I use Zaino:

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/...oduct_Count=11


Just wondering what else others use or perhaps nothing since this may scratch the surface of the paint.

 

Try a Brillo pad for a quick wipe down. That statement is a little drastic of course, but it does get the point across: one needs to float the dirt and grime off a vehicle's surface, rather than wiping it around.

If there's a solid coat of good-quality polish (Rejex or Wolfgang, etc.) applied to the finish, a quick rinse with the hose (fireman's nozzle) should be sufficient in between regular washing.

Pour the water over the car starting from the roof and let the sheathing action rinse and dry the car at the same time, rather than blasting with a spray. Then dry the areas were water collects with an electric leaf blower and you're on your way.

 

Agree with CarreraPete and would add that if the dust is light and the car is waxed, the wash really doesn't take long at all.

I NEVER do a "wipe down". If I don't have time to do a regular wash I will leave the dust on and endure the frustration of a dusty car rather than the agony of a swirled car. Thats what will most likely happen.

I also use a CRSpotless de-ionized water filtration system for the entire wash of the car. It avoids watermarks.

 

I think the color of the car matters a lot in terms of what you can get away with. I've seen black cars on the showroom floor with bad swirls from just dusting wipedowns. On the other hand, on my agate grey, I wipedown often with a detailer or Griot's car cleaner spray and the car looks fantastic. (Washing a car in NYC is a pain so I like to extend the intervals if I can). With a gentle hand and pro-detailing couple times a year, I don't feel like this method is compromising the paint finish. Obviously you have to use some common sense -- if the car has thick dirt on in, a wipedown could scratch...

 

+1 . . . Ditto

 

K, you're quite right. The color for sure would matter and of course circumstances would also determine what ones options are. My experiences, especially with my black cars, have contributed to me now believing that there are no short cuts and quick wipe downs in the past have usually resulted in

 

Haku, how long does our Resin last in your CR Spotless? Do you dry the cartridges out after every wash? I too use it for the entire wash, but am starting to think I should just use it for the final rinse to conserve. The Resin gets expensive.

 

I think it really depends on your mains water quality. The manf's claim that its good for 300 gallons (DIC20 - twin resin packs) but I'm well past the 300 gallons and still am getting good quality of water. I hook my Karcher (low power) jet wash to the output and use that to spray the car. It keeps the water usage down considerably.

I don't dry out the cartridges after a wash and just leave them as I usually wash the car once a week. I use the filtered water throughout the wash... wet and loosen dust, for shampoo and wash, then for rinse. I'll also use it for rinsing the wipedown towel/cloth. The wheels are the only things on the car that get washed down with regular water (and with a separate buck and sponge).

The resin is pricey and I'm about to order some. I did some checking and Costco online seems to offer the best price around for the DIC20 4 pack resin refill at $149.99

I'm sure that some of what I do may be wrong or a bit ****. I'd be happy for some other like-minded and inflicted individual to shed more light on the topic.

On a side note, isn't this entire extravagance of P car ownership so much more enhanced by all of these extracurricular activities?

 

+1 on this

 

+1 on Costco where I bought the unit originally and now buy the refills.

I have very hard water so found myself needing to replace the deionization agent often which is a PITA. So I now only use the deionized water for a final rinse, and empty the agent containers after every use. The water quality meter also failed on the Spotless unit so I bought a separate one on amazon for about $10.

Spyder

 

Spyder, weird but my meter has never really worked! Which meter do you now use?

 

I'd call CRSpotless directly. I too bought my system at Costco, but have contacted them directly for defective resin cartridges on 2 different occasions. The company has offered great customer service. They have sent me replacement parts, no questions asked free of charge. Last time they even sent me cartridges complete with free resin. I believe the company is in San Diego, CA.

Also, I purchased a drum of Resin (good for 3 complete refills) directly from CRSpotless. It was a slightly better deal than Costco. I don't think they charged shipping.

FYI. . . I'm sure you are aware, but the meter requires a battery. Mine is 2 years old and has always worked very accurately.

Sorry to hijack this thread with all the talk about Deionized Water.

 

shame on you :-)

Ya, I just wanted to know if anyone was using any spray detailers and if so, which ones...Sounds like everyone here is against it because of scratches.

 

Ha!! Noted.

I do use them, but only as the final wipe down after I wash or wash and wax my car. I typically purchase it in gallons and have used Meguiars Final Inspection for years. I just purchased Griot's Speed Shine from Autogeek because it was a good deal, so I can't tell you if I like it or not, but I imagine they are all pretty close.

I am very particular (aka ****) about the smallest imperfection, so I don't wipe anything if my car isn't perfectly clean. My Dad and a few car buddies will wipe there cars down with detail spray, but only after they have lightly dusted with a California Duster. The only way I would consider this, which I wouldn't, is if it was immediately after driving a perfectly clean car. In other words, all it had on it was the slightest layer of dust. One thing I would do, if you are considering this, is to blow the car off, after your drive, with a leaf blower. Then use a California Duster, and as a final step, your detail spray. Make sure to use a good quality microfiber towel.

Another thing to think about is the color of your car. Dark color. . . No way! Lighter color, like white or silver, maybe. Although the effects will be the same on the paint, lighter colors will hide the ultra fine scratches in the clear coat, aka "SWIRLS". . . I almost cringed when I said that word.

 

I use Optimum No Rinse and a microfiber towel.