How safe is a waterless car wash?

B

Big_O

New member
How safe is a waterless car wash? Seems that you would spend more money on chemicals and not be as safe and risk scratching the paint.
 
That's what I thought. Been washing cars for years and couldn't imagine replacing water with chemicals. I've seen lot's of the guys enjoying ONR, but what about a water ionizer? Are they affordable or does it cost a fortune to refill it with salt or resin?
 
I've also had great success with QEW (ProtectAll Quick and Easy Wash)..



A couple capfuls in a bucket of water, wash one panel at a time, then dry, no rinsing, no streaks.



Very nice product for winter or when you don't have a hose available.
 
Some people swear that Poorboy's Spray & Wipe is safe. I bought a hood from a junk yard to practice on with my rotary. Once I am finish practicing polishing it and try sealants on it in different sections, I may try Spray and Wipe as one of the washings to see what happen once some dust/dirt is noticable on it.
 
bert31 said:
Some people swear that Poorboy's Spray & Wipe is safe.
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I have used PB Spray & Wipe. Good product. BUT....... It all depends on HOW dirty your car is. You have to use good judgement and common sense. More water/lubricant = more paint protection = less scratching.



I still think ONR / QEW are much safer than PBS&W. PBS&W is, however, a great detailing spray.
 
Another thing to consider is how quickly the towel gets dirty. You shouldn't pull a dirty towel across the whole panel, as that will cause marring. If you are going the waterless route, be sure to have *PLENTY* of towels handy.
 
Luster said:
I have used PB Spray & Wipe. Good product. BUT....... It all depends on HOW dirty your car is. You have to use good judgement and common sense. More water/lubricant = more paint protection = less scratching.



I still think ONR / QEW are much safer than PBS&W. PBS&W is, however, a great detailing spray.
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That's great advice.



I bought a quart of ONR, but haven't used it yet (other than making a bottle of clay lube). I have 2 gallons of S&W and use it all the time, however if my car is too dirty I just do a conventional (with the foam gun) wash.
 
Only waterless wash I've tried is Chemical Guys ONE and I found that it was too much work compared to ONR and the carnauba layer didn't last long; I wasn't expecting it to though.



But you can't expect me to believe that dragging dirt across paint regardless whether or not it's "encapsulated" in a solution without water is safe to the car's finish. There are times I don't even use ONR if my car is that filthy.



But for my normal daily driver routine I haven't found anything yet that works as well as ONR.
 
Most waterless are not worth using as they contain kaolin clay thats abrasive and fills swirls plus they have alot of petroleum based lubricants and wax that makes your paint sticky feeling



Of all I've tried, Style Magic (made in Australia and has heaps of lubrication and no sealant or wax and is safe to drink if you wanted to), Permagard and Freedom One are the only that I use



My technique is this

Spray enough waterless product on their till the dirt and dust are pulled down off the surface by so much solution being applied



Then I do a really slow blotting of the whole panel, turn over cloth and do a gentle wipe along the paint and finish with a separate towel for the final few wipes

The permagard won't leave swirls or scratches even on dark cars (tested under halogen and sodium vapour lights if you use my technique



Any other brand I found to strip your sealant, leave swirls that the kaolin clay filled in for a short time, made the paint feel sticky, overspray everywhere due to applicator bottle or take the shine away



My preference is to go to the coin op pro wash and use the warm soap (gentle) and a high pressure RO rinse (not recycled)
 
I dont like the idea...i live in the south though so i am not in the horrid winters of the north....but i dont trust it..it is hard enough to keep swirls out when washing conventionally..so i choose to fight that battle.
 
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