# Waterless, what if car is caked with muck?



## Hondahead1991 (Feb 19, 2011)

As said above lol waterless is an option to use in my mobile valeting bussiness but just want to know more about it any info about it and advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## tjclark92 (Feb 10, 2011)

I was just about to ask this question to!


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## Dodoalan (Nov 24, 2009)

Hondahead1991 said:


> As said above lol waterless is an option to use in my mobile valeting bussiness but just want to know more about it any info about it and advice would be greatly appreciated.


You can only use waterless if you can see through the dirt! if that makes sense.
You would have to use too much product to remove the muck it would not be cost effective.


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## tjclark92 (Feb 10, 2011)

So this is a no no for waterless?


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## Dodoalan (Nov 24, 2009)

tjclark92 said:


> So this is a no no for waterless?


A no no if you cant see through the dirt. Other wise its great.


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## TOGWT (Oct 26, 2005)

Can you float the 'muck' off prior to ONR with a water hose (similar to sheeting)?


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## Hondahead1991 (Feb 19, 2011)

i dont think a hose would have enough power to take off caked on muck.. unless u wired up a karcher nd then whats the point in waterless lol


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## Lowiepete (Mar 29, 2009)

tjclark92 said:


> So this is a no no for waterless?


It probably is for waterless washes like Showroom Shine, but a "less water"
alternative of ONR would easily tackle that. The key here is to let the product
do the work. 2 capfuls in a watering can and spray over - then walk away for
a couple of minutes - time enough to refill your can and a wash bucket.

Spray as you wipe, panel by panel, with frequent rinses out of the sponge. Most
of the dirt can just be gently pushed off the paint, or it will dissolve out. If it
doesn't move, then don't be afraid to give it more time. Just take your time,
and _never_ be tempted to rub! This challenge will show just how well the ONR
can get behind the dirt sufficiently to lubricate its parting from the paint.



TOGWT said:


> Can you float the 'muck' off prior to ONR with a water hose (similar to sheeting)?


The addition of ONR makes the water "wetter", so it penetrates between the
dirt and the surface.
Regards,
Steve


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

@OP... when I spoke to you about ONR and told you to look up Pete...that's him there^^^^

ONR guru at your service... :lol:

:thumb:


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## VZSS250 (Jan 8, 2008)

Oh gosh, this topic always spoils the fun for ONR users.


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## Yoghurtman (Dec 9, 2008)

VZSS250 said:


> Oh gosh, this topic always spoils the fun for ONR users.


Indeed, I thought all us ONR users were going to keep quiet about how good it is!

It'll be DW's product of the year next!


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## AllieCB (Jun 19, 2011)

I agree that a hose probably isn't going to take the muck off by itself, but if you're going to use the hose anyway, you could always hand wash with a bucket of water and a watering can.

Soften the mud/muck first using a watering can and water. Then take it off using short gentle swipes from the mit, rinsing frequently. After removing said muck, ONR can probably just do it's thing.

Water at some stage is necessary though.


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## Lowiepete (Mar 29, 2009)

AllieCB said:


> Soften the mud/muck first using a watering can and water.


If you have ONR on hand, then use it to help speed up the mud/muck
softening - it's surfactants are designed to do just that. Just squeeze
some out from the wash mitt and let it dwell a while to penetrate.

Regards,
Steve


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## Yellow Dave (Apr 5, 2011)

sorry to revive and old thread, but........ how much muck can ONR remove?

I've seen a recent pic of your Laguna being cleaned and the dirt was comparable to maybe a day or less for me. I spend my mornings driving on and off building sites, and the wife driving twice a day down narrow lanes to the stables means both cars get quite heavy mud splatter every day, even in a dry summer. But I'm quite keen to give it a try.

I've been flicking through the many threads on ONR and this only partly covers it.


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## Lowiepete (Mar 29, 2009)

Hi Dave,


Yellow Dave said:


> sorry to revive and old thread, but........ how much muck can ONR remove?


Simply a case of "trial and error" and developing your own routine - just 
ensure that you give the product time to do its work.

