Wash/rinse with no soap

[tguil]

Guys,

I used to frequently wash my vehicles using only a hose and chenille wash mitt. No soap. One reason was to avoid soap scum that could form on the surface of the vehicle. I know that soap is important for its lubricity as well as its cleaning power.

This morning I drove home in a minor snow strom but the temperature was still in the mid thirties. I started to hose the big gunk off my black Hemi and got carried away. I grabbed a cotton chenille mitt and gave the truck a water only wash/rinse. There was no nozzle on the hose so there was very little beading. As I took the mitt to an area I directed the hose to the same area. I drove the truck into the garage and dried it with microfiber towels. It's looking great. (Might as well get out the Color X and maybe NXT to finish the job. We are expecting major snow over the next 48 hours.)

So how about this method? It was my preferred way of washing cars for many years. I would think that running water should provide a lot of lubricity.

Tom

[Detalnewb]

Re: Wash/rinse with no soap

Originally posted by tguil
I used to frequently wash my vehicles using only a hose and chenille wash mitt. No soap. One reason was to avoid soap scum that could form on the surface of the vehicle. I know that soap is important for its lubricity as well as its cleaning power.

If you're getting soap scum, I'd say you're using the wrong soap or not rinsing well enough. Personally, I'd never wash a black vehicle without a high quality soap. I can only imagine that you are dragging a lot of dirt around your truck without the proper cleaning and lubrication of a soap. Next time you get your truck into the sun, check the sun's reflection. I'd hate to see your truck full of scratches and cobwebbing.

I'd recommend using NXT or Gold Class wash with the two bucket method as a start. Your vehicles will thank you. A little effort up front saves a lot of effort trying to remove scratches later.

[tguil]

Thanks for the advice. Actually the sun came out for a few minutes and there were no more scratches or marring than I had prior to my quick wash. There already was some marring from my winter washes using the coin-op and QEW. I waxed the truck using ColorX. The swirls and marring are gone.

Tom