Optimum No Rinse (rinseless wash formula)

[HellsBells]

So it's been about a year now that I've been using this stuff. For those who don't know:

http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-no-rinse.html

It's worked pretty well for me. I mean, it washes the car and doesn't leave scratches or anything.

However, I feel like it swirls the paint a bit but I can't figure out if that's the washing part of the drying part. I use Meguiar's Watermagnet Towels to dry. I use some random autozone mitten thing with the stringy microfiber things to wash. Two bucket method always.

Anyone have any experience/opinions/remarks with this stuff? I'm debating if it's worth using. I have a black car, it already came with tons of swirls but sometimes I feel like I am making the situation worse.

All input appreciated!

 

[NastyStang113]

It's that shit mitt. Possibly the towels, not sure.

 

[HellsBells]

Any mitt recommendations / drying towel recommendations?

I also have a bad habit of applying pressure when drying a car. This is probably bad huh?

 

[DKS]

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SMA-85-340


Nasty turned me on to these and they are truly the shit. GET SOME!!!

 

[NastyStang113]

Yes, the SM Arnold Sheep's Wool mitts are great.

However, I have just recently started using the RaceGlaze mitts. I purchased from Autowerkes here, they are so amazing. Even better than the SM Arnold Sheep's Wool mitt. I know they are expensive but they are supposed to last for an insanely long time. Here's the link and a review I did on it.

http://www.autowerkesexclusive.com/...ep-Pile-Natural-Sheepskin-Washmitt/index.html

http://www.moddedmustangs.com/forums/general-car-care-detailing/221922-review-raceglaze-mitt.html

Other great mitts...

http://detailersdomain.com/carcareproducts/carwash/UberWoolWashMitt.html

http://store.pakshak.com/gtechniq-wm1-merino-wash-mitt.html

http://www.autogeek.net/supernatural-wash-mitt.html

Enjoy!

 

[HellsBells]

Thanks for all the info guys. Will definitely buy one or two of these and try them out.

Who was it on here that used a leafblower to dry their car? That is a genius idea. I hate drying cars.

Also, how do you guys clean the windows? Seems no matter what I do, they are always streaky/foggy/milky afterwards.

 

[Chiron]

I use newspaper and some good ol' Rain-X on my windows. Clean as can be.

 

[NastyStang113]

Thanks for all the info guys. Will definitely buy one or two of these and try them out.

Who was it on here that used a leafblower to dry their car? That is a genius idea. I hate drying cars.

Also, how do you guys clean the windows? Seems no matter what I do, they are always streaky/foggy/milky afterwards.

No problem. Order 1 or 2 of the RaceGlaze mitts. I can promise you that you'll be thrilled! A suggestion though. When you get the mitt put them in a bucket full of clean water. The dye runs and will continue to run for some time. Try to keep rinsing them in clean water like in a bucket, letting them soak, etc to get as much as possible out of the mitt.

A lot of us use leaf blowers, myself included. Another tip to drying. Remove any nozzle off of the hose and run it over the whole car from top to bottom. This "sheets" the water off of the car and it'll reduce the amount of water that needs to be dried. Adjust the water pressure accordingly, you don't want water splashing around. That's counter productive! LOL To go a step further you can get a run of hose with no end on it and cut the hose on a 45 degree angle. It allows the water to come out much smoother, it's actually quite surprising how much it helps.

My set-up consists of quick disconnects on the hose. Also a Gilmour On/Off valve down the hose so I can adjust pressure without kinking the hose or going back to the spigot. I also made another section of hose to use soley for the "sheeting method" and with quick disconnects it doesn't take much time at all. If you want to be able to do this without having to turn off the water, make sure you get ones that are labelled Auto-Off. ACE Hardware sells some really nice all bronze quick disconnects that are Auto-Off. This are what I'm using myself.

As far as windows. I clay, polish, and seal my windows during a detail. It helps a lot! For general cleaning I'll use a honeycomb bug sponge to clean any bugs off of them. Than I'll use Stoner's Invisible Glass with a MF if needed and this gets them clean as can be.. I've never had any issue with streaking or fogging because of the cleaning method.

I hope this helps.

 

[HellsBells]

No problem. Order 1 or 2 of the RaceGlaze mitts. I can promise you that you'll be thrilled! A suggestion though. When you get the mitt put them in a bucket full of clean water. The dye runs and will continue to run for some time. Try to keep rinsing them in clean water like in a bucket, letting them soak, etc to get as much as possible out of the mitt.

