Review & How-To: Optimum No Rinse Wash & Wax

[Marc08EX]

Product Review and How-To: Optimum No Rinse Wash & Wax
Optimum No Rinse Wash & Wax, no rinse car wash, rinse free car wash, optimum no rinse



Description: (Taken from Autopia`s website)

Add valuable protection to your paint while you wash!

- Rinseless car wash that adds carnauba protection with each use
- Safely clean vehicle exteriors without the need for running water
- Save time, money, and the environment


Optimum Car Care is famous for their excellent rinseless wash, Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine, as well as their outstanding carnauba based spray wax, Optimum Car Wax. Dr. David Ghoudassi, the head chemist and car care wizard extraordinaire has combined these two products to give you a one step, wash & protect car wash formula: Optimum No Rinse Wash & Wax. Now you can wash your car safely, add substantial protection, and improve the gloss in far less time then previously thought possible. You don`t even need access to a hose or running water!

Until now, many people would drag out the wash bucket, hose, sponge, towels, and paste wax. Over the next several hours gallons of water would fall into the sewer and calories would be burned. Eventually the vehicle would emerge clean and shiny, except for those spots of white residue around the emblems. Optimum No Rinse Wash & Wax solves all of these problems in one easy step. This is because Optimum No Rinse Wash & Wax is a powerful rinseless car wash that removes grit, dirt, and road pitch from the paint without scratching. A combination of synthetic polymers and carnauba wax blanket the exterior adding shine and protection.

Optimum No Rinse Wash & Wax is an unique product that contains substantive polymers as well as genuine carnauba wax. The polymers bond to the paint and protect it during the wash. They also serve double duty, adding a high-gloss shine and water beading protection. This gives this advanced wash solution greater protection and lubricity then traditional car shampoos. The carnauba wax coats the paint creating a deep shine while adding UV protection. Wash, clean, shine, and protect in one easy step!

Some additional benefits of using Optimum No Rinse Wash & Wax are faster washes, the ability to wash at anytime including washing in the garage during the colder months, no messy water runoff, and a greater looking paint finish. The rinseless system allows professional detailers and enthusiasts to wash their car faster. The excellent carnauba wax adds shine, gloss, and protection.

Optimum No Rinse Wash & Wax can be used to wash cars, motor-homes, motorcycles, boats, planes, and more.

Price:

$7.99 for 8oz
$19.99 for 32oz
$49.99 for 128oz

Introduction:

I have always been scared of using rinseless wash ever since it first came out. I didn`t think it was as safe as using your traditional car soap and free flowing water. I just never believed that it has the same amount of lubricity. However, current living conditions forced me to try and use this product. Now, it`s part of my washing routine.

How-To Do A Rinseless Car Wash:

I`m not going to type the product`s directions but instead show you:



It says to use 2 gallons of water but I think Optimum just simplified the ratio of product to water. I never found 2 gallons to be enough especially when using a grit guard. I`m going to be showcasing this product on a small econobox vehicle so I chose to fill my water bucket with 3 gallons of water.



I think I got this tip from Mike Phillips. Mark your bucket with gallon marks (i.e. 2, 3 and 4 in my picture) to make filling your bucket easy.

So how much ONRWW do I need for 3 gallons of water you ask? A quick calculation says that we need 1.5oz of product. Use any type of measuring device. I`m using the Attach-It Measuring Cups here (Review: Attach-It 3oz Measuring Cups - Auto Geek Online Auto Detailing Forum) and filled it to the 1.5oz mark:



Pour the solution to your bucket of water:



Here you can see the product suspended in the water. It`s cool because it kind of looks like the clouds.



Now it`s time to drop your Grit Guard in the bucket.



You already know that the purpose of the grit guard is to keep dirt at the bottom of the bucket and not let it swirl up your solution. For this case, it has a second purpose. I use it to mix my solution. This method of mixing not only works for rinseless but also for your traditional wash solution!



Now put your wash media in the bucket and let it soak for a little while before using it.



Now that you finished preparing your rinseless solution. It`s time to wash the car!!!

As Mike Phillips said before, the power of the after pictures is in the before pictures. I really wanted to demonstrate the power and effectiveness of this rinseless wash so I had to use a dirty vehicle. Both my car and my wife`s car are extremely clean so I didn`t want to use that. So I asked a co-worker if he`s willing to donate his car for my review. In exchange, his car will be washed. Thankfully I found a volunteer.

This car is a 2007 Chevy Aveo. It`s dirty as you`ll see in the pictures. We recently had rain here so it has dust, dirt, water spots and grime throughout the paint.

The beauty of rinseless washing is that you can do it under the sun. It`s still preferred to work in the shade but if conditions don`t permit you, it`s still ok because you`ll work at one panel at a time.

Let`s start off with the hood. Here`s the before picture showing how dirty it is:



Start washing the panel. I only washed half of this hood for demonstration purposes only. I would have washed the entire hood in 1 go. Make sure to use light pressure when doing your initial pass. You don`t want to apply pressure while dragging the dirt around. Once you`ve completed your first pass, flip your wash media and clean the area again to make sure all the dirt has been cleaned off.





