[aim120]

Your average service center in India uses a low pressure washer with high water flow rate, about 30 to 40Liter/Min with 30bar of pressure.

Your average Bosch Aqt/Aquatek range and Karcher pressure washer uses about 5 to 6 Liter/min but with higher pressure about 90 to 110bar.

When I wash my car, it takes about 1 min to wet the car then a liter or so for snow foam wash and another 3 min for the final wash, all done via a pressure washer. Mine uses about 8.6L/min at 120bar, so about 36 to 40 Liter of total water. Which is hell of a lot less than your service center.

If I use a bucket it will take 60 liters or more, but with more physical effort. Using a water hose will have the highest water wastage.


Since we are on the topic of water conservation. A typical R.O purifier will waste about 75% of the water. I capture every drop of the waste water coming out of R.O and use them for mopping floor, washing utensils ( my drain output TDS of my water is only 300) or use the water for flushing the toilet.
Some people also use the R.O waste water for plants.

Sadly, the vast majority of the people just drain them to the sewer.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by prithm

- I use oodles of cheap soap (for regular wash) in the first bucket. Pour half bucket of it liberally from top so that it flows on all panels. Allow it to soak for good 5 min and then use the rest of the water to wet the cloth and clean surface.

Second bucket of just water to rinse clean surface. Half bucket more if I have to clean mats and wheel wells.




- Its like cryptonite for me. . I can hardly stand the sight of waterless wash and not convinced a bit. School of thought one side, but I really cannot convince myself for luxury of using so many microfibre clothes or spray and wipe liquids, better effectiveness can be obtained with fraction of the cost and less manