# Is Your Drying Towel Dirty After A Rinseless Wash?



## waqasr (Oct 22, 2011)

As the title says really, so is it?

Ive noticed this but more so today as ive got a new drying towel and I noticed after cleaning each panel twice, the drying towel is picking up a fine layer of dirt. I know my dilution is right so not sure why and the car isnt exactly filthy, just pretty dusty.

Could it be due to a rinseless wash obviously not being rinsed, the dirt is still in the solution that is sitting on the panels? Im sure most gets absorbed by the wash media but there must be some on the panel and that is whats showing up on the drying towel?


----------



## hansen123 (Aug 11, 2013)

waqasr said:


> As the title says really, so is it?
> 
> Ive noticed this but more so today as ive got a new drying towel and I noticed after cleaning each panel twice, the drying towel is picking up a fine layer of dirt. I know my dilution is right so not sure why and the car isnt exactly filthy, just pretty dusty.
> 
> Could it be due to a rinseless wash obviously not being rinsed, the dirt is still in the solution that is sitting on the panels? Im sure most gets absorbed by the wash media but there must be some on the panel and that is whats showing up on the drying towel?


Its most likely cause you ain´t switching out your wash media frequent enough or you don´t go over the panel enough. I find that rinseless is not enough with just 1 wipe, and 2 can also struggle with it some times. With rinseless, you should also make a solution off the shampoo into a spray bottle and spray on the panel+drying towel before touching the car. Even in a perfect world, the car won´t be 100% spotless after a wash, and this just eliminates the possibility of swirls more+the drying towel wont drag as much on the paint+water leftovers will most likely just run off.


----------



## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

Its most likely you don't do enough washing passes and there is still some dirt left on the paint insted of getting it on the wash media.
so in short wash a section, rinse, wash the section again and then dry. I hope this helps


----------



## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

Damn a second to late


----------



## waqasr (Oct 22, 2011)

I would have thought 2 hits on the panel was enough, car wasnt even that dirty and is coated with fusso at the minute, I also always use a pre wash soak before touching the panel. Maybe I do need to go over the panel some more.


----------



## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

What is your wash media?


----------



## waqasr (Oct 22, 2011)

A sponge which ive sliced into to create small cubes so the dirt has somewhere to go.


----------



## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

I also use a sponge...a bit different though

http://www.spoliraj.si/images/products/originals/DSC00178.jpg

But im still sometimes having the same problems as you

Switching to a microfiber wash mitt or microfiber towels would pick up more dirt and leave a cleaner surface or should i say it transfers dirt better than a sponge. Have tried both and microfiber towels do clean better (so called Gary Dean method)...but im not a fan of washing microfibers after every wash so i stuck with the sponge that still does a decent job.

When drying, i first dip the towel in a clean solution of ONR and then wring it out so it is damp. A damp towel picks up water far better than a dry one + it has more lubrication for wiping on the surface so less chance of marring.
I think that as long as the towel is wet the dirt is emulsified in it and therefore does not pose such a threat. 
After drying i go through with a QD and a soft microfiber towel.

I hope it helps


----------



## Outonawing (Sep 27, 2014)

I've been having a similar experience with ONR and thought I'd been doing something wrong. I've gone back to the 2 bucket method, but might try a QD after ONR and see how it goes.


----------



## vindaloo (Jan 5, 2006)

I found this happened with ONR, but have not had this problem using Duragloss 931, in fact the drying towel is spotless after drying the whole car as is the Incredimitt wash pad, but the solution is very dirty indeed. Also contrary to reviews on here, I don't have to use a final buffing stage after the drying process. It seems to capture most of the dirt in the wash solution. I use a dilution of just over 1oz to 10 litres of water and use a second bucket to rinse out the washing media.

It also makes a superb QD, using 1oz in a 32oz Megs type spray bottle.

931 doesn't seem popular outside the States along with most DG products, but I find most of their products punch well above their price bracket. For those who haven't tried 931, I would urge you to give it a try. 

I just wish the importers would keep their stock up to date (No Aquawax for months) and promote the products a little more as they deserve better coverage.


----------



## zahtar (Oct 26, 2012)

waqasr said:


> Could it be due to a rinseless wash obviously not being rinsed, the dirt is still in the solution that is sitting on the panels? Im sure most gets absorbed by the wash media but there must be some on the panel and that is whats showing up on the drying towel?


That would be my first guess, but after reading other opinions here, I am having second thoughts. Currently using WC Mean Green, with (sometimes without) prespray at the same 1/500 dilution. The sheepskin mitt picks up a lot of dirt and when I wring it, I can see the dirty solution fell on the ground. Usually I do 1-2 passes, and get nicely clean panels. Combined with the blot drying of a thick mf, results are totally satisfying.

I thought that going over the surfaces more times would not shift any dirt, rather than move the already released around. A rinse would displace it in an old-school wash, but in our case this is the towel's job. Hence the preference on a thick mf.


----------



## iannidan (May 4, 2009)

not sure if this helps?


----------



## dexter101 (May 29, 2014)

Just used Duragloss 931 for the first time last night. loved it. Car looks amazing and I found it much easier to be gentle with the paint than I would using the normal 2bm method. no force needed and found it much more enjoyable than normal washing. The car was filthy as well (hadnt been washed for 4-5 months!). 

instead of just doing one or two passes, I just kept going over it (washing mitt between each pass) until there was no dirt coming off on the mitt. I did notice one or two patches when drying where the towel had dirt on it, this tended to be from areas that I didnt/couldnt pass as thoroughly, namely round badges, in the gaps around the doors etc.


----------



## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

zahtar said:


> That would be my first guess, but after reading other opinions here, I am having second thoughts. Currently using WC Mean Green, with (sometimes without) prespray at the same 1/500 dilution. The sheepskin mitt picks up a lot of dirt and when I wring it, I can see the dirty solution fell on the ground. Usually I do 1-2 passes, and get nicely clean panels. Combined with the blot drying of a thick mf, results are totally satisfying.
> 
> I thought that going over the surfaces more times would not shift any dirt, rather than move the already released around. A rinse would displace it in an old-school wash, but in our case this is the towel's job. Hence the preference on a thick mf.


Ive been using ONR W&S, ONR W&W and Wolfs mean green. When i used ONR (whichever) i always had some dirt transfer to my towel, but not with Wolfs mean green. 
I guess ONR just isnt strong enough to remove all of the dirt. Several passes with ONR do help of course.


----------



## Scotty B (Jul 1, 2009)

Never had any dirt transfer I could see using ONR. Been using it exclusively for 7 years with excellent results.

Only time I got dirt on it is when I dried a part under the sill I missed.


----------



## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

i honestly dont know why this happens with ONR but it does. I do the exact same wash with ONR as i do with Wolfs mean green (I even use less mean green (15ml/4l water) as ONR (30ml/4l water)) and i dont get any dirt transfer with mean green?!?


----------



## fethead (May 12, 2007)

From my experience, ONR dirties the wash media, but with Wolf's Mean Green and Meguiars Express Wash the water is dirty and the wash media clean, but with my drying towels they are generally clean unless I have gone to far under a sill.

Richard


----------



## mazstar (Feb 2, 2008)

I recall Optimum writing that the dirt you see using the product is as expected and actually a good thing. The composition of ONR is such that it dissolves/traps/coats the dirt in a way where you are not dragging it across the painted surface directly. I'm sure a decent search will response which was on this forum a while back.


----------



## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

Yes ive read about that somewhere...

Honestly im not concerned about it...I always wet my drying towel before i start cleaning so it is well lubricated when dragging it across the paint so it reduces the chance of swirls when drying.

its just interesting why this doesnt happen with other rinseless shampoos and why doesnt dirt transfer to the wash media instead? 

Oh well...some things we will never know! 

Nonetheless i still get great results with ONR and will continue using it.


----------



## fethead (May 12, 2007)

mazstar said:


> I recall Optimum writing that the dirt you see using the product is as expected and actually a good thing. The composition of ONR is such that it dissolves/traps/coats the dirt in a way where you are not dragging it across the painted surface directly. I'm sure a decent search will response which was on this forum a while back.


I didn't like how the wash media was dirty and have found that the others products i have mentioned don't do it. I understand the encapsulation effect of polymers, but would rather see the dirt then be separated from the wash media into the bucket. That's my opinion.

Richard


----------



## fethead (May 12, 2007)

A&J said:


> Yes ive read about that somewhere...
> 
> Honestly im not concerned about it...I always wet my drying towel before i start cleaning so it is well lubricated when dragging it across the paint so it reduces the chance of swirls when drying.
> 
> ...


I tend to use a detailing spray on the panel after washing to provide lubrication to prevent drying marring and leave behind enhanced gloss (depending on product).

Richard


----------



## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

yeah so do i...First i wipe off the majority of water with a damp waffle weave microfiber and then i follow with a QD (lately it is Autobrite project 32) and a soft drying towel (in my case it is the Chemical guys miracle towel folded in 1/4).


----------

