The Rinseless Washes
- Thread starter CharlesW
- Start date
Since I drifted away from the original topic, I thought I would keep going.
My rinseless wash mixture is done with hot water in a gallon jug mixed with 1 oz. per gallon of the 4 in 1.
I use a dispensing bottle like this to measure.
After mixing two gallons of solution, I take them to the garage and pour one each in two buckets. One for washing, one for rinsing. It was suggested by a friend that there would be less dilution of the wash solution if both buckets had 4 in 1 in them.
I do think the hot water helps in the cleaning process.
By the time I get things set up in the garage, the water temperature is bearable. I do wear rubber gloves in the winter to try to keep my hands dry and somewhat warmer. Works for me.
I use that same measuring bottle and love it. I fill up a five gallon jug and a two and one half gallon jug with warm filtered water from my sink. Filled to the top I think I have more like six gallons and three gallons in the two jugs.
I then haul them to my garage and half the water from the 5 gallon jug in one bucket and the rest in the other bucket and put ONR or 4 in 1 in each. I like to have rinseless wash in my rinse bucket also because it seems to release dirt from my mitt or grout sponge easier and I don't want to dilute my wash water as said above.
Because I wash weekly, the rinse bucket generally stays pretty clean UNTIL I get down to my rocker panels due to how low my car sits (2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse). Once I'm finished with my rocker panels my rinse water is very bad and my wash water is starting to show dirt. At that point, I dump my rinse water in the toilet, wipe out the residue with an old towel and dump my wash water into the rinse bucket.
I refill the wash bucket with the warm filtered water from the 2.5 gallon jug and add ONR or 4 in 1 so I have clean wash water for my wheels and tires. After cleaning my wheels and tires the rinse water is a little bad and the wash water is starting to show some dirt but is fine for cleaning up my wheels wells. After cleaning my wheel wells my rinse bucket makes sewer water look like spring water and my wash bucket looks pretty bad too. Again due to how low my car sits.
I have been using warm water ever since the cold weather came in Nov/Dec to keep my hands from freezing (even with neoprene gloves on) but will probably continue even in warm weather. It may be in my head but it seems that the warm water does clean a little better. Again, could just be in my head.
I have just started using filtered water on a recommendation from someone at another forum. They said that the ingredients in ONR and 4 in 1 which are meant to react with and encapsulate the contaminants on your paint will react with and encapsulate the minerals in tap water leaving less of those ingredients available for the contaminants on your paint decreasing the lubricity and cleaning ability of ONR or 4 in 1.
You could always simply double the amout of ONR or 4 in 1 you use but I am giving the filtered water a try for now. Since I am getting warm water from the sink in the first place, it really isn't much more trouble to switch the filter on. Just slows down how quickly the jugs fill up. I will keep up the filtered washes for a few more weeks and then try an unfiltered wash and see if I can tell a difference.
If my car has gone a full week w/o a wash and is getting a two bucket ONR or 4 in 1 wash, after taking the mitt out of the rinse bucket, I completely ring out the mitt to try to get out all the dirty water before dumping it in the wash water. When taking the mitt out of the wash water, I ring it out only to the point that water isn't spilling everywhere. I want some water in the mitt.
If my car is clean enough that I am doing a middle of the week "touch up" wash and I am only using one bucket, I do just as I said above when taking the mitt out of the wash water ie, ring it out just enough that it isn't spilling all over my garage floor but still some in the mitt.
It may be in your head, but it's also in mine.
It seems to do enough better that I'm probably going to try some warm water conventional bucket washes next summer.
A good example of the cleaning power of hot water compared to cold water is pr-rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Rinse the dishes under a stream of cold water and very little rinses of. Use hot water and almost everything rinses off.
And no, we don't have to pre-rinse the dishes before putting them in the dish washer, (My wife mentions that occasionally
), but I don't care for the idea of all that garbage circulating in the water that's washing something I plan to eat or drink from.I am told there are electric devices you can put in a bucket that will heat the water for you. I cannot find a link to one of those though. That would be so nice, just fill the buckets from the hose. Granted I would lose my filtered water that way but oh well. I guess if I wanted to spend some quite a bit of money I could get one of those CRSpotless things but I will pass for now.
Big Leegr
Swirls?!?! NNOOOOOOO!!!!!
The bucket heaters that you can put in the water to heat the water usually have a warning that they are not recommended for use while using the bucket. (Risk of shock/burn etc.)
You can get plastic buckets that have a heater built into the base that you plug into the wall. These are typically available at vets and livestock supply stores. (For horses etc.)
You can do a search for "bucket heater" or "heated bucket" and you should get quite a few hits.
Hmm.... You'd think this would be something a detailing supply store might decide to sell....
You can get plastic buckets that have a heater built into the base that you plug into the wall. These are typically available at vets and livestock supply stores. (For horses etc.)
You can do a search for "bucket heater" or "heated bucket" and you should get quite a few hits.
Hmm.... You'd think this would be something a detailing supply store might decide to sell....
Stephan
Mr Detailer
Something about sticking my hand in a bucket thats being heated with something electric...
Hmm.... You'd think this would be something a detailing supply store might decide to sell....
And that's probably the reason it isn't likely to be an item carried by many detailer supply stores.Something about sticking my hand in a bucket thats being heated with something electric...
It may be, and probably is quite safe when used properly. Do you really think we would use it properly?
Heck, we can't even follow the manufacturer's instructions for a wax.
Something about sticking my hand in a bucket thats being heated with something electric...
Well, my plan was to unplug it once the water was warm but I could see some people neglecting that step.
However, I have seen construction workers using power tools in the rain before. They claim since the power tools are double grounded you are safe but.......
Here's something I put together some time back. It might help answer some of your questions.
http://www.detailcity.org/forums/car-wash-soap-accessories/22858-some-comments-about-rinseless-washing.html?highlight=water+floor
Big Leegr
Swirls?!?! NNOOOOOOO!!!!!
Big Leegr said:
And that's probably the reason it isn't likely to be an item carried by many detailer supply stores.
It may be, and probably is quite safe when used properly. Do you really think we would use it properly?
Heck, we can't even follow the manufacturer's instructions for a wax.
No no... not the rod that you stick in a bucket!! I meant the bucket with the heater built into the base!!! :crazy2:
Redwings97
New member
Yeah - the horses drink water out of these buckets during the winter months (keeps the water from being frozen). If it is safe enough for horses to drink out, I cannot see why we can't use them for washing our cars in the winter time.
The $40 cost will probably be my big reason.
It's not that difficult for me to get hot water from the house to the wash site.
Is it a big enough problem for some of you that a heated bucket would be needed?
If you are a Pro and mobile, then I can see where having heated water available isn't that easy.
Redwings97
New member
The $40 cost will probably be my big reason.
It's not that difficult for me to get hot water from the house to the wash site.
Is it a big enough problem for some of you that a heated bucket would be needed?
If you are a Pro and mobile, then I can see where having heated water available isn't that easy.
No problem for me - I was backing Big Leegr up as far as the type of bucket someone was talking about. My wife has a horse and I know about these kind of buckets. Personally I would never spend $40 on a wash bucket. I wash my cars at work inside a heated shop using a hose and two bucket method during the winter months.