Optimum No Rinse - your thoughts
Discussion
I’m finally succumbing and giving ONR a go. As a rather obsessive fan of the two bucket method I’m rather sceptical of the no swirls guarantee. However, not having a driveway and having to spend a fair amount of time getting all the necessary gear ready, including pressure washer, two or three buckets filled and air dryer and extension lead plugged in, I’m now sold on the idea of ONR.
I have a bottle on order and it should be arriving tomorrow. I’ve had a look at the many YouTube videos on methodology but I’d be interested to hear your views if you’ve tried it, along with any tips you might have.
I’m aware it can never replace a pressure washer and multiple buckets but I’m happy to try new (to me) products.
I have a bottle on order and it should be arriving tomorrow. I’ve had a look at the many YouTube videos on methodology but I’d be interested to hear your views if you’ve tried it, along with any tips you might have.
I’m aware it can never replace a pressure washer and multiple buckets but I’m happy to try new (to me) products.
gweaver said:
I first used ONR a few weeks ago. It's a bit scary at first, but it seems to work. I haven't used it on a car with pampered paint though - it was bought for a friends car that's street parked.
Should be really useful stuff in the event of a hosepipe ban.
That’s what I was thinking. I’m assuming there’ll be a hosepipe ban given the spring we’ve had. Should be really useful stuff in the event of a hosepipe ban.
I’m going to give ONR a go tomorrow on my weekend car. The paintwork has recently been corrected but there’s only light dust over it. I’m optimistic that I can’t cause too much damage. Besides, the reviews I’ve read have all been completely positive.
I’ll report back on here with my thoughts. I suspect it’s one of those products that many people would like to try but are slightly nervous about doing so.
So, I finally got around to using ONR on both my weekend and daily car. It’s strange stuff indeed. Here are some of my thoughts and how I used it.
I first gave it a go on my 911. I followed the instructions on the bottle regarding the dilution ratio but deviated on the method slightly. I used around six microfibres soaked in the solution, pre-spraying each panel with the some of the solution transferred into a spray bottle. I wrung out a cloth until it was barely dripping and then folded each microfibre twice and used a quarter of the cloth to gently wipe down a part of each panel before flipping the cloth over and wiping down again.
Once I’d finished a panel I chucked the used cloth into a bag and dried off the section with a proper microfibre towel. I repeated this method until the car was complete.
Impressive results. It’s probably worth saying at this point that the car only had light dust on it from a couple of trips in the dry. The ONR feels really strange stuff. It’s not greasy but it feels slick, as if the water is somehow thick. I felt real confidence when using it that no damage was being done to the paintwork. I think the pre-spray certainly helped my confidence. The paintwork looked fantastic once finished.
I was also impressed that the ONR hadn’t stripped any of the coatings I’d applied after the last wash, in particular the Gtechniq C2 spray. Sometimes a more thorough wash will removed any QD or ceramic top-up spray. However, it felt as if the ONR had left this intact. The paint felt incredibly slick without any smearing or water spots.
I was also impressed with the lack of solution run-off from the car. I did the wash in the garage where the car usually resides. There were hardly any puddles around the car once I’d finished so it’s perfect for small garages or places without drainage.
I then decided to give it a go on my larger Skoda estate. I changed the method this time around, partly to experiment with the ONR and partly because the family workhorse isn’t so fastidiously maintained - it’s covered in swirls anyway and has a few dents courtesy of friendly neighbourhood vandals.
Again I used the dilution ratio as advised but used a single microfibre mitt, rather than a series of pre-soaked cloths. I pre-sprayed each panel as before and then wiped down with the wash mitt. I struggled a bit as it was a hot day and did the wash outside. Again the ONR did a great job of gently removing the dirt (this car was a lot grubbier, although not filthy). After each panel I wiped the wash mitt against the grit guard at the bottom of the bucket. However, I did notice that a lot of the dirt in the bucket seemed to float to the top of the liquid, rather than sink to the bottom. This may have been due to the nature of the dirt - mainly bugs - rather than the ONR itself. I’m sure a lot of the dirt ended up back on my wash mitt as I went to clean the next panel but as the liquid feels so slick I wasn’t too worried - and also I’m not too precious about the paintwork on this car. Again the car looked great once finished.