A lot of us use leaf blowers, myself included. Another tip to drying. Remove any nozzle off of the hose and run it over the whole car from top to bottom. This "sheets" the water off of the car and it'll reduce the amount of water that needs to be dried. Adjust the water pressure accordingly, you don't want water splashing around. That's counter productive! LOL To go a step further you can get a run of hose with no end on it and cut the hose on a 45 degree angle. It allows the water to come out much smoother, it's actually quite surprising how much it helps.

My set-up consists of quick disconnects on the hose. Also a Gilmour On/Off valve down the hose so I can adjust pressure without kinking the hose or going back to the spigot. I also made another section of hose to use soley for the "sheeting method" and with quick disconnects it doesn't take much time at all. If you want to be able to do this without having to turn off the water, make sure you get ones that are labelled Auto-Off. ACE Hardware sells some really nice all bronze quick disconnects that are Auto-Off. This are what I'm using myself.

As far as windows. I clay, polish, and seal my windows during a detail. It helps a lot! For general cleaning I'll use a honeycomb bug sponge to clean any bugs off of them. Than I'll use Stoner's Invisible Glass with a MF if needed and this gets them clean as can be.. I've never had any issue with streaking or fogging because of the cleaning method.

I hope this helps.

Awesome! I do the same with the stoner's invisible glass but I think my microfibers might just be sucking. I also find that my Meguiar's water magnet and microfibers leave a lot of lint. I'm pretty sick of finding lint all over the car when I try to wax it. Are there "fancy" microfibers that are worth buying? I always thought a microfiber towel was a microfiber towel was a microfiber towel. I'm probably wrong on that.

As for the water thing, I generally only use the rinseless wash so no hose action for me. But next time I do get access to a hose, I'll definitely keep that in mind. I used to just spray the crap out of the car thinking it's the best way to get the soap off. Now that you mention it, that's obviously the wrong way to go about it.

What do you use to seal the windows? I hate hate hate cleaning the windows. I claybar them now and then but it's just super annoying when there's bugs and sap on them.

I envy all of you with the patience to detail your cars, especially those with dark colored cars. This was my first black car and I was horrified by the swirling.

 

[DKS]

There are for sure different grades of MF towels. Most of the stuff at VatoZone and Wal-mart sucks. Target used to sell some really good Orange ones, but now they sell the same color with the same packaging, but the quality is 1/2 of what it was. The yellow 2 packs at Wal-Mart are the best ones I've seen off the shelf in a long time. They have a deep nap, which is what you want. They also hold up for a descent while if treated properly. Still no professional quality, but I buy and use them often. I can buy several for the price of a couple good MF and in the end I come out ahead.

However, I still use stuff from DI when I'm being "serious", lol

How are you washing your MF's? That might be your problem

Also, on a side note, I only use my old MF's for windows. You don't need a plush nap for windows, and there is no point in wearing out your good stuff on them. I have different drawers in my organizer for different "grades" of MF

Best-Just for removing wax or polish on my black cars
Better-For paint on non black cars/DD's and QDing
Average- For general cleaning, windows, interior, etc.
Poor- For wheels, exhausts tips, etc.

I never wash the good with the bad, either.

 

[VTXFrank]

If you want streak and fog free windows, get you some MF window towels and a can of Stoner's Invisible Glass. Nothing I've tried that's available every where works as good as that stuff! And when I have heavy bugs on the windshield, I'll use Stoner's on a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser pad and clean it up completely. Never use the Magic Eraser pad on tint though. I saw some stupid chick at Autozone saying one of the employee's should pay to have her tint replaced because he told her to use Magic Eraser pads to clean bugs off the windshield. She said it worked so well on the outside, she wanted to use it on the inside to get the smoke residue off her windows. It does a great job of that too, but if the window is tinted, it will scratch and fuck that tint up with a quickness!

 

[Cooter]

If you guy's have O'Reilly Autoparts or Kmart around, they have Viking towels. The large mf drying towels are some great towels. Viking also has some nice towels as well. I say this but I still recommend buy them from a reputable dealer- ChemicalGuys, Glimmerglassdetailing, TheRagShack, Poorboys, and Pakshak.

 

[HellsBells]

Thanks for all the tips everyone.

