How-To: Rinseless Washing

Rinse-less washing is a fast, efficient and paint-safe way to quickly clean the exterior of your vehicle. We use Optimum No Rinse every single day to clean our customers cars using the method outlined below! All of these Opti-Coat maintenance products are available for purchase at our shop.

What You Need:

2 Tall Buckets & Grit Guards (labeled rinse & clean)
1 Optimum Big Red Sponge (or other soft wash media)
1 bottle of Opti-Coat No Rinse (or other rinse less wash)
2 Ultra Plush Opti-Coat Microfiber Drying Towels (no synthetic chamois)
1 Bottle of Opti-Coat Hyper Seal (Other Spray Wax/Sealant)

* All of the products mentioned in this article can be purchase online from Optimum Polymer Technologies, or from your local Opti-Coat coating Installer

A person is cleaning a Ferrari car with a red sponge

Getting Started

Place a Grit Guard in the bottom of each bucket to trap the grime that releases from the Big Red Sponge (BRS). Then fill each bucket with two gallons of water. Once filled, add 1oz (4 capfuls) of Opti-Coat No Rinse to each bucket and mix thoroughly using the BRS.

Once your solution is all mixed up and the drying towels are standing by, you are ready to go!

Washing Your Vehicle:

When performing a rinse less wash you always want to break the car into sections and work your way from the top down. When working from the top down, you are greatly reducing the likelihood of getting contaminants from lower panels stuck to your wash media. This in turn reduces the chances of swirling your finish.

Now that you have a plan of attack, you can start washing your vehicle by following these four easy steps!

1. Use a gentle touch with the Big Red Sponge

When performing a rinse less wash you want to be extremely careful and only use enough pressure to safely remove the grit and grime. You don't want to rub the contaminants into the paint. The Big Red Sponge is designed to pull the cleaning solution and contaminants into the grooves and off the surface of the paint with minimal pressure. When using the BRS, saturate the sponge and then wring it out until it drips a steady stream out of the corner or the sponge when held at an angle. Wipe the panel in a zig-zag motion until the entire surface has been wiped clean.

Once you are finished wiping the panel, place the BRS in the rinse bucket and move to step two.

2. Dry using the Opti-Coat Ultra Plush Drying Towel and Opti-Coat Hyper Seal

After washing, mist each panel with Opti-Coat Hyper Seal and immediately spread the product with the drying towel and watch as the water instantly absorbs into the microfiber towel. Using a drying aid such as Hyper Seal is a great way to ensure there is enough lubrication during the drying stage of any wash method to prevent marring the paint.

3. Rinse out your Big Red Sponge and repeat!

Once the panel is dried, ensure your Big Red Sponge is free of grit and debris by rubbing it on the grit guard in the bottom of the rinse bucket. Squeeze out the excesses water and gather more cleaning solution by dipping it into the cleaning bucket and lightly wringing it out. Repeat step 1-3 until all panels are cleaned and protected.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How dirty is too dirty?:

This is a very common question that gets asked. It is recommended that if there is large debris or excess road grime stuck to the paint that a pre-rinse is done using a pressure washer or medium pressure hose nozzle. This step should remove a majority of the large debris and allow for a flawless execution of the 2-bucket rinse less method.

How to store the Big Red Sponge:
Before using the BRS for the first time, soak the sponge overnight in a bucket of the No Rinse solution. This helps to soften the sponge before its first use. Once you are finished washing your car, clean out the sponge one last time and store it in the clean bucket of solution until your next wash.

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