Rinseless wash instead of foam cannon?

[Redright9]

So I was watching a video from Pan the Organizer:



Since I live in a desert, this seemed like a good video to watch for me. He brought up using a rinseless wash such as McKees N914 Rinseless wash to pretreat like most would do with a foam cannon.... Does this sound right/good? Would this be a good way to lift and rinse off dirt prior to the hand wash? My vehicles do get a lot of sand blown on them, so I try to be conscious of this prior to a contact wash. What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks.

 

[The Critic]

It really depends on how dirty the vehicle is. If you wash your vehicle 2-3x per month and only drive on paved roads, pre-treating and then washing with rinseless will be fine.

If the vehicle gets dirty there is really no substitute for pressure washing and/or foam cannon before a contact wash.

 

[RooflessVW]

It depends on how dirty your car is and what kind of dirty it is. I feel comfortable using rinseless/waterless products for a lot and even use them for regular contact washes, but if you have sand on your car I would use a high pressure rinse before the contact wash. If I'm getting the hose and pressure washer out, I'm using the foam cannon.

 

[RooflessVW]

I have also noticed that cars operated in sandy environments tend to keep producing sand from every crack and crevice. Without flushing via pressure washer, water will keep carrying sand out from bumper seams, around lights, etc... and you'd hate to wash the car and scratch it while drying or polishing.

 

[sk_pete]

maaaan the advertiser...
i hate that guy.

 

[buster]

It really depends on how dirty the vehicle is. If you wash your vehicle 2-3x per month and only drive on paved roads, pre-treating and then washing with rinseless will be fine.

If the vehicle gets dirty there is really no substitute for pressure washing and/or foam cannon before a contact wash.

+1

I've been searching for the ultimate pre-soak that I could use in a foam cannon, spray/rinse that would self clean to a decent degree. I don't think such a product exists. Whether it's an APC, or concentrated shampoo, results seem to be consistent across the board. Baked on contamination will need to be agitated and there isn't much getting around it.

Rather than keep searching for the best pre soak, I think I'm going back to Turtle Wax Max Power Car Wash that I can bump the pH up to 10.2 if need be. Works really well and it's $5 a gallon.

 

[buster]

maaaan the advertiser...
i hate that guy.

I watch is videos now and then, but I'm at the "can't stand this guy" point too.

 

[The Critic]

I watch is videos now and then, but I'm at the "can't stand this guy" point too.

He is almost as obnoxious as this guy:

https://youtube.com/c/SyntheticOilProtection

 

[buster]

LOL!!! He's worse.

 

[JTK]

+1

I've been searching for the ultimate pre-soak that I could use in a foam cannon, spray/rinse that would self clean to a decent degree. I don't think such a product exists. Whether it's an APC, or concentrated shampoo, results seem to be consistent across the board. Baked on contamination will need to be agitated and there isn't much getting around it. ..

Same!

In fact I gave up using my foam cannon and pressure washer on my vehicles for the most part because of that. I've got to scrub off bug goo, bird poop and the like anyway.

 

[The Critic]

Same!

In fact I gave up using my foam cannon and pressure washer on my vehicles for the most part because of that. I've got to scrub off bug goo, bird poop and the like anyway.

On cars that are waxed or sealed, spraying degreaser on those spots before pressure washing usually removes them with no agitation.

 

[buster]

I've found OPC or any similar quality APC (even Max Power Wash) does soften debris. Makes it easy to power wash off.

This guy does an interesting test using various shampoos and APC's. Thing is, certain contaminates need different pH levels. Salt needs a more acidic wash where as other road films etc. need a higher pH (APC territory). P21s and even OPC, are around 9-11 pH. That's usually the range most sealants are tolerant up to. Beyond that you start to strip existing LSP.

P21s TAW - pH 9.6
TW - Max Power - pH 10.2
OPC - pH 11.



So far I've seen nothing that beats this for the price unless you're going full blown commercial volume.

 

[JTK]

On cars that are waxed or sealed, spraying degreaser on those spots before pressure washing usually removes them with no agitation.

Excellent point as is your custom sir.

I'm sure my waxing and sealing is lower than ghetto level compared to you fancy spot 'agitators'. At best, my vehicles will see turtle wax dry and shine after a wash or they will see turtle wax ice seal and shine. Those have been my go-to's for 2-3yrs now.

I should have snapped some pics of the bug build up on the front of my Ram earlier this summer. The sand fly population was insane earlier this summer along lake Erie and the Niagara River, which is the bulk of my ~80 mile round trip work commute. I would need to apply degreaser with a mop.

 

[The Critic]

Excellent point as is your custom sir.

I'm sure my waxing and sealing is lower than ghetto level compared to you fancy spot 'agitators'. At best, my vehicles will see turtle wax dry and shine after a wash or they will see turtle wax ice seal and shine. Those have been my go-to's for 2-3yrs now.

I should have snapped some pics of the bug build up on the front of my Ram earlier this summer. The sand fly population was insane earlier this summer along lake Erie and the Niagara River, which is the bulk of my ~80 mile round trip work commute. I would need to apply degreaser with a mop.

You can't give me too much credit. My wife's car is currently wearing one of those products right now.

I keep one of these filled with degreaser. I use it on bugs, tires, engine bays, etc before washing. Purple Power or Super Clean works fine.

 

[Rand]

I feel like those are 2 different products with their best uses.
example a shovel and a pick are both for digging.. but you get the idea.

I'd beget getting the powerwasher out just to remove the loose dirt/sand.. so by then might as well foam cannon

if I wasnt using a powerwasher at all.. the rinseless wash might be a good option not much sand here so I do rinseless but spray off first if anything more than some dust and pollen.

Have a decent carwash nearby for 3$ not worth dragging my power washer out.

 

[buster]

After I take my truck off-road, I hit the DIY Carwash and use the power washer to get bulk of dirt off. Keeps my driveway cleaner.

I need to look into a better power washer. I have one of those Green Works Electric ones. It's been extremely reliable, but just doesn't have the power. Moving to a gas one.

For a very dirty car:

Foam your choice of shampoo/APC
Power Wash it off
Wash using 2 bucket
Air dry
Reseal using an LSP

 

[sk_pete]

i often (after having ceramic) just do the active foam in touchless boxes.
it´s very strong, i guess not ph neutral..
rinseless stuff are meant not to dry quickly, has lubricity, and cleaning agents.
i might try spraying echo2, how it will do. (mentol-orange oils)
as drying aid, interior cleaner works well.

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

Personally I am not a huge fan of rinseless washes unless running water is simply not an option.

But I also think pre-soak foam is only necessary when the car is really dirty, and two bucket method is kind of dumb. YMMV.

 

[buster]

Personally I am not a huge fan of rinseless washes unless running water is simply not an option.

But I also think pre-soak foam is only necessary when the car is really dirty, and two bucket method is kind of dumb. YMMV.

Pre-soak may be overrated from what I'm seeing. I think at the very least, it does soften and break down some contaminants.

 

[buster]