My verdict? I’m sold! It’s great stuff if the car is lightly soiled and you don’t have the option of the two bucket method each time. I think I’ll continue to wash my weekend car properly with a pressure washer if it’s really had some abuse, maybe once a month or so. I didn’t feel confident that the ONR could get in all the nooks and crannies that a pressure washer could, along with the help of a detailing brush. I also prefer the more traditional washing method for doing the wheels and arches. I wasn’t keen on getting the ONR onto the insides of my wheel barrels as there was no way of drying them with a cloth. Maybe it would have been fine drying them with my master blaster but I didn’t want to attempt it this time. The instructions clearly state that the ONR should be dried gently with a towel so the insides of the wheels wasn’t really an option.
The finish was as good as if I’d used two buckets, and no swirls present on the 911. The paintwork felt great afterwards and I noticed there seemed to be some paint protection present - there was decent water beading on the Skoda following a rain shower the next day.
In summary, a great convenient and safe product if time and space is limited but I don’t think it could completely replace two buckets, a pressure washer and a detailing brush.
I first gave it a go on my 911. I followed the instructions on the bottle regarding the dilution ratio but deviated on the method slightly. I used around six microfibres soaked in the solution, pre-spraying each panel with the some of the solution transferred into a spray bottle. I wrung out a cloth until it was barely dripping and then folded each microfibre twice and used a quarter of the cloth to gently wipe down a part of each panel before flipping the cloth over and wiping down again.
Once I’d finished a panel I chucked the used cloth into a bag and dried off the section with a proper microfibre towel. I repeated this method until the car was complete.
Impressive results. It’s probably worth saying at this point that the car only had light dust on it from a couple of trips in the dry. The ONR feels really strange stuff. It’s not greasy but it feels slick, as if the water is somehow thick. I felt real confidence when using it that no damage was being done to the paintwork. I think the pre-spray certainly helped my confidence. The paintwork looked fantastic once finished.
I was also impressed that the ONR hadn’t stripped any of the coatings I’d applied after the last wash, in particular the Gtechniq C2 spray. Sometimes a more thorough wash will removed any QD or ceramic top-up spray. However, it felt as if the ONR had left this intact. The paint felt incredibly slick without any smearing or water spots.
I was also impressed with the lack of solution run-off from the car. I did the wash in the garage where the car usually resides. There were hardly any puddles around the car once I’d finished so it’s perfect for small garages or places without drainage.
I then decided to give it a go on my larger Skoda estate. I changed the method this time around, partly to experiment with the ONR and partly because the family workhorse isn’t so fastidiously maintained - it’s covered in swirls anyway and has a few dents courtesy of friendly neighbourhood vandals.
Again I used the dilution ratio as advised but used a single microfibre mitt, rather than a series of pre-soaked cloths. I pre-sprayed each panel as before and then wiped down with the wash mitt. I struggled a bit as it was a hot day and did the wash outside. Again the ONR did a great job of gently removing the dirt (this car was a lot grubbier, although not filthy). After each panel I wiped the wash mitt against the grit guard at the bottom of the bucket. However, I did notice that a lot of the dirt in the bucket seemed to float to the top of the liquid, rather than sink to the bottom. This may have been due to the nature of the dirt - mainly bugs - rather than the ONR itself. I’m sure a lot of the dirt ended up back on my wash mitt as I went to clean the next panel but as the liquid feels so slick I wasn’t too worried - and also I’m not too precious about the paintwork on this car. Again the car looked great once finished.
My verdict? I’m sold! It’s great stuff if the car is lightly soiled and you don’t have the option of the two bucket method each time. I think I’ll continue to wash my weekend car properly with a pressure washer if it’s really had some abuse, maybe once a month or so. I didn’t feel confident that the ONR could get in all the nooks and crannies that a pressure washer could, along with the help of a detailing brush. I also prefer the more traditional washing method for doing the wheels and arches. I wasn’t keen on getting the ONR onto the insides of my wheel barrels as there was no way of drying them with a cloth. Maybe it would have been fine drying them with my master blaster but I didn’t want to attempt it this time. The instructions clearly state that the ONR should be dried gently with a towel so the insides of the wheels wasn’t really an option.
The finish was as good as if I’d used two buckets, and no swirls present on the 911. The paintwork felt great afterwards and I noticed there seemed to be some paint protection present - there was decent water beading on the Skoda following a rain shower the next day.
In summary, a great convenient and safe product if time and space is limited but I don’t think it could completely replace two buckets, a pressure washer and a detailing brush.
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