ONR on salty cars - Question about drying

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

I'm slowly warming up to ONR but quickly got scared a little bit in the drying process. I'm using ONR with multiple microfibers that I do not re-introduce into bucket.

Usually in summer a do a normal 2 bucket wash and soak my drying towel (Chemical Guys gray matter) in water and ring it out, then do 2-3 sprays on it of beadmaker and another 2-3 sprays on the pannel I dry.

Now with ONR, my towel is dry but I spray about 5 sprays of beadmaker on it then 2-3 on the pannel. One thing I kinda didn't like was that in some cases I could see still a bit of dirt inside of bubbles or like some dirty water, I wasn't to sure if it was ok to go over it or not, I did but I'm sure I probably shouldn't have. Instead should've done a another pass with a cleaning microfiber that I used before but oh well.

That said, my question is, should I maybe opt for a plushier drying towel for cases like these where they could safely remove that dirt or what you all recommend I do differently.

For some context, here is what car looks like when dirty, as you can see I only had enough towels for my first time to do half the car and roof and hood and trunk hahaha, next time I'll add more towels. Note I do a ONR pre soak to.

https://i.imgur.com/ViEeW0W.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/MWz7m1I.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/aqLIhkS.jpg

 

[spazzz]

More towels is the way to go.
You could have tried to rinse a towel out in the bucket(which is tough with ONR) to get those questionable spots

I always grab more towels than I need for 1 wash, could be 6 could be 12...all depends.

You might want to fill a quart/liter bottle to mist panels for a pre-rinse to loosen some of the cold months nastys

Other than that I am sure you were fine with the Beadmaker as a lubricant.

 

[Texchappy]

Started using ONR when we were stationed in Kansas and couldn’t use hose washing. Was very nervous at first but didn’t have any problems with it there over the winters (or since or in any season). Salt and sand was definitely part of the equation and no problems were noticed — and this was before the towel method and pre-spraying every time always was the norm.

 

[vobro]

I'll pre rinse if I can, when really dirty I'll go over the panel again then dry. Nothing wrong with a presoak, using more towels and multiple passes to make sure the panel is clean before drying. What's the thought process behind using Beadmaker?

 

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

More towels is the way to go.
You could have tried to rinse a towel out in the bucket(which is tough with ONR) to get those questionable spots

I always grab more towels than I need for 1 wash, could be 6 could be 12...all depends.

You might want to fill a quart/liter bottle to mist panels for a pre-rinse to loosen some of the cold months nastys

Other than that I am sure you were fine with the Beadmaker as a lubricant.

Yeah I definitely do a pre-soak QD dilution. I just curious with my drying towel if it's good enough to not marr the paint. I assume the principle of always using a new clean side of my drying towel is the way to go!

I also wonder if I run out of towels is it fine to use one I already used as a touch up for spot that I may have missed. Dropping towels in ONR it's supposed to bring the dirt down to the bottom as it says.

Also a follow up question, after washing my towels some stay visibly dirty but feels soft to the touch, are they fine to reuse? I used all my Eagle Edgeless towels which are expensive and the rest are costco. Would be a shame to avoid using those again... my understanding is staining will not marr in any way it's really just the dye that is colored away?

 

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

I'll pre rinse if I can, when really dirty I'll go over the panel again then dry. Nothing wrong with a presoak, using more towels and multiple passes to make sure the panel is clean before drying. What's the thought process behind using Beadmaker?

Hey! I use beadmaker as a drying aid (instead of wiping the pannel dry with a drying towel) and also to "renew" or top up my protection. I have jescar powerlock as my base protection/LSP

 

[The Guz]

This post reminded me of Yvan when he made this video.

 

[spazzz]

I feel ya on the stains after washing.
That is the one big downer about ONR. I want my towels clean, clean, clean, not stained.

I soak my rinseless towels with a splash of Zep industrial orange degreaser in a bucket for a day or two before a hot wash/extra rinse. This helps them wash clean.
I am trying Zep 505 for the soak now, which seems to draw the dirt out better....jury is out on that one for awhile.

