To rinse or not to rinse ?

[kartoon]

I'm curious how you guys approach this dilemma.

When full wash is not an option at a given moment (due to whatever reason) do you guys at least rinse your cars or wait until you can wash ?

The way I see it rinsing removes at least some of the dirt that otherwise would sit on the paint and do some damage. Since I wouldn't dry a car which was only rinsed, the only side effect could be potential water spots.

I figure if the car has either wax or sealant, water would bead and most (if not all) would fly off the car when driving.



Does it sound logical ?

 

[wanabe]

depends on how dirty the car is...

for example, i just went on a car club run today through some twisties-

car is still pretty clean, so when i got home i dusted it off (with the calif duster) and then used a detailers spray on the wheels and the body... (different rags for the wheels and body!)- after it cooled off in the garage.

if it had any grime at all, i wouldnt do this process, so inspection is the first step!

(btw, my car is covered most of the time that i am not in it so it does stay pretty clean)-

... but i would not just rinse the car- cause you could end up with water spots. wait until you can take the time to wash it if its that dirty.

 

[AMDin93103]

Rinsing a car with water while dirty does rinse the majority of the dust and pollen off of it but IMO a lot of the dirt and road grime (others brake dust/ bug inards/ puddle sludge) cannot be removed wwith out a wash. My own truck is a DD and is parked in a carport at night and the street during my working hours. After a hose wash the pollen and dust have settled on it after about 3 days I will Spray & Wipe the whole truck with a Pakshak UF MF: 20 minutes. I hit it with EFCP every other day (again, 20 minutes) or so then QEW after about 10 days: 45 minutes. basically hose-washing every other wash(week). I also wax every other hose wash. Its a routine that fits into my lifestyle. I would never think about just rinsie an driving fast, dust-magnet city.



-Stu.

 

[shaf]

Good question I think.



I think in general, it's better to rinse. Unless of course, you have incredibly hard water where you live.



I think rinsing is a good idea in many cases, because a lot of things like acid and salt, which are bad if left to dry and concentrate on paint, are water soluble and you can at least try to carry some of these chemicals away with a rinse. I am fairly sure that allowing polluted, dirty water to sit and cook on a friend's paint caused all the damage I had to remove....



Better to give it a real wash, be it QEW or otherwise, but this is of course only if you can't really wash it.

 

[imported_YouGottaBeLeaf]

You'd better be careful when you're drying if you only rinse your car because some dirt might still be on the car and may cause scratches.

 

[kartoon]

That's why I said I wouldn't dry the car.



In case it's confusing: I didn't mean rinse now OR wash later.

I meant: (rinse now AND wash later) OR (wash later.)

 

[Jesstzn]

Good question I think.





I think rinsing is a good idea in many cases, because a lot of things like acid and salt, which are bad if left to dry and concentrate on paint, are water soluble and you can at least try to carry some of these chemicals away with a rinse. I am fairly sure that allowing polluted, dirty water to sit and cook on a friend's paint caused all the damage I had to remove....

I live in an industrial town and work in the Industrial Environmental field and 4DSC is basically right about the pollutants. Most of the pollutants unless accompanied by rain are going to do some damage but not a lot untill moisture be it dew or light rain comes into the picture. Heavy rain will act like a good rinse and rinse it away or dillute it to inert levels.



What happens then is the rain dissolves the acids in an area ( water drop) and as the the water dries it concentrates the collected acid from a big area to a small one thus you see the pin point sized holes in the clear.



If your going to rinse and not dry do it with copious amounts of water not just a quick squirt and you want the seams flushed and not have the pollutants washed down there to do thier work.



I think if you owned a black car you might change your mind on the whole rinse scenario .. you end up creating more work in the end than a full wash takes. A wash doesn't have to include door/trunk/hood edge detailing every time etc.

 

[AMDin93103]

if you owned a black car. . . . . .. you end up creating more work in the end than a full wash takes.

Ohhhh yeah! :xyxthumbs



-Stu.