I spent a good latter looking at YT vids on AFA. It does seem to be the winning ticket for winter for sure. If it`s all out LSP fine, I might even use it all season !
 
mobiledynamics said:
Either method seems to get the panels clean but not the film.
In some areas, like the rear of one my cars (dual mufflers, aerodynamics) that tends to get almost as grimey as the lower panels, both methods always seem to leave dirt in certain spots that only mechanical agitation would seem to resolve.
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Same experience here. You need to follow up with a contact wash if you want a *truly* clean car unless you`re using something caustic (And I`m not comfortable trying). But for the winter, where you`re really just looking to the nasty off and get back inside, it`s probably good enough.
 
mobiledynamics- Yeah, the "just spray it off" approach is the flip side of how I usually wash :D It`s that "probably good enough" that DetailZeus alluded to.

The "gotta have mechanical agitation to get things truly clean" reminds me of how my BHB/foamgun step is just too gentle to truly get things clean, not clean enough to touch when drying at least. Matter of degree...it takes a certain level of aggressiveness to get some stuff off the paint.
 
mobiledynamics said:
Stayed tuned....got some special foam coming my way tomorrow. The bigger ? is how LSP friendly is it.
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Awesome, do report. It probably goes without saying, but I wouldn`t completely judge how it affects the LSP until you can follow up with a Reset wash. The residual "film" may hide your beading. Then again, I`ve never seen Avalanche used CQ first hand.
 
DetailZeus said:
Awesome, do report. It probably goes without saying, but I wouldn`t completely judge how it affects the LSP until you can follow up with a Reset wash. The residual "film" may hide your beading. Then again, I`ve never seen Avalanche used CQ first hand.
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Over at DW, they seem more pre-rinse/pre-treat/pre-wash centric and I read/searched for a bit and seems they are more ‘nuba heads than coatings. I was specifically looking for direct correlation/feedback on these touchless foams/coating. I did PM with a pro and he said he’s had fantastic results with coatings/Avalanch.

I’m thinking as a precautious precursor, which the layers are CQ/Reload – to give it another layer of Reload just to be the sacrificial one, depending on how Avalanch plays out.
 
I hate to be a naysayer but I drive my 2012 BLACK Camaro year round since I don`t see the need to have 2 vehicles. This will be the 5th winter and after the first 3 winters trying to be nice and touch it as little as possible through the winter just does not work if you want a clean car. My car always looked like the video in post 8. I don`t like to use rinseless washes without at least running it through the touchless wash or at least the manual wand bay. There is no getting road grime off without agitation of some sort beacause the touchless or using the manual wand bay just isn`t enough. Second winter I had 3 coat of Fk1000p and thought the extra coats would be slick enough the stuff would spray off with ease, no it doesn`t.

If you have the idea you can just spray this grime off or soak it and spray it off you are wrong.

I know it is sacrilege and I will likely get flamed for this but last winter and now this winter I have resorted to running it through the soft touch because I just don`t care anymore. You may think they are swirl makers but believe me they are not as bad as some make them out to be. I only did this two or three times last winter and once the other day after work and as dry as I thought it was it had a layer of salt on it by the time I got home. It was just to damp in town and the half mile from the wash to the edge of town was enough to get it dirty.

I just don`t see how you can get this film or grime off without touching the vehicle.
 
mobiledynamics said:
GB on some UK soap :buddies
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Meaning Great Britain`s Auto Finesse`s Avalanche citrus-based foam soap??

(There is is NO connection/association between GB detailer and the "GB" noted in this post. Just look where I am from and you`ll understand. Just saying..........)
 
We must just be lucky with regard to what they use on the roads in our area- The A8 got *really* salt-encrusted last week but it came clean as can be with just my usual shampoo mixes, even the undercarriage.
 
skibik said:
I hate to be a naysayer but I drive my 2012 BLACK Camaro year round since I don`t see the need to have 2 vehicles. This will be the 5th winter and after the first 3 winters trying to be nice and touch it as little as possible through the winter just does not work if you want a clean car. My car always looked like the video in post 8. I don`t like to use rinseless washes without at least running it through the touchless wash or at least the manual wand bay. There is no getting road grime off without agitation of some sort beacause the touchless or using the manual wand bay just isn`t enough. Second winter I had 3 coat of Fk1000p and thought the extra coats would be slick enough the stuff would spray off with ease, no it doesn`t.

If you have the idea you can just spray this grime off or soak it and spray it off you are wrong.

I know it is sacrilege and I will likely get flamed for this but last winter and now this winter I have resorted to running it through the soft touch because I just don`t care anymore. You may think they are swirl makers but believe me they are not as bad as some make them out to be. I only did this two or three times last winter and once the other day after work and as dry as I thought it was it had a layer of salt on it by the time I got home. It was just to damp in town and the half mile from the wash to the edge of town was enough to get it dirty.

I just don`t see how you can get this film or grime off without touching the vehicle.
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I run ours through the soft wash too in the winter. In fact i just did. Will do my wife`s tomorrow. Life`s too short for daily drivers can always hit with a light polish in spring. Usually need to anyways.


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MattPersman said:
I run ours through the soft wash too in the winter. In fact i just did. Will do my wife`s tomorrow. Life`s too short for daily drivers can always hit with a light polish in spring. Usually need to anyways.


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I did mine I think 3 times last winter in the soft touch and never even touched it with polish in 2016. Sure it has a few swirl marks but nothing more than if I were to have hand washed it. You have to get the grime off because it also contains salt. The no-touch or manual just doesn`t seem to take it off. It needs agitation of some sort to get that off. JMO.
 
skibik said:
It needs agitation of some sort to get that off. JMO.
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Yeah, agree. That`s why I can`t do *only* my BHB-centric stuff, just too gentle to get things completely clean, need to follow up with something a bit more aggressive if I`m gonna touch it while drying.
 
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