I use Eagles for the rinseless and dry. The car isn't wet enough to use my PFMs which would just soak up the Merlins mix anyway.

The problem being Canadian, I would guess is product availability and prices. I feel for ya, but your rich, you drive a BMW!!

 

[57Rambler]

I just curious with my drying towel if it's good enough to not marr the paint. I assume the principle of always using a new clean side of my drying towel is the way to go!

Assuming the towel is clean (ie. free of any abrasive particulate), technique may have biggest effect on whether or not you marr already-perfected paint. Blotting (vs. wiping) will always be the safest mode.

Also a follow up question, after washing my towels some stay visibly dirty but feels soft to the touch, are they fine to reuse? I used all my Eagle Edgeless towels which are expensive and the rest are costco. Would be a shame to avoid using those again... my understanding is staining will not marr in any way it's really just the dye that is colored away?

If your towels pass the Mike Phillips towel test - How, why & when to inspect your microfiber towels when detailing cars - then they should be fine despite the staining.

You could always use some of these Carbon Black Edgeless Microfiber Polishing Cloth 12 Pack towels. They're inexpensive, excellent quality, and you likely will not notice staining anymore. They advertise them for wax/polish removal but they are versatile and work fine for rinseless. Grab a dozen or two when they go on sale.

 

[Kaban]

Don't even waste your time with doing ONR on a salty car. What a nightmare process that is. You're literally just wiping salt around and not removing it from the areas that really matter and might cause rust on your vehicle (undercarriage/wheel wells/door jambs/ hood jamb). I did ONR once on my car when it barely had any salt and lets just say I don't ever plan to do that again. I love ONR for what it is and I use it daily, it's one of my favorite products, but I only foam cannon/pressure wash in the winter these days. If you don't have that kinda luxury just pay the 5 bucks and go through a touchless wash. MUCH better than ONR which is useless if your car is seriously nasty and completely salt covered.

 

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

I feel ya on the stains after washing.
That is the one big downer about ONR. I want my towels clean, clean, clean, not stained.

I soak my rinseless towels with a splash of Zep industrial orange degreaser in a bucket for a day or two before a hot wash/extra rinse. This helps them wash clean.
I am trying Zep 505 for the soak now, which seems to draw the dirt out better....jury is out on that one for awhile.

I use Eagles for the rinseless and dry. The car isn't wet enough to use my PFMs which would just soak up the Merlins mix anyway.

The problem being Canadian, I would guess is product availability and prices. I feel for ya, but your rich, you drive a BMW!!

Ok I wasn't sure if I could soak them in degreaser, MFs are so precious but I might give that a try. I have some super clean though it might be a bit to strong. I can get some orange zep though locally here so I might try that first! I was soaking my MFs in the ONR bucket but I guess it's not strong enough.

Haha yes definitely, and trust me I am not rich at all lol.

Don't even waste your time with doing ONR on a salty car. What a nightmare process that is. You're literally just wiping salt around and not removing it from the areas that really matter and might cause rust on your vehicle (undercarriage/wheel wells/door jambs/ hood jamb). I did ONR once on my car when it barely had any salt and lets just say I don't ever plan to do that again. I love ONR for what it is and I use it daily, it's one of my favorite products, but I only foam cannon/pressure wash in the winter these days. If you don't have that kinda luxury just pay the 5 bucks and go through a touchless wash. MUCH better than ONR which is useless if your car is seriously nasty and completely salt covered.

I would have to disagree as most people I read on the subject say it works well for them and no marring. And after using it myself with just a pre-soak, I couldn't feel any grit via the towle being rubbed against. If I go at a car wash I don't want to strip my LSPs. Rust isn't an issue on my car really.

I will do a pre rinse though at the manual wash with water one day or 2 before. And then ONR pre soak before touching, just the pre-soak seems to lift all of the salt and dirt and calcium.

 

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Assuming the towel is clean (ie. free of any abrasive particulate), technique may have biggest effect on whether or not you marr already-perfected paint. Blotting (vs. wiping) will always be the safest mode.