I just buy the crappy 10-packs usually from Kragen or Autozone etc.

To wash them, I generally just toss them in the laundry machine, just the towels by themselves and use a dye/scent free laundry detergent.

I cycle on cold and when it's done, I just hang dry them. Am I doing this wrong?

Cooter: i've got the viking ones and though they don't leave lint behind, they haven't held up very long either for me.

VTXFrank: What is the magic eraser? it sounds...well, magical.

DKS: got a link to a specific MF? I generally only use MF on the paint to remove wax or do a quick detail. I use my really crappy ones (the stained ones especially) to clean wheels, windows, and polish the exhaust tips.

Also a general question: when is it okay to "quick detail"? As in, is there a point where it's just too damn dirty? I usually will quick detail, just spray, mist, wipe, when the car is dusty but not dirty--if that makes sense.

 

[DKS]

I use these for final wipe downs on my black Jeep/ex-Mustang

http://www.detailedimage.com/DI-Microfiber-M13/The-Great-White-P230/16-x-24-S1/




I use these for Wax/Sealant/polish removal from my Black Jeep/Ex-Mustang

http://www.detailedimage.com/DI-Microfiber-M13/All-Purpose-Towel-P103/16-x-16-S1/


For my other Jeep, my GF's Xterra, or any cars I do for other people (unless it's a black show car) I just use a variety, mostly the old orange ones from Target and the Yellow super plush ones from Wal-Mart (which are really nice MF's for the money)


As far as QDing goes, yes, just do it for dust, not dirt or you will have issues. I don't even do it if there is too much dust. Most times, it's just safer to wash it than to take the chance. I started to QD the Jeep this morning, but decided to just wait till tomorrow and wash it, again, lol

 

[NastyStang113]

Here are some of my favorite microfibers..

Great workhorse towel.

http://www.pakshak.com/ultra-plush-micro-fiber-towel-16x24-1.html

These are great for sealants, LSPs, and QDing.

http://www.autowerkesexclusive.com/products/Microfibre/Eurow-Shag-Towels/index.html

Awesome waffle weave drying towel. I use two at a time. Go around the car with one and than follow up with the second. Only if I'm not using the blower of course.

http://www.pakshak.com/ultra-soft-waffle-weave-micro-fiber-towel-25x36-1.html

I also buy the "cheap" MFs sold in huge bulk packs for dirty stuff that doesn't quite need an amazing towel.

To clean them I use a product like Microfiber Restore, DP's Microfiber Detergent or even DP Pad Rejuvenator. The most important part of cleaning your microfibers is the rinsing and drying. I use at least two rinses with a couple ounces, depending on the size of the load, of distilled white vinegar. I usually let them air dry over night and than toss them in the dryer on air dry just to fluff the fibers.

As far as QDing goes, yes, just do it for dust, not dirt or you will have issues. I don't even do it if there is too much dust. Most times, it's just safer to wash it than to take the chance. I started to QD the Jeep this morning, but decided to just wait till tomorrow and wash it, again, lol

Exactly. If you have a foam cannon than you're in luck. When my car is just dusty which happens a lot. I use the foam cannon and a pre-rinse. I just have to dry it off and it's back looking good. At worst I have to hit it with QD.

 

[HellsBells]

Gotcha. Thanks for all the link guys, I'm going to go and buy this stuff and toss out all my old messed up towels.

How do you guys wash your mitts, towels, foam pads (applicator pads) etc?

 

[NastyStang113]

No reason to wash your mitts. Just take care of them. Don't ever put it on the ground. Always use the two bucket method to wash, etc.

I just told you how to wash microfibers though. Use the same method for applicators..

 

[HellsBells]

No reason to wash your mitts. Just take care of them. Don't ever put it on the ground. Always use the two bucket method to wash, etc.

I just told you how to wash microfibers though. Use the same method for applicators..

Sorry, I meant, by hand or in the laundry machine?

(I never put anything on the ground but I'm often clumsy so shit happens)

 

[NastyStang113]

I wash mine in the washing machines, not the pads for the DA, but hand washing is perfectly fine as well. Hand washing is probably better for them, just a lot more work.

 

[HellsBells]

I wash mine in the washing machines, not the pads for the DA, but hand washing is perfectly fine as well. Hand washing is probably better for them, just a lot more work.

Sweet, thank you all for the help. Now I just have to find someone to get rid of the swirls for me.