Now use your favorite drying towel whether it be a waffle weave microfiber drying towel or a standard microfiber towel. Either one will work just fine.



As you can see, the surface is now clean and shiny.

An important idea to keep in mind when doing rinseless washing is to keep your wash media as clean as possible. It means to agitate your wash mitt against the grit guard after each panel. A second bucket with just plain water will work here like your 2 bucket wash but I find that this consumes so much solution when using the wash media that I`m using. If you`re only using microfiber towels then the 2 bucket method is fine.

Here`s the wash media after washing half of the hood:



Pretty dirty huh? I`m sure you wouldn`t try to rub that against the paint of your vehicle. What you do next is to try and rinse out the dirt as much as possible by agitating it against your grit guard.



Here`s the wash media after agitation.



Here`s the entire hood washed:



Now repeat that process throughout the entire vehicle working one panel at a time.

Rear quarter panel before:


Rear quarter panel being washed:


Rear quarter panel after:


Here`s a picture of the rear quarter panel after washing it and me comparing it to the dirty rear bumper. Big difference huh?



Trunk before:


Trunk being washed:


Trunk after:


Rear door before:


Rear door being washed:


Rear door after:


Here`s a picture of the rear door after washing it and me comparing it to the dirty front door.



Another comparison shot showing the difference between the clean front fender and the dirty front door:

[Marc08EX]

After washing the entire vehicle, here is how much solution I had remaining:



Here is my wash media after the entire wash:



Yes it looks dirty but it`s not as bad as the blur ONR. For this reason, I`ll be using ONRWW now.

Here are some after shows and gloss/reflection pictures:











Opinions and Observations:

I found ONR to be very safe and effective in cleaning. It removed the dirt with ease and the solution made it feel slick. I`m sure this makes it safe with their emulsification process. The owner also said that he didn`t see any additional swirling or scratches from the wash.

One thing I didn`t like about the original blue ONR was that it stained the wash media. What I mean is that it stays dirty even when you try to clean it by agitating it against the grit guard. Optimum said that the dirt particles are released when you agitate your wash media but the color of the wash media remains that way. It doesn`t mean that it`s dirty, just stained. I didn`t like that at all because I perceived the wash media as having dirt and grits and I was so afraid to use it and scratch my car. That`s one reason I never really liked ONR. But I`m happy to say that ONRWW doesn`t stain the wash media as quick. After washing the entire vehicle, it did stain the wash media mildly. That improvement alone is enough for me to use ONRWW from now on. I`m happy about that enhancement.

Since this wasn`t my vehicle, I really don`t know what it normally looks like. So I asked the owner what did he think of the gloss and slickness after washing his vehicle. He definitely thought that it felt more slick than normal. Also, he said that the gloss improved a little. I`m guessing this is the result of the wax additive of the product and I`m happy to report that it seems to work.

Like with any other detailing product, this has an awesome smell! It smells fruity. I think it resembles the smell of melon but I`m not exactly sure. Just make sure you don`t drink it yourself.

Conclusion:

Rinseless wash technology has changed the world of car washing. This enables people with water restrictions and no hose access to safely and effectively clean their car. Optimum has done it again with their No Rinse Wash & Wax. It cleans your car, produces a very nice shine and at the same time protecting it from the elements.

Whether you have used other rinseless products or haven`t tried doing rinseless washing at all, it is time for you to try it with Optimum No Rinse Wash and Wax. It is a great product and definitely worth the money. It can clean you car without scratching provided that you use the proper technique and common sense. If you`re afraid to try it, don`t be. Just take the plunge like I did. You won`t regret it.

[mjlinane]

Great review and tutorial, Marc!!

[dc52nv]

Absolutely great review. Thank you for taking so much time in providing pics along with it. I`ll be picking up a bottle of this stuff on my next order.

[Bunky]

Thanks for the review. Great write up. I have not used the ONR with wax product yet.

[Pats300zx]

Awesome review !!!

[Marc08EX]

Thanks for the compliments guys! Glad you guys enjoyed it.

[Wheelzntoys]

Thanks for review, I like to presoak with a waterless or ONR QD mix.

[SS 07C70]

Nice review. Thanks for sharing, Pics were a great addition.

[Marc08EX]

Thanks a lot for the compliments guys!!

[Reddwarf]

Excellent review! I am adding this product to my order!

[512detail]

awesome review. enjoyed the pics as well. i have yet to try the ONRWW but i do agree with the staining aspect of the blue ONR, yet i continue to use it as i have a new bottle.

i will have to pick up some of this on my next order

[07gtcs]

I just might have to try this when all my other rinseless runs out.

[Evan.J]

Wow Marc your indepth reviews and how to`s are excellent. Very informative!

[Quiksilver5882]

Awesome review! I tried ONRWW for the first time as well on Saturday. It`s definitely not as scary as I thought it would be!