I also stay on a Cumbrian (cattle & sheep) farm, twice a year, and that 
doesn't present too much of a problem. A good pre-soak and only downward 
movements of the mitt on the verticals so you gently push the dirt off. A
gentle squeeze of the mitt as you descend helps to lubricate your way down.

Little bites and often, as it's quite easy to get a tad too confident. I'd only
use a bucket wash on the farm, especially in summer. If you follow BigPikle's
video routine, but omit the initial drying, you could then follow up with my
bucketless method as your final cleaning and drying QD. I'm always wary of 
using a dry MF cloth on paint until I'm absolutely certain it is clean.

N.B. All the above assumes that you already have a fairly good level of paint
protection in the first place!

Regards,
Steve


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## DIESEL DAVE (Jul 26, 2007)

Lowiepete said:


> .
> 
> N.B. All the above assumes that you already have a fairly good level of paint
> protection in the first place!


Yeah that is of paramount importance isn`t it Steve ?
The success or failure of a waterless wash can depend on the level of protection present.


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## Lowiepete (Mar 29, 2009)

DIESEL DAVE said:


> The success or failure of a waterless wash can depend on the level of protection present.


I'm guessing that the protection helps the ONR get between the dirt and the
paint, rather than it kinda disappearing into the paint pores first. It'll probably
still work, but a _lot_ more care and patience will be required!

For a farm, a good solid wax like Collinite 476s or FK1000p would come highly
recommended, the latter especially on wheels. Throughout this winter I've had
2 coats of CG Blacklight on the car and it's been remarkable as to how little
dust or dirt has stuck to the paint. (See Post #144 in this thread) Being in a
drought area, what rain we've had has left surprisingly little muck residue.
I've only been out twice to ONR the car this winter.

Wheels are a different matter, but that's down to the pad dust; soon to be
remedied with some EBC Red Stuff - fingers crossed...

Regards,
Steve


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## Lowiepete (Mar 29, 2009)

Having given this some further thought, and because a bucket wash is a fairly
high priority, it may be that ONR is not the better choice. A good alternative
is probably CG Hose-Free Eco wash (HFE). The 16oz bottles aren't such good
value compared to ONR, but regular use should justify the 1 US gallon size.

It's another product that requires a bit of care when measuring as it'll smear
like crazy if you overdo it. I've written a guide / FAQ on HFE here...

Regards,
Steve


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## Twisterboy (Sep 22, 2010)

I use Showroom shine but I do not use it if the car is really caked as I'm not convinced it will eat through the dirt, if's a light coating then I will use showroom shine.

Davy


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## Yellow Dave (Apr 5, 2011)

Lowiepete said:


> Having given this some further thought, and because a bucket wash is a fairly
> high priority, it may be that ONR is not the better choice. A good alternative
> is probably CG Hose-Free Eco wash (HFE). The 16oz bottles aren't such good
> value compared to ONR, but regular use should justify the 1 US gallon size.
> ...


I've just been watching chemical guys US video and I still find it hard to believe it works. Only one way to found out.


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## Scotty B (Jul 1, 2009)

If my car is caked I travel 2mls down the road to the Supermarket and stick £1 in for 3 mins and blast the dirt off with high pressure cold water, then ONR as usual when back home.

I tried using ONR on caked cars and it's just too messy.


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## Falon (Mar 16, 2012)

never tried but what abut industrial sprayer before waterless, should be strong enough if dirt is fresh


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## Scotty B (Jul 1, 2009)

Works to a certain degree and probably fine most of the time.


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## Russ and his BM (Jan 1, 2008)

Seems like the trick to ONR is staying on top of things and washing little and often, not letting the car get minging in between washes.


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## DIESEL DAVE (Jul 26, 2007)

Russ and his BM said:


> Seems like the trick to ONR is staying on top of things and washing little and often, not letting the car get minging in between washes.


Yep the same also applies to most waterless washes, you gotta keep on top of it for the best/easiest results :thumb:


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## Scotty B (Jul 1, 2009)

Once a week usually does the trick.


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## Russ and his BM (Jan 1, 2008)

Got it.


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