DaPhatty

It has been nearly three months since I washed my baby and it is becoming increasingly difficult to resist the temptation to wash her. I'm hoping you guys may have some suggestions. I've heard of water less car wash products but I am fearful that the end result could be a destroyed paint job. Short of driving to another state, are there any suitable alternatives I can use?

stupkid

I'm still washing my car on my driveway. So is everyone else in my neighborhood haha.

RedY2KS2k

Waterless washes are a spray-on, wipe off product. They may well be safe, but I've never worked up the nerve to test that hypothesis.

Rinseless washes are a different species. I'm only familiar with Optimum No-Rinse Wash and Shine. I'll address my remarks to ONR, but I have no reason to believe that other brands aren't just as good; I've just never tried the other brands. It took me months to work up the nerve to try ONR; it goes counter to everything I'd learned, been told, or read about washing a car.

To wash with ONR, you put one ounce of ONR into two gallons of water. I use a grit guard at the bottom of the bucket. You wash one panel at a time, top to bottom, front to back. After a panel is washed, you dry it. I always wash the edges of adjacent unwashed panels to ensure that if the drying towel inadvertently touches the adjacent panel, it will be touching clean paint. I then pour the ONR into my wheel bucket. I wash the wheels with a dedicated mitt and dry with a towel that will never touch my paint. Or, you could mix 1/2 oz ONR in one gallon of water in the wheel bucket. Wash the sills, jambs, etc., then the wheels, wells, etc. Throw that ONR away and mix two gallons in a different bucket with different media and towels for the paint.

Username Scottwax has some good youtube videos on using ONR. He runs a detailing business and washes almost exclusively with ONR.

2Kaputnik

I still wash mine traditional style but very carefully control the amount of water I use. Since my car is well waxed, it only take a fine spray to rinse. County regs here in Marin say we can still wash cars as long as water is not flowing out of a hose w/o a nozzle. We were one of the few counties that had decent rainfall last winter and the reservoirs are in better shape.

Alternatively you can take it to a drive through place - if you trust them of course - they are required to use reclaimed water.

S2KRAY

I use ONR regularly. It cleans very well and there are no water runs. Use the method so well described in this post. Or, if the car is not too dirty you can use Poorboys spray and wipe available at detailed image. Spray on one panel at a time. Wipe excess off with a good microfiber towel and buff with a dry microfiber towel. Enhances the shine and removes light dirt. I use both in my detailing business.

RedY2KS2k

ONR, or a similar product, will always have a place on my car wash shelf. It isn't the end-all-be-all of car wash products, but it definitely fills a need that isn't going away.

psynx

Meguiars D114 and D115

The man Jason Rose explaining their version of ONR and ONR+W

Both rinse less and waterless