Washing a car is an important part of a regular vehicle appearance maintenance program. Studies have shown that drivers actually feel better when driving a clean vehicle. The do-it-yourself car washer typically uses the traditional hose and bucket wash, which can take as much as 120 gallons of water to complete. This is obviously wasteful, but also expensive, as the cost of water continues to rise every year. Rinseless and waterless wash techniques offer a water-saving alternative.

Furthermore, the detailing professional desires to clean the vehicle in as speedy a fashion as possible, while still delivering excellent results. This is true whether preparing the vehicle for detailing, or as part of a regular wash program. Unfortunately, the traditional bucket-and-hose car wash process can be responsible for a large portion of the time it takes to perform a detail job. Many detailers have switched away from bucket-and-brush washing techniques because they enjoy the timesaving methods of rinseless and waterless.

Three Ways to Wash a Car

There are three basic ways to wash a vehicle, and each way has a standard procedure,
as outlined below:

Bucket and Hose

• Rinsing the car with a hose or pressure washer.
• Special procedures for wheels, tires, grills.
• Applying soap by dipping a wash mitt into bucket of sudsy car wash shampoo, then agitating the vehicle surface, re-dipping the mitt for each panel.
• Final rinse using hose or pressure washer.
• Dry

Rinseless Wash

• Dip a mitt, sponge, or towel into a bucket full of rinseless wash solution and gently wipe across the vehicle surface, re-dipping for each new panel.
• Special procedures for wheels, tires, grills.
• Drying towels (Motherfluffer and DoubleFlip Rinseless Towels).

Waterless Wash

• Misting the vehicle surface with waterless solution using a sprayer of some type.
• Wipe off residue with special towels. Waterless solution works works extremely well with our [Korean Plush] and [Elite] Detailing Towels, as well as our [No Streak Freak] Glass Towels.
• Use same method for wheels and grills.

Now let’s dive deeper into rinseless and waterless wash techniques and compare the
two methods.

What is a Rinseless Wash?

A Rinseless wash is just what it sounds like—a method to wash a car without rinsing before or after the soapy wash. To the traditionalist who thinks the only way to wash a car is with a full-flowing hose, washing without rinsing sounds barbaric. But it is very possible with a change in mindset, and products.

The key to this style of car washing is the use of the rinseless solution, which starts as concentrated specialized liquid that is diluted into a wash bucket according to directions. The rinseless product has two main ingredients: (1) lubricants that help to minimize scratching, and (2) surfactants that help capture loose particles and pull them up and away from the vehicle surface.

The solution is applied to a lightly soiled vehicle by dipping a wash mitt or sponge into the bucket, pulling it out soaking wet, and gently wiping the surface. The motion used on the vehicle panels is not so much scrubbing, but more like distributing the wash solution across the area. The area is then wiped off with a microfiber drying towel, which takes both the excess solution and loose dirt from the vehicle surface with almost no scratching. The mitt/sponge is re-dipped into the solution for each new panel.

Depending on the weather conditions, the process can be performed panel-by-panel, or the entire car can first be moistened with rinseless solution and then dried as a whole.

Most folks like to follow this wash method with a quick application of a spray-and-wipe protectant that can remove any leftover streaks. Dirty wheels and tires are typically washed separately using a different bucket and specialized wheel cleaners and brushes.

When Rinseless Wash is a Great Option

 
Regular car washing (weekly or semi-weekly) of vehicles that are not exposed to extreme weather lend themselves to the rinseless method. Rinseless is going to be the method of choice in situations where water is at a premium or water runoff is not an option (e.g., inside a homeowner’s garage or a parking structure).

Rinseless can be great for mobile detailers who don’t want to carry a lot of water or when runoff into the street from the driveway wash area is restricted. Rinseless can be great for do-it-yourselfers who, because of local driveway car washing restrictions, cannot use a hose to rinse their car.

When Rinseless Wash is NOT Recommended

Muddy vehicles and those with a dirty film from driving in the snow or rain are not good candidates for rinseless wash. Instead, these vehicles should go through a car wash or be pre-washed in a self-service wash bay. Then the rinseless method can be used to wipe off any leftover dirt or residue.

What is a Waterless Wash?

Waterless washing is also exactly what is sounds like—washing a car with no water at all. Waterless wash uses a specialized ready-to-use spray and wipe liquid that is full of lubricants, as well as emulsifiers that encapsulate dirt on the surface of the vehicle, and liquid glazes that fill in minor scratches.

