Yes!, it is perfectly possible to clean your car without turning on a single tap or using a drop of water?
Waterless car wash products were thought up as a way to enable car owners to clean their vehicles and produce a beautiful shine without using gallons of water, hours of elbow grease and masses of different car shampoo's and car polish products.
There has been rapid development in car detailing products over the past few years with the waterless option becoming more and more popular with a host of new specialist car valeting products on the market. Waterless cleaning products give stunning results and are quick and easy to use, thanks to their special mix of components that lift dirt and debris away from the car’s surface, and leave behind a protective layer of wax.
1. It’s good for the environment
It’s a big topic but being good for the environment is our top reason why switching to a waterless wash and wax product is worth it. It saves water - a lot of water.
That’s the equivalent of 35-50 baths or 25 showers.
2. It’s good for your car
Almost any vehicle can be cleaned with a waterless car wash and wax product, of course there are a few exceptions where some added care should be taken. For example, is your car extremely dirty? If your car is caked in mud from a day’s rallying or off-roading then it may need a ‘pre-wash’ with a car shampoo first or a light spray with a traffic film remover. Once you are happy you’ve dislodged and rinsed off the excess dirt then you can start using your waterless cleaner with full confidence.
3. It’s good for you!
Believe it or not, the gentle routine of a waterless car wash can be really therapeutic for us. Let’s think about this for a moment. Waterless products make the whole process much quicker and easier; it takes away all that stress. You don’t have to invest in an expensive pressure washer or gather loads of different products together. It’s cleaner as you don’t have to change into old clothes or try to avoid slopping dirty or soapy water all over yourself. Simply get hold of your preferred waterless car washing product and a handful of soft, clean towels or microfibre cloths and you are ready to begin!
The answer lies in the special formulation of the liquid. It’s a polymer compound made up of a combination of soaps, surfactants (compounds that lower the tension between two liquids, a liquid and a gas or a liquid and a solid, thus acting like a detergent) and lubrication agents, all designed to work together to break down dirt on the surface of your car.
The polymers wrap around the dirt particles and bond with them, dissolving and encapsulating them. This allows the dirt to be lifted away from the surface and transferred to a microfibre cloth where they get trapped in the little fabric wedges that make up the cloth. Microfibre cloths have extremely fine threads that make them highly absorbent and extremely soft. This helps the polymer-bonded dirt particles stick to the cloth and come cleanly away from the car. The soft microfibres also protect paintwork against scratches that could be caused by a rougher material rubbing repeatedly against the surface of the car.
If wax has been added to the polymer mix, this will stick to the car’s surface and help repel rain, mist and dust. A thin film of wax remains even after buffing, which is why the surface can be polished to a gorgeous shine. The waxy layer helps protect against rain and water marks too. Since some wax remains every time a waterless car wash product is used, the protection increases over time, making the wax contained within the product increasingly more effective and efficient.
A waterless car wash can be used without damaging your paint as long as you use it safely. Safe use includes careful judgment of how dirty the car is, cycling many towels, and minimal pressure/scrubbing. These products should be used for touch-ups and wiping dust – not moderately dirty cars.