Keep that new car shine without picking up the hose

Your vehicle is covered with dust and insect goo and needs a bath. You’d like to drag over the hose and spray it clean but are concerned about running up the water bill. Worse, your water district has implemented strict “no water” days for the summer.

Waterless car wash products might be the answer, according to Mike Pennington of Meguiar’s.

“The idea is to minimize water use as much as possible due to regulatory situations,” Pennington said. “There are a lot of places where you can’t let the water go into the drains.

"They use a specifically designed and highly lubricated formula to safely lift and remove the dirt particles.”

Not all of the products are truly waterless. Some require mixing with water before application.

“Washless, rinseless, waterless, bucketless – they are designed to go after the same type of challenge,” Pennington said. “The waterless/rinseless type of product is a super high lubricity product designed to have some cleaning ability.”

Waterless products are similar to popular spray detailers but designed for overall cleaning rather than spot treatment. They are applied to a small area, toweled across the vehicle surface and buffed dry.

“They encapsulate dirt to float it on the surface.” Pennington said. “This reduces scratching surface. It’s not leaving behind a film.”

If you have access to water but don’t want to pull out the hose, Pennington suggests a rinseless car wash product.

“’Rinseless’ products are typically a concentrate,” Pennington said, referring to the thick nature of the liquid.

Rinseless products are added to a bucket of water—similar to using traditional wash products. They are applied with terrycloth or microfiber towels and spread across the surface of your vehicle.

There is no need for rinsing your vehicle. Simply buff it dry..

“Always wipe the residue with a clean, dry towel,” Pennington said. “Saturate the towels, not the panels.”

How often can these products be used?

“If you’re in an environment where the car’s not abused by rain, snow or other factors, you can use them quite often,” Pennington said.

According to James Dudra, co-founder of Eco Touch, waterless and rinseless products can take the place of a regular hose and bucket wash. If your vehicle is caked with mud or salt or sand, Dudra recommends using a pressure washer to remove dirt and contaminants.

“As we enter the summer season, the majority of cars on the road can be safely cleaned with a waterless car wash,” Dudra said.

Pennington and Dudra offered the following suggestions for using waterless or rinseless products:

• Choose a reputable brand that has been tested to meet the needs of high tech paint surfaces and clear coats on modern vehicles.
• Use waterless and rinseless products on any surfaces you would use a traditional car wash product including chrome, plastic, trim, even wheel wells.
• Keep six to eight clean microfiber or terrycloth towels available for washing the vehicle. Avoid using dirty towels which can scratch the surface and leave contaminants on your vehicle’s surface.
• Buff thoroughly with a clean, dry microfiber or terrycloth towel.
• Pre-wash extremely dirty vehicles with a pressure hose, especially if you have traveled off-road. Caked on mud, sap, road grime and other contaminants may require special attention to clean the surface safely.