Just because it feels good doesn’t make it right . . .

SO, you want to wash the car but it’s foul weather outside. You have a garage but you don’t want to use your hosepipe in the garage. After all, the Christmas decorations could get ruined and the rusty barbecue will get . . . well, rustier.

Or maybe you simply don’t have access to a hose because you live in a flat or you’ve just arrived at your hotel for a romantic weekend but the only thing you really want to soap-up is the car.

Ok, maybe you have a bigger problem than a mucky car if that last one is true . . . but there are some genuine instances where breaking out the buckets, sponges, jet wash and hose may be difficult and this is why we have “rinseless washes” available – and No Rinse Wash and Shine from Optimum Polymer Technologies is perhaps the most widely used and respected.

The process couldn’t be simpler. Grab a bucket, put 2 gallons of water in it and then add 1 floz of ONR. Stir it in with your hand.

Get a good quality, clean microfibre and soak it in the bucket.

Fold the cloth and gently wipe away the dirt on the car, turning the cloth for every sweep so you are not wiping dirt onto the paintwork.

Dry the clean area with another new microfibre.

Rinse the wet/dirty cloth regularly in the bucket and continue until the car is finished. You can do the windows and wheels too.

Yes, it goes against all your instincts of how to wash a car without inflicting marring on the paintwork – but it appears to work and let’s face it; if it did inflict swirls and scratches this product would have disappeared years ago.

You just need to use it sensibly. Don’t use it if the car has just completed the Dakar Rally, for instance.

It will work on a lightly-soiled to mid-mucky car but don’t risk it on a filthy car unless you can hose down the worst of the crap first.

If the car is bone-dry I think it would be a good idea to mix up a spray bottle with a drop of ONR in there to spray onto each surface before cleaning. You wouldn’t need much product and I think the extra protection would be worth it.

ONR  contains substantive polymers which bond to the paint and protect it during the wash. Therefore, Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine offers greater protection and lubricity than conventional car washes and leaves a sleek & glossy finish behind afterwards.

Additional benefits are faster washes, ability to wash anywhere at anytime – including washing inside the garage during the cold months – no messy water runoffs, and less time for passing neighbours to come out with such gems as “I’ve got one that needs doing when you’ve finished” or the classic “You’ve missed a bit there . . .”

I also got Mrs. B to shoot a short video of the process here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXUuTRk2gRU

I found it worked very well on a mucky Mercedes E-Class 220d that I had on test. It took about 35 minutes to finish the whole car, including glass and wheels – which ain’t bad for such a big car but I must confess that although it saved time and mess I still prefer a good old 2-bucket wash with car shampoo and a jet wash.

Why? Well it just goes against some base car-washing instincts to wipe a sudless cloth over the paintwork. No matter how safe it may be. Also there is no sense of occasion to washing the car like there should be. But that just may be me . . .