If You Can’t Save A Whale, At Least Save A Chamois
Written: Nov 19 '08 (Updated Nov 19 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: It works and works well! No more hand drying.
Cons: Must follow directions. Cost and availability of refils.
The Bottom Line: It works, and works well. About the cost of a good car wash, streak and spot free without using a chamois. Be sure you can get refills
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Using the Mr. Clean AutoDry Car Wash System will give you a cleaner car that stays cleaner longer. Specially formulated soap and filtered water does not strip wax, and resists water spotting. A truly clean car stays cleaner longer, without hand drying, and it works.
The Self-contained System
Opening the box you are confronted with an almost art deco styled, ABS plastic, housing that looks something like a weapon from a Star Wars movie. The weapon holds both the Pur water filter and specially formulated soap, along with a nozzle control selector knob, individual nozzles, a limited slip textured grip, transparent “windows” for soap level and filter health viewing, and a leak resistant water hose hookup. This leaves you only having to carry your sponge along on car wash day.
Testament – Who Detailed Your Car?
Walking across the parking lot at work on Monday morning after picking up the Mr. Clean AutoDry Car Wash System, a passionate classic car owner friend of mine called out, “Don, who detailed your Benz; it’s never looked that good!” A bit confused, I told him that I had just washed it with some Mr. Clean stuff my wife picked up over the weekend. An immediate convert, he vowed to bring one home that night.
Jay Leno once remarked that there were some cars you take to the car wash and some that you just love to wash. His example was that he drove his BMW’s, then they went to the car wash; but that there was something akin to a sensual excitement when he hand-washed a Jag. Our BMW’s, including my motorcycles (which only gets washed annually prior to a major service, because if it the weather is nice enough to wash it then it is nice enough to ride it), had usually been treated this way. But when the Jag entered the family we sometimes fight over who gets to caress those flowing lines. Anyone who remembers the car wash scene from “Cool Hand Luke” should understand what I mean. That said, car wash time for has become an even more stimulating experience – and it has drawn awards at the local Brit Club’s annual car show, thanks in no small part to Mr. Clean!
How It Works
If you do follow the directions, the keys to the system’s performance are the specially formulated soap and the filtered water. Car buffs are well known for protecting their car finish (that is the paint that protects the metal) with wax. The wax smoothes out imperfections in the paint surface for that sought after deep shine. Mr. Clean soap is formulated to cut through dirt and not wax, saving that labor of love hand wax job. It also includes a dry rinse polymer that causes water to “sheet” rather than “bead” on the cleaned surface. Beading of water is one of the causes of water spots on your car. For public water the important word you hear most is “treatment.” Yes, public water is filtered, but the goal of treatment plants is safe drinking water. Take my word for it, you would not want it any other way. That water still contains minerals (I will bet the ice maker on your refrigerator has a filter – filtered water makes for clearer ice) that can be deposited on your clean car. The included Pur filter removes most of these minerals, and “de-ionizes” the water. Sort of the opposite of an electronic air filter, oversimplified, ionized water attracts solid particles and de-ionized water does not. All taken together, the water sprayed on your car does not let particles of minerals to dry on the finish, so it dries without spots.
Use
Once again you do have to use the “system” as the chemists and engineers designed it to be used, otherwise all bets are off. There are reasons for doing it their way. First, it is always a good idea to wash a car in the shade. That direct sunlight will accelerate the evaporation of water, and can leave you with dried soap on the finish. Washing a section at a time further reduces this evaporation. Initial rinsing of the car with filtered water gives the soap a fighting chance to remove dirt without adding more minerals to the mix. Spraying soap on your sponge reduces scratching the wax, and softens it for washing. Full stream rinsing washes away the dirt broken loose by the soap, and the lighter de-ionized rinse further smoothes out the sheeting of the water. Whenever possible I pull the car back into my garage to finish drying. That way there is less risk of too much evaporation too quickly. A clean car and one fewer chamois sacrificed to the show car set.
I have found that technique is important. Holding the nozzle a consistent 6 inches from the surface (much like a good painter does), and covering every part of the surface does make a difference. Making sure that you “sponge” the nooks and crannies will keep “hidden” dirt from “leaking” out from around mirrors and doors is also important. And finally, washing in the shade will keep dirty soap from drying on the car and sweat from dripping off your brow.
Concerns
The big one can be cost. Buying the system is about equal to a single “good” car wash, but you still have to do all the work. The Filters cost about $9 and you may get between 3 and 12 washes, depending on the amount of minerals in your local water. Mr. Clean soap is also around $9, I have gotten as many as 15 good washes from a bottle. But lately I have found both soap and filters very difficult to find. So I do recommend making sure your local retailer stocks both before taking the Mr. Clean System to the check out.
Bottom Line
It works, and works well. About the cost of a good car wash, your car can be streak and spot free without using towels or chamois. Just be sure you can get refills.
Recommended:
Yes
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