Is rinseless wash really safe?

Check this video out.
This guy is a clown. He thinks SL(E)S is dangerous when it's in huge concentrations in toothpaste and shampoo. Fearmongering over SDS and he does not take into account concentration. Clearly it works as a rinseless wash and I have used pretty much every rinseless on the market. You won't do any damage. My preference is ADS Hero. I do not use ONR, Absolute, RRW, Hydra, etc. which do not release dirt well from the wash media. Those polymer-heavy products that don't release dirt well can only be safely used with many clean microfiber towels. If you are using a sponge, the only products I would use are Hero, N914, and DIY. His test is flawed, if you put it in the bucket and gently agitate it while immersed, everything will release using DIY. It will not with ONR or Absolute.
 
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This guy is a clown. He thinks SL(E)S is dangerous when it's in huge concentrations in toothpaste and shampoo. Fearmongering over SDS and he does not take into account concentration. Clearly it works as a rinseless wash and I have used pretty much every rinseless on the market. You won't do any damage. My preference is ADS Hero. I do not use ONR, Absolute, RRW, Hydra, etc. which do not release dirt well from the wash media. Those polymer-heavy products that don't release dirt well can only be safely used with many clean microfiber towels. If you are using a sponge, the only products I would use are Hero, N914, and DIY. His test is flawed, if you put it in the bucket and gently agitate it while immersed, everything will release using DIY. It will not with ONR or Absolute.
He deleted one of my YT comments addressing that. He won't acknowledge if he's a chemist either. I think he was on the right path with his reviews until he started playing EPA Chemist. Now he thinks every ingredient listed in a SDS is dangerous and not suitable for a RW. :unsure: :rolleyes:
 
He deleted one of my YT comments addressing that. He won't acknowledge if he's a chemist either. I think he was on the right path with his reviews until he started playing EPA Chemist. Now he thinks every ingredient listed in a SDS is dangerous and not suitable for a RW. :unsure: :rolleyes:
What a clown.
 
He deleted one of my YT comments addressing that. He won't acknowledge if he's a chemist either. I think he was on the right path with his reviews until he started playing EPA Chemist. Now he thinks every ingredient listed in a SDS is dangerous and not suitable for a RW. :unsure: :rolleyes:
Yes it’s a shame. He does have some good insights and tests.
 
The way I see it, if I need a hose for anything, it’s getting the conventional wash. I’m too old school to think otherwise.
 
What are your thoughts after watching this?
I cannot read all of the responses but I have a toally different outlook. You either pay or do it yourself to get your clearcoat looking like a mirror. This costs either lots of money, or lots of labor. It is not worth it to use fly by night products to wash. Full touchless power wash with Built Hamber, then when needed a full decon wash procedure. Skip the fly by night gimick wash.
 
I cannot read all of the responses but I have a toally different outlook. You either pay or do it yourself to get your clearcoat looking like a mirror. This costs either lots of money, or lots of labor. It is not worth it to use fly by night products to wash. Full touchless power wash with Built Hamber, then when needed a full decon wash procedure. Skip the fly by night gimick wash.
I’ve done rinseless 100s of times on BMWs, Porsches., etc. My clearcoat was perfect and better than anyone that’s gone through even one touch car wash. It’s not a gimmick. It really is a great method with a small pump sprayer as long as the car isn’t caked in dirt. I’m never going to say it’s better than a normal wash but it has a lot of pros and is safe if done right.
 
I’ve done rinseless 100s of times on BMWs, Porsches., etc. My clearcoat was perfect and better than anyone that’s gone through even one touch car wash. It’s not a gimmick. It really is a great method with a small pump sprayer as long as the car isn’t caked in dirt. I’m never going to say it’s better than a normal wash but it has a lot of pros and is safe if done right.
I forgot about the little hand pump sprayer I used to “pre soak” my ONR washes. It definitely helped. Keep a clean towel set and use clean buckets. I don’t know about the “encapsulation” of dirt mentioned above, but can say my cars look good despite never seeing an orbital buffer (yet) on the paint.
 
