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School me on home deionized/spotless car wash setups

Discussion in 'General' started by shakazulu12, Jun 23, 2021.

  1. shakazulu12

    shakazulu12 Well-Known Member

    It's a black truck and I drive down dirt roads a few times a week. Plus I'm lazy AF. Idea was to just hose it off a few times between actual washes without having to put any real effort into drying it. Can't hit the carwashes because it has a bike rack on it, that I'm also not going to remove every day.
     
  2. Motofun352

    Motofun352 Well-Known Member

    I bought one of those foam cannons. It's a bit of a PIA as I have to use a pressure washer with it. Hose the car off, foam the whole damn thing and wipe it down. As long as it is pretty clean to begin with it works pretty good. Squeege the water off, get the spots with a micro fibre towel and I'm done. PS, Zaino makes the absolute bestest polishing micros but they value them dearly.
     
  3. evomach

    evomach Well-Known Member

    I got the cheaper/smaller Unger Rinse N Go system through Costco. It goes on sale periodically (about $50 off). It's worked fine the several times I've used it this year, but the replacement filters are a little pricey. The amount of time they'll last depends on the quality of water you have. I still do a quick towel dry after with a Griots PFM towel so I don't have any actual feedback of just the rinse and drive or just let dry.
     
  4. moto316

    moto316 Well-Known Member

    I use this https://www.griotsgarage.com/product/portable+water+deionizer.do

    Alternative options here https://rv-mods.com/store/

    The CR Spotless system is just a more mainstream consumerized version of the above.

    And replace/refill with this https://www.ebay.com/itm/352800298894?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

    My water has high ppm (~350). Washing the truck twice a month the resin lasts me about 6 months. The refill bag from ebay has enough to refill the tank about 3 times I would say. I only do the final rinse with the DI water btw.
     
    TurboBlew and shakazulu12 like this.
  5. pfhenry

    pfhenry Well-Known Member

    I'm a big fan of dry it then wax it every time I wash... automotive soaps say they don't take off the wax but they do if you scrub it to death/ use too much concentrate. The chasing classic cars guy (Wayne Carini) endorses the Metrovac air force master blaster. When in doubt, buff it out.
     
    Phl218 likes this.
  6. Phl218

    Phl218 .

    We have a membership car wash in town. Took my truck there couple of times. wont ever take the Audi there...
    you might be SOL with the kid and his mudded ‘95 Cherokee right before you. Also the brushes hit way too hard. Plus it doesn’t catch everything so you still have to get the rag out

    I run through the spray wash every couple of days, $1.50 for 5 min of clean/“wax” water... does the trick to get the light stuff off. By the time I’m home it’s dry.

    for the good stuff you can get religious, but I use the foam cannon and 2 bucket method. Then leaf blower and microfiber towels. But we are also very lucky with water with almost nothing in it (as per annual report) ...

    I’d skip the filters and just find a spray wash close by, keep a small battery powered blower in the truck...
     
  7. Phl218

    Phl218 .

    best option for a daily/ beater With plenty layers of paint left :D
     
  8. sdg

    sdg *

    That means you gotta live somewhere it rains...
     
    Phl218 likes this.
  9. L8RSK8R

    L8RSK8R Well-Known Member

    When rinsing the vehicle let the water freeflow from the hose.
    Water will sheet off and leave less opportunity for spots.
    Start with roof and windows.
    Freeflow rinse them and dry.
    Then work on washing hood fenders etc.
     
  10. motorkas

    motorkas Well-Known Member


    Bought a chest protector from the OP a couple of years ago and he was located in the Pacific North West at the time.

    But you are correct - in order to wash a car in the rain, you will need rain.
     
  11. tropicoz

    tropicoz Well-Known Member

    I have the double cartridge version of that with the wheeled dolly. It's awesome. Wash, rinse and walk away. You can wash in bright sunshine without issue, just remember to keep all surfaces wet until you final rinse.
     
    shakazulu12 likes this.
  12. Captain Morgan

    Captain Morgan Well-Known Member

    Love the beeb for first world problems, funny rented a car yesterday for a 7 hour drive from rio and they gave me a new rental car and the first thing I asked my girlfriend is you know somewhere to make this car dirty and throw some mud on it so it doesn't look like a new rental car with a gringo driving. The spot zero system is what yachts use on the dock when you are using hose water to wash the boat. But like stated above is it a ferrari??? Wash it, if you don't want to hand dry, drive it for 15 minutes when wet and its the magic spot free airdry for free
     
  13. TurboBlew

    TurboBlew Registers Abusers

    A friend that details everything under the sun has a DI subscription service for his biz. His obsessed clients also have it to rinse their toys between details. I used his pressure rig to clean my bikes and I couldnt believe how clean it got the nastiest parts with so little effort.
     
  14. Venom51

    Venom51 John Deere Equipment Expert - Not really

    Cartainly first world problems but I just like to keep my shit clean. That means everything down to the curbing out front. If there is a tool at home that gets regular use it would be the pressure washer.
     
  15. lazlo

    lazlo Stand up guy who corners low.

    Is the DI rig just for rinsing, or is it used throughout the car wash?
     
  16. Venom51

    Venom51 John Deere Equipment Expert - Not really

    A smart man would only use it for the rinse to make the filter media last longer.
     
    tropicoz likes this.
  17. tropicoz

    tropicoz Well-Known Member

    Just the final rinse
     
  18. bleacht

    bleacht Well-Known Member

    I do the same but use Ammo Hydrate when drying with the MF towels. It makes the towels absorb more water and the drying process much quicker.
     
    Phl218 likes this.

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