If your towels pass the Mike Phillips towel test - How, why & when to inspect your microfiber towels when detailing cars - then they should be fine despite the staining.

You could always use some of these Carbon Black Edgeless Microfiber Polishing Cloth 12 Pack towels. They're inexpensive, excellent quality, and you likely will not notice staining anymore. They advertise them for wax/polish removal but they are versatile and work fine for rinseless. Grab a dozen or two when they go on sale.

Always wanted to blot but it's just so innefective every time I try. And since I am applying a LSP I don't think blotting would work well. I'll look at that link thanks.

 

[Kaban]

Ok I wasn't sure if I could soak them in degreaser, MFs are so precious but I might give that a try. I have some super clean though it might be a bit to strong. I can get some orange zep though locally here so I might try that first! I was soaking my MFs in the ONR bucket but I guess it's not strong enough.

Haha yes definitely, and trust me I am not rich at all lol.




I would have to disagree as most people I read on the subject say it works well for them and no marring. And after using it myself with just a pre-soak, I couldn't feel any grit via the towle being rubbed against. If I go at a car wash I don't want to strip my LSPs. Rust isn't an issue on my car really.

I will do a pre rinse though at the manual wash with water one day or 2 before. And then ONR pre soak before touching, just the pre-soak seems to lift all of the salt and dirt and calcium.

Go ahead bud, the ONR wash process sounds like a PERFECT fit for you! Good luck!

 

[Crispy]

Been using it for at least 4 years on Canadian salted car.
My method works both winter and summer.
2 buckets, sponge wash, rinse sponge in second bucket, drying towel to dry.
I then wash my drying towels after and repeat.
Car is 2001 and no rust issues on body. I think ONR is better than hose down as the salt doesn't follow the water and sit in the hard spots.

 

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Been using it for at least 4 years on Canadian salted car.
My method works both winter and summer.
2 buckets, sponge wash, rinse sponge in second bucket, drying towel to dry.
I then wash my drying towels after and repeat.
Car is 2001 and no rust issues on body. I think ONR is better than hose down as the salt doesn't follow the water and sit in the hard spots.

Thanks for your input. I'm not really cleaning the car to avoid rust I just want it clean really. Rust isn't an issue on my car honnestly with these models.

Just you know, don't want to put swirls since I polished last year.

 

[Junkyard]

If my truck is dirtier than usual (or more salt covered) I will tend to use the ONR towel "wetter" - in other words I don't wring it out as much so that as I wipe the excess fluid flows over the panel to help loosen the next pass. For my four-door pickup I sometimes will dump and refill the bucket with fresh ONR for the second half of the truck.

 

[PaulMys]

If my truck is dirtier than usual (or more salt covered) I will tend to use the ONR towel "wetter" - in other words I don't wring it out as much so that as I wipe the excess fluid flows over the panel to help loosen the next pass. For my four-door pickup I sometimes will dump and refill the bucket with fresh ONR for the second half of the truck.

No spray on pre-soak or foam?

 

[FUNX650]

I'm slowly warming up to ONR but quickly
got scared a little bit in the drying process.

Now with ONR, my towel is dry but I spray
about 5 sprays of beadmaker on it then 2-3
on the pannel.

One thing I kinda didn't like was that in some
cases I could see still a bit of dirt inside of
bubbles or like some dirty water, I wasn't to
sure if it was ok to go over it or not, I did but
I'm sure I probably shouldn't have.

Instead should've done a another pass with a
cleaning microfiber that I used before but oh well.

That said, my question is, should I maybe opt
for a plushier drying towel for cases like these
where they could safely remove that dirt or what
you all recommend I do differently.

I feel that you touched on the answer when you
said that you: ’should’ve done a another pass with
a cleaning microfiber’ (ie: ‘when you could see still a
bit of dirt inside of bubbles or like some dirty water...’)

IMO:
•By going that route, you would have eliminated
the anxiety of, then, using your usual drying
towels to complete the task at hand.

-That way: There’d be no need to switch
horses in the middle of the stream.


Bob