The waterless liquid is sprayed liberally and directly onto a lightly soiled vehicle. The liquid emulsifies loose dirt and dust, allowing it to be easily wiped away with a high-quality plush microfiber towel. A second towel can be used to remove any leftover
streaks. The lubricants help to reduce micro scratching during the wipe-off process. The surface is left with an enhanced gloss from the glazing ingredients.

When Waterless is a Great Option

Waterless washing is fantastic for the “garage queen” vehicle that almost never goes outdoors. Since there is absolutely no water involved, it is perfect for “washing” a car indoors in a situation that demands that there are absolutely no droplets of water on the ground. A perfect example of this might be a vehicle in a collection that is parked on carpeting.

Nonetheless, many single vehicle enthusiasts enjoy the ease of keeping a car clean with no buckets, hoses, mitts, drying towels, or mess. Waterless washing will also work well maintaining a freshly detailed car, or when a quick clean-up is needed for an already fairly clean vehicle.

When Waterless is NOT Recommended

Like rinseless washing, waterless washing techniques are not going to work on muddy or grimy vehicles. Waterless will also not suffice as a wash procedure in preparation for ceramic coating installation, as the typical waterless chemical is filled with ingredients that will repel the coating. Likewise, waterless washing is not recommended in a body shop operation, or any operation in which the presence of silicon or similar chemicals may have a deleterious impact on the operation.

Key Differences Between Full Rinse, Rinseless, and Waterless Wash

Water Usage - The typical do-it-yourself full rinse hose-and-bucket wash can use as much as 120 gallons of water, although with a shut-off nozzle, this will be reduced to about 20 gallons. The professional detailer with a pressure washer set-up may use less than 20 gallons of water, depending on technique. Compare this to rinseless, which will use only a few gallons of water, and waterless wash, which uses NO water.

Cleaning Effectiveness - Full rinse washing is the most effective for heavy dirt or mud. For moderate light to moderate soil, rinseless will usually work fine. However, waterless is only used for light dirt, dust, or maintenance washing.

Equipment Needs - Full rinse washing requires the most equipment, including a hose or pressure washer, one or more buckets, washing equipment, and drying equipment.
Rinseless washing does not require the hose or pressure washer. Waterless wash only requires a spraying device to apply the solution and wiping towels to wipe it off.

Product Formulation Differences - Bucket-and-hose washing relies on car wash shampoo to lubricate the paint surface while it is agitated in order to allow the dirt to be washed away with flowing water. Waterless wash relies on emulsifiers that encapsulate dirt, lubricants that help to prevent scratching while the emulsified dirt is wiped away, and glazes that fill in any leftover micro scratching. Rinseless wash relies on lubricants and surfactants to break down and lift contaminants from the surface so they can be safely wiped off with a towel.

Avoiding Problems when Using Rinseless or Waterless Techniques

Too Dirty - The first piece of advice here is to not force the issue if the car is too dirty or has caked-on mud or road grime. If this is the case, it is best to perform a full-rinse wash first (consider using Off Road Wide Open All Terrain Car Wash Soap).

Too Much Product - Another common mistake is to under-dilute rinseless solution, leading to streaking issues or extra time spent wiping away leftover residue. The same can happen if too much waterless product is sprayed onto the vehicle surface.

Bad Towels - First, it is important to use the correct towels for each method. Waterless wash will require large, absorbent microfiber drying towels designed for use with waterless techniques. Rinseless wash will require standard sized plush micro-fiber towels, and many of them. The term “bad towels” also refers to overusing towels for either method. Fresh towels should be used for each new wash, and don’t hesitate to have many towels on hand during the wash. Dirty towels can be the leading cause of scratching with any wash method. We recommend our Motherfluffer and DoubleFlip rinseless microfiber towels. 

Summary

Rinseless and waterless—relatively new methods of washing a car--can save time and effort over the traditional full-water wash using a hose and bucket. Rinseless and waterless techniques can also allow washing in situations in which water use is restricted, either by regulation or situation. For both the do-it-yourselfer and the professional detailer, rinseless and waterless washing methods offer new options to keeping vehicles clean.

Recommended Waterless and Rinseless Products

1. P&S Epic Waterless Wash
2. Car Candy Waterless Wash
3. P&S Absolute Rinseless Wash
4. Oberk Rinseless Wash
5. Autofiber Motherfluffer Rinseless Microfiber Drying Towels 2 Pack
6. Autofiber DoubleFlip Rinseless Microfiber Drying Towels 3 Pack
7. Autofiber Korean Plush Detailing Towels 
8. Autofiber Elite Detailing Towels
9. Autofiber No Streak Freak Glass Towels