pre-soak

[njcarting1]

I don't have any scientific way of telling, just keeping my eye on how tight the beads stay.

Are you using a wash and wax type soap? If yes this could give a false reading on the beads you are seeing. You should be able to tell on the smoothness in the drying process. If while drying the car you have lots of drag in the drying cloth, you might be in need of wax. Look for slickness in the drying stage.:howdy

 

[southerndetail]

I think that the cleaning abilities of an alkaline is dif. than a degreaser. I can relate it to a spray and rinse compared to an all purpose degreaser, you can't simply spray and rinse a rim with all purpose, and you won't get the same results with a spray and rinse on tires. If your safely using a spray and rinse on a rim that is cc(the same as a cc on the body) what type of chemicals do you think are being utilized(probably alkalines)

 

[CharlesW]

Slightly off-topic, but......
Do the touchless washes in your area even remove all the road film?
None of the ones I have used clean the vehicle good enough that I would even consider just wiping it dry.

It's hard for me to believe that my wax/sealant will be removed if the dirt isn't.

FWIW, I do often use a touchless wash followed by Poorboy's Spray & Wipe. The MF towels are quite dirty from the dirt left by the car wash.