Dirt is abrasive and the less you drag it across a vehicle’s finish, the better. When I was a porter at a dealership, the manager advised us to avoid manually scrubbing the paint on extremely dirty cars. There is a reason for this.

These products have their place for owners that have limited access to running water or those who want to touch up their vehicle on occasion. For cars that are truly dirty, you must apply soap to their exteriors and pressure wash them.
 
I've been using Primus 2.0 as my pre-wash and that gets the surface 90% clean. Follow up with a contact wash.

If car is just lightly dirty, I'd pre-soak with the RW, throw 5-10 mf towels in the bucket and carefully wipe down car.
 
I've been using Primus 2.0 as my pre-wash and that gets the surface 90% clean. Follow up with a contact wash.

If car is just lightly dirty, I'd pre-soak with the RW, throw 5-10 mf towels in the bucket and carefully wipe down car.
90% clean is awesome! How does Primus 2.0 compares to Bilt Hamber Touchless?
 
90% clean is awesome! How does Primus 2.0 compares to Bilt Hamber Touchless?
Comparable but with a lower pH of 10.5 neat. VDA certified so it's safe for all plastics. No caustic ingredients.

BH Touch-Less is a better value and tad more cleaning power.

"Imagine an car cleaning product that has been acclaimed as the "world's first pre-wash to receive the prestigious VDA certification." This recognition was awarded by an independent German organization that certifies the safety and effectiveness of automotive chemicals on extremely delicate materials."



 
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Although it's not VDA certified, it is consider safe to use often.

I am trying to keep it as simple as possible in my arsenal. :)

 
Although it's not VDA certified, it is consider safe to use often.

I am trying to keep it as simple as possible in my arsenal. :)


If I had to rank the best pre-washes it would be: 1. BH Touch-Less, 1. BH AutoFoam 2. Primus 2.0.

Rest are kind of the same. Any high alkaline will work, but some use sodium hydroxide. APC pre-washes are preferred by some detailers like Miranda, but just make sure you use a good one. I feel like BH and Primus 2.0 are safer and less likely to cause problems.

Carpro Descale is also a good pre-wash, but not cost effective and it's also acidic, so it will attack different types of dirt.

In this video you can see how Gyeon Foam does nothing while the BH actually cleaned.


 
If I had to rank the best pre-washes it would be: 1. BH Touch-Less, 1. BH AutoFoam 2. Primus 2.0.

Rest are kind of the same. Any high alkaline will work, but some use sodium hydroxide. APC pre-washes are preferred by some detailers like Miranda, but just make sure you use a good one. I feel like BH and Primus 2.0 are safer and less likely to cause problems.

Carpro Descale is also a good pre-wash, but not cost effective and it's also acidic, so it will attack different types of dirt.

In this video you can see how Gyeon Foam does nothing while the BH actually cleaned.



Very informative and helpful. Thanks buster!
 
If I had to rank the best pre-washes it would be: 1. BH Touch-Less, 1. BH AutoFoam 2. Primus 2.0.

Rest are kind of the same. Any high alkaline will work, but some use sodium hydroxide. APC pre-washes are preferred by some detailers like Miranda, but just make sure you use a good one. I feel like BH and Primus 2.0 are safer and less likely to cause problems.

Carpro Descale is also a good pre-wash, but not cost effective and it's also acidic, so it will attack different types of dirt.

In this video you can see how Gyeon Foam does nothing while the BH actually cleaned.



How does this stuff do with respect to ceramic coatings (gtechniq, etc)? The results are impressive for sure, but I'm wondering if there's a downside.
 
How does this stuff do with respect to ceramic coatings (gtechniq, etc)? The results are impressive for sure, but I'm wondering if there's a downside.
They will damage anything short of a ceramic coating with repeated use. With a ceramic coating, they can’t remove it, but they can degrade its repellency over time with many uses. I would use them only when you need them. I think monthly is probably ok if you really need, but perhaps not weekly.
 
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