P&S Absolute Rinseless

[TwiSTFiesta]

Anyone here have any experience with P&S Absolute Rinseless? Or any Rinseless for that matter? I bought a kit from The Rag Co. that’s being delivered today and plan to wash at least one of my cars this weekend. Hopefully I can get some good before and after shots and share my thoughts.

 

[Capri to ST]

Anyone here have any experience with P&S Absolute Rinseless? Or any Rinseless for that matter? I bought a kit from The Rag Co. that’s being delivered today and plan to wash at least one of my cars this weekend. Hopefully I can get some good before and after shots and share my thoughts.

I have been using Optimum no rinse wash and wax for years and have had good results with it. Optimum makes high quality products, and I like the fact that it has some wax in it. I do spray Optimum's spray wax on the surface after I wash it and then dry it with a drying towel, so that obviously adds some more wax.
Before I wash the car, I do pull it out into the driveway and give it a good blast with the hose, so I may not be using it like a completely rinseless product. Here's what I'm using-
https://optimumcarcare.com/product/optimum-no-rinse-wash-wax1

 

[TwiSTFiesta]

Thanks @Capri to ST for sharing that. I remember Yvan Lacroix used to rep for Optimum but is now doing his own thing with DIY Detail. I’ve heard really good things about Optimum but never tried it. The P&S Absolute is supposed to be really good as well so since The Rag Co. had this kit it’s giving me a chance to try out their towels.

https://theragcompany.com/products/absolute-rinseless-wash-kit

On a side note though, I thought I’d be washing the car this weekend but I’m taking a canyon road drive instead. I’ll share my take on the Absolute probably next weekend instead.

 

[M-Sport fan]

I have some of the P&S waterless wash, but have not used it yet.
(I still have some fears/reservations about using it on a completely dry, dusty, and grainy dirt laden car, but I might try it soon.)

 

[TwiSTFiesta]

I g

I have some of the P&S waterless wash, but have not used it yet.
(I still have some fears/reservations about using it on a completely dry, dusty, and grainy dirt laden car, but I might try it soon.)

I get that. I got an iK pump sprayer with the kit. Spray, let dwell for a bit, then wipe. Apparently too because of the nature of the polymers in the product, the dirt is pulled to the bottom of the bucket rather than just settling (don’t forget the grit guard) so you can use your medium of choice without bringing dirt back from your solution bucket after re-dunking. Or, fill the bucket of rinseless with a half dozen or so microfiber towels and just grab a new one after the previous one has no more clean sides.

 

[Intuit]

Personally have been using pretty much any product as "rinseless". Never made any sense to spray it on there then immediately wash it off anyway.

I will add that I *immediately* remove any wax/ceramic or whatever coating from the windshield, headlamps, tail lamps and sometimes the side-mirrors. You do not want anything building up on those surfaces.

 

[TwiSTFiesta]

Personally have been using pretty much any product as "rinseless". Never made any sense to spray it on there then immediately wash it off anyway.

I will add that I *immediately* remove any wax/ceramic or whatever coating from the windshield, headlamps, tail lamps and sometimes the side-mirrors. You do not want anything building up on those surfaces.

Not sure I follow your first point. Are you talking about waterless? Rinseless is not the same.

Also I’m not sure I understand, why would you put wax/ceramic on a surface to then immediately remove it to prevent buildup? Putting down a sacrificial barrier only lasts so long so the need to reapply shouldn’t need to be done on a regular basis. It wears down over time.

 

[Intuit]

I don't use plain water as the final rinse.

Wax buildup = cloudy headlamps. (I replaced my Mom's because of this)


Wax buildup on the windshield creates visibility problems as the wipers spear over it in the rain. This is why a lot of people find it necessary to use RainX type products.


Unfortunately it's impractical to avoid getting it on the windshield, headlamps, tail lamps and side mirrors. 🙂 So I use glass cleaner to immediately remove it, prior to giving it time to dry/cure.

.

 

[TwiSTFiesta]

I don't use plain water as the final rinse.

