Lol….I don’t blame you for thinking that. But I am a long time forum member. I like to “spread the word” to inform people about how awesome rinseless washes are, given how much water they save. Also, there are a lot of horrible car care products on the market, so I like to share which products I have tried and can attest to based on my personal experience.This looks like an ad
Since I don’t live in an area with cold winters and road salt, I don’t need to wash the under carriage. If I did, Ryobi makes a cool hose attachment with wheels that you roll under the car. It shoots water up to clean under the car.Great.
How do you clean the undercarriage?
any thing other than water, and even water alone, will affect paint
assume no PPF or ceramics for paint protection
unless you clean every day or multiple times/day, the dust/debris alone will affect the paint
I use a very similar process, with slightly different products:Every so often, I see posts with questions about the best way to wash your MME. Just thought I would share my preferred car wash routine for my 2022 MME GTPE. Total wash time is 20 minutes using 3-4 gallons of water.
I basically do a rinsless wash using ONR or P and S Absolute. Materials used:
-Two buckets, each with a grit guard, 1.5-2 gallons of water, and 1-2 ounces of ONR.
-A Chapin 1-gallon garden sprayer, with 1 ounce of ONR mixed with 3/4 gallon of water. (I bought my garden sprayer at Home Depot).
-The "Gauntlet" drying towel from The Rag Company (my favorite drying towel on the market)
-Xtreme Solutions Topper (a ceramic-infused topper which I use as a drying aid, also my favorite on the market).
-Griots Garage Microfiber Wash Pad
I start at the top of the car and work my way down. If there is noticeable dirt or dust in the section I am working on, I first use the garden sprayer to pretreat the area by spraying it down with the ONR solution, let it dwell for 30 sec, and then do the normal rinseless wash. One bucket is my "rinse" bucket and the other is my "wash" bucket. Some people think using a two bucket with ONR is not necessary, but I think it is a good idea to further reduce the risks of inducing swirls.
After I wash a section with the ONR and wash pad, I then spray 1-2 sprays of Topper, and then dry with the Gauntlet towel. Topper adds a lot of slickness, gloss, and a boost of protection as you dry. I have tried at least 10 different drying aids and Topper is my absolute favorite.
Here is how she looks after her "bath":
For those of you interested, here are links to the products I used:
Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine - New Formula!
Try No Rinse Wash & Shine 8oz* RISK FREE with FREE SHIPPING and a 100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE! Optimum No Rinse™ Wash &a
optimumcarcare.com
Absolute Rinseless Wash
Absolute Rinseless wash was formulated from the ground up as a premium soap alternative. Utilizing a unique subset of polymers. Absolute encapsulates and emulsifies dirt beyond what soap is capable of. Water is instantly softened upon mixture of Absolute, thus reducing chances of hard water...
psdetailproducts.com
The Gauntlet Microfiber Drying Towel | The Rag Company
The perfect choice for drying your vehicle quickly and safely drawing moisture away from the surface into the patented twist/plush fibers of the towel. absolutely one of the most absorbent towels by weight that we have ever tested (10x+). 70/30 blend, 900gsm, and "ButterSoft" Suede Microfiber...
theragcompany.com
Xtreme Solutions
Topper™ - Top Coat Lubricant & Protectant is the ultimate “topper” available on the market today! Silica infused, Topper brings unparalleled hyper-slickness, gloss and a mirror-like reflection! Topper™ is detergent resistant and uses cross-linking polymers to protect your vehicle’s top coat.
www.877askxtreme.com
Microfiber Wash Pads, Set of 2
Super-soft microfiber wash pads are safe and gentle on your paint. 8" x 10" in a 2 pack. Machine washable.
www.griotsgarage.com
The higher end twisted loop drying towels are in another league of absorbency. When I use a drying aid spray, a single 20x24 inch towel does the trick for me, folded into quarters and flipped every panel or so. Occasionally I use a blower to remove some of the water if I am preparing a topper, but it isn't necessary just for drying.How do you only use two towels? I probably use two big waffle weave towels and 10 of the Costco ones
Thank you, this right here! The more you Dry, wipe, or just touch your car the more swirls you will get. I dump a few gallons of reclaimed dehumidifier water on it to remove potential water spots and then blow it off. Done and no unnecessary wiping or or towel contact.I use a handheld blower to just blow the water off
Waiting on coffee to brew this morning. I read that as “dehumidified water” and thought “what kinda cockamamie bullshit are people trying to sell us on now?“reclaimed dehumidifier water”
In the immortal words of Forrest Gump, "Dust happens"!Will definitely try JoeBruin's method for washing thanks for the info. Any recommendations for dust? I know it's inevitable but there has to be a way to slow the process.
Thanks for the recommendation, will definitely look into it. Guess it's part of the curse for having a black car.In the immortal words of Forrest Gump, "Dust happens"!
Dust is frustrating. Unfortunately, you can't really avoid it all together. There are some car care products that some people claim attract more dust. For example, here is a post on Autogeekonline.net where someone documented how Beadmaker (a popular spray sealant) may attract more dust:
https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101-a/129872-beadmaker-50-50-dust-test.html
This is what I recommend to keep dust to a minimum:
1) Make sure your paint is protected with a good quality wax, sealant, or ceramic coating.
2) Wash your car at least once a week to get rid of dirt, dust, and other contaminants.
3) Use a good quality detail spray or waterless wash between car washes wipe away dust. Be sure to use soft and clean microfiber towels to reduce the chances of inducing any scratches.
If you are looking for a good ceramic detail spray, I highly recommend:
Technicians Choice Ceramic Detail Spray
Right now, Amazon has a gallon of the stuff for under $40:
https://www.amazon.com/Technicians-Choice-TEC582-Ceramic-Detail/dp/B07N8GBHTS
Yep, black looks awesome but is the hardest color to keep clean and swirl free. Personally, I would recommend getting a ceramic coating and using a ceramic detail spray like the Technicians Choice to keep it clean between washes.Thanks for recommendation
Thanks for the recommendation, will definitely look into it. Guess it's part of the curse for having a black car.
Will do. How much do those run for? And do you know since it's a new car, does it need paint correction to get rid of the swirls? Or will a wax suffice?Yep, black looks awesome but is the hardest color to keep clean and swirl free. Personally, I would recommend getting a ceramic coating and using a ceramic detail spray like the Technicians Choice to keep it clean between washes.
Will do. How much do those run for? And do you know since it's a new car, does it need paint correction to get rid of the swirls? Or will a wax suffice?
The only way to remove swirls is hand polishing and wax... When polishing the machine is turning causing the swirls... If you change the direction, with hand polishing it will eventually go away... also, swirls are scratches you can't see with the naked eye... Our shops use a 3 stage process on black cars.... and you have to rinse the car off after every stage... first stage wool pad with an abrasive compound, 2nd stage black foam pad and less abrasive compound and final stage is a blue pad and the 3M polish is blue...it's called finesse... it's takes pro and lots of time.Will do. How much do those run for? And do you know since it's a new car, does it need paint correction to get rid of the swirls? Or will a wax suffice?