5 replies to this topic

[akimel]

A question for Optimum and all you ONR users: Is it safer to use two buckets when giving my car an ONR wash (one bucket filled with the water/ONR solution and the rinse bucket filled with water)? I have been using just one bucket--figuring that if two buckets was optimal then Optimum would have instructed us to use two buckets--but I have to admit that I still feel a tad uneasy about it, even after many ONR washes. Am I just being paranoid? What is your advice? TIA.

Al

[SoCalDS]

Nope, one bucket will suffice. There is absolutely no need to use a second "rinse" bucket... thus the product name, "Optimum NO RINSE Wash and Shine". What most of us WILL recommend is to use a grit-guard at the bottom of your bucket to prevent your micro-fiber towels from soaking in any of the dirt that you may have already washed off of the vehicle. If you don't already have a grit-guard, go check out the Danase Dirt Dropper thread for a great product review.

[akimel]

SoCalDS, on Jul 21 2009, 10:06 AM, said:

Nope, one bucket will suffice. There is absolutely no need to use a second "rinse" bucket... thus the product name, "Optimum NO RINSE Wash and Shine". What most of us WILL recommend is to use a grit-guard at the bottom of your bucket to prevent your micro-fiber towels from soaking in any of the dirt that you may have already washed off of the vehicle. If you don't already have a grit-guard, go check out the Danase Dirt Dropper thread for a great product review.

Thanks for the reply! How about the rest of you ONR users? Do you agree that using two buckets is unnecessary? I posted this query over at the S2000 forum, and a faithful user replied with a photo of two buckets, which show a clear difference between the rinse bucket and the ONR bucket.

What is it about ONR that makes a rinse bucket unnecessary? (I am using a grit guard, by the way, in my ONR bucket.) I am not questioning SoCalDS's experience here. I guess I'm just looking for confirmation. I have a black car in which I instill swirls just by looking at, so I suppose I'm just a bit sensitive and am seeking to find the safest way to use the product; on the other hand, if a rinse bucket is redundant, then I see no need to adopt it. I do wonder, also, if the use of the rinse bucket results in a dilution of the ONR during the course of the wash. Thanks for your help.

Cheers,
Al

[Bunky]

akimel, on Jul 22 2009, 03:41 PM, said:

Thanks for the reply! How about the rest of you ONR users? Do you agree that using two buckets is unnecessary? I posted this query over at the S2000 forum, and a faithful user replied with a photo of two buckets, which show a clear difference between the rinse bucket and the ONR bucket.

What is it about ONR that makes a rinse bucket unnecessary? (I am using a grit guard, by the way, in my ONR bucket.) I am not questioning SoCalDS's experience here. I guess I'm just looking for confirmation. I have a black car in which I instill swirls just by looking at, so I suppose I'm just a bit sensitive and am seeking to find the safest way to use the product; on the other hand, if a rinse bucket is redundant, then I see no need to adopt it. I do wonder, also, if the use of the rinse bucket results in a dilution of the ONR during the course of the wash. Thanks for your help.

Cheers,
Al

I am going to speculate but the 2 bucket method with any wash routine is about reducing chances of swirls but how much we do not know. If you use a bucket full of a good soap (lots of solution), rinse it well in the bucket between panels, use a good wash medium, wipe work top down, wipe lightly, etc. the 2 bucket method is not going to add much for relatively clean cars. I wish there was a study but I am guessing the drying process is as dangerous as the wash process.

[Chris Thomas]

One of the properties of ONR is efficiency. The two bucket method uses double the water required, but adds piece of mind to the user. I personally only use one bucket with a dirt dropper/grit guard type grate. I would never knock a guy for being careful though. My advice is to try both and look at your results under high quality lighting. If you find more marring with a single bucket, use two. If you find no marring with either, use one.

[repare-brise]

I concur with Integrity, using 2 buckets is not overkill if it fits your needs. In our case we use one 5 gallon bucket for 8-10 cars, with the aforementioned grit guard, works great. As for potential marring I have found that 95% comes from drying a car that is not clean enough to dry, sometimes you will need to go over the panel twice or even 3 times to get it clean. IF your drying towel is getting dirty, you need to wash more before drying. Also a shot of OID or OCW on the panel before drying it will just make you happier with the results, the products are compatible, and a joy to work with.