Wax buildup = cloudy headlamps. (I replaced my Mom's because of this)
View attachment 58123

Wax buildup on the windshield creates visibility problems as the wipers spear over it in the rain. This is why a lot of people find it necessary to use RainX type products.


Unfortunately it's impractical to avoid getting it on the windshield, headlamps, tail lamps and side mirrors. 🙂 So I use glass cleaner to immediately remove it, prior to giving it time to dry/cure.

.

Okay cool. Thanks for clarifying. Safety first!

Could it be that what you experienced with the cloudy headlamps might not be wax buildup but a chemical reaction between the wax and plastic? I guess some manufacturers use sensitive lens plastic and even go as far and saying not to wax them because of adverse effects. What sort of wax were you using?

 

[M-Sport fan]

I NEVER put ANY type of wax, coating, sealant, etc. on my headlights/tail lights.

I only use this stuff, exclusively;



I may try the Cerakote product next, once my supply of this runs out.

 

[Dialcaliper]

I just tried out Optimum No Rinse this morning for the first time. I did douse the car down with a hose first as it was a bit grubby.

Notes that I picked up from a few videos, including the ones below. The buzzwords pro detailers use are a bit 🤦, but the info seems good.

I used a microfiber “chenille” mitt (with the little fingers) rather than a sponge, but don’t get one of the really “fuzzy” or “pearl” ones - look for one with short hairs and nubs that will still pick up dirt but won’t trap it in the fibers

Do one panel at a time and don’t “scrub” tough spots. Just let it glide lightly over the panel and don’t go over any spot more than about twice. Dump the mitt back in the bucket and let it sit there so the dirt soaks and “releases” from the mitt. You’re not going to get the car quite as clean as you would with a wet wash, but getting as much dirt out of the mitt as you can each time is important.

Best trick ever - use a gallon of distilled water in the bucket (about $2 at the grocery store) instead of hose water. Seems silly at first to buy water, but it makes it so you don’t have to get the panel really dry to avoid spots, just get the beaded water off and let the streaks air dry. Keep plenty of clean microfiber rags around for drying - I used about 4-5 of them that can be washed after

Turned out okay. I used “Opti-seal” on the drying step as shown in the video below as a drying aid - makes the drying step easier with less rubbing. The sealant can go right over everything including paint, glass and headlights/plastic and doesn’t build up like wax because you use so little.

For the wheels I sprayed them with diluted “Optimum Power Clean” and hosed them off before starting the rest of the wash. After washing the rest of the car, I went over them
with the soap on a sheepskin “wand” that I only use for washing wheels - don’t use the rinseless wash mitt! Once they air dried, I did the tires with 303 Aerospace protectant (I hate gloss tire dressing), then did the wheels with Michelin Brake Dust Repellent which also helps clean off the remaining brake dust. For the last steps on the wheels I used 2 more cheap microfiber rags that will end up in the trash - they get filthy and don’t want the brake dust and cleaning chemicals in my washing machine

Overall it turned out okay and seemed like slightly less hassle than breaking out the soap and wet wash, and even doing it slowly the first time it only took about an hour including setup and putting stuff away.

My only complaint is that some spots like the rear above the license plate and door sills where some dirt accumulated dripped out after I was done and left dirty trails down the back of the car. Probably need to get unlazy and clean out the door sills, and/or do a hose wash with some spray and/or take a trip to the DIY wand wash next time.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqj0H8LDqoI

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=K1znvuIFfcE

 

[M-Sport fan]

Yeah, IF I had access to an outside faucet/hose/water source, I would not ever bother with ANY of the 'rinseless/waterless' washing methods AT ALL.

My washing in the rain method seems to be about the best I can do for now, given my circumstances, despite being at the mercy of the amount of rainfall at any given time of the day (to help wash away the soap residue, after my 'clean water bucket dump/clean large dish soap spray bottle' rinsing method), as 0.01" rainfall per hour is NOT going to cut it for a complete rinse.

Those of you with unlimited access to a water hose (as well as a private driveway and/or garage for other car work) do not know just how fortunate you are!

 

[Capri to ST]

I just tried out Optimum No Rinse this morning for the first time. I did douse the car down with a hose first as it was a bit grubby.

Notes that I picked up from a few videos, including the ones below. The buzzwords pro detailers use are a bit 🤦, but the info seems good.

I used a microfiber “chenille” mitt (with the little fingers) rather than a sponge, but don’t get one of the really “fuzzy” or “pearl” ones - look for one with short hairs and nubs that will still pick up dirt but won’t trap it in the fibers

Do one panel at a time and don’t “scrub” tough spots. Just let it glide lightly over the panel and don’t go over any spot more than about twice. Dump the mitt back in the bucket and let it sit there so the dirt soaks and “releases” from the mitt. You’re not going to get the car quite as clean as you would with a wet wash, but getting as much dirt out of the mitt as you can each time is important.

Best trick ever - use a gallon of distilled water in the bucket (about $2 at the grocery store) instead of hose water. Seems silly at first to buy water, but it makes it so you don’t have to get the panel really dry to avoid spots, just get the beaded water off and let the streaks air dry. Keep plenty of clean microfiber rags around for drying - I used about 4-5 of them that can be washed after

Turned out okay. I used “Opti-seal” on the drying step as shown in the video below as a drying aid - makes the drying step easier with less rubbing. The sealant can go right over everything including paint, glass and headlights/plastic and doesn’t build up like wax because you use so little.

For the wheels I sprayed them with diluted “Optimum Power Clean” and hosed them off before starting the rest of the wash. After washing the rest of the car, I went over them
with the soap on a sheepskin “wand” that I only use for washing wheels - don’t use the rinseless wash mitt! Once they air dried, I did the tires with 303 Aerospace protectant (I hate gloss tire dressing), then did the wheels with Michelin Brake Dust Repellent which also helps clean off the remaining brake dust. For the last steps on the wheels I used 2 more cheap microfiber rags that will end up in the trash - they get filthy and don’t want the brake dust and cleaning chemicals in my washing machine

Overall it turned out okay and seemed like slightly less hassle than breaking out the soap and wet wash, and even doing it slowly the first time it only took about an hour including setup and putting stuff away.

My only complaint is that some spots like the rear above the license plate and door sills where some dirt accumulated dripped out after I was done and left dirty trails down the back of the car. Probably need to get unlazy and clean out the door sills, and/or do a hose wash with some spray and/or take a trip to the DIY wand wash next time.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqj0H8LDqoI

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=K1znvuIFfcE

Good write up. I also use some cheap microfiber towels on the wheels which I then throw away for the same reason that you do, I don't want to put them in my washing machine. I do it at the start though, after spraying down the wheels real well, I dip the clean towels in the wash water, wipe down the wheels, and then throw them away so I can avoid putting them in the wash or rinse water with the brake dust from the wheels on them .
A day or two after I wash the car, I also wipe down the door jambs with some quick detailer and cheap microfiber towels which I then throw away, it's surprisingly dirty in there.

 

[TwiSTFiesta]

Thanks for all the input. I can’t wait to jump in and get at it myself. I do have access to water but only when I’m at work. It sucks to have to plan out when I’m going to wash my car and even though I love doing it, it’s tiring to do it right after work. So hopefully this rinseless method will prove to be a great alternative at my apartment.

 

[Intuit]

Okay cool. Thanks for clarifying. Safety first!

Could it be that what you experienced with the cloudy headlamps might not be wax buildup but a chemical reaction between the wax and plastic? I guess some manufacturers use sensitive lens plastic and even go as far and saying not to wax them because of adverse effects. What sort of wax were you using?

Don't know what my Mom used but have seen McGuire and similar type well known/reputable products.

I NEVER put ANY type of wax, coating, sealant, etc. on my headlights/tail lights.

I only use this stuff, exclusively; Plexus Plastic Cleaner Protectant & Polish

I may try the Cerakote product next, once my supply of this runs out.

People who use wash and wax products and/or go through car washes cannot avoid getting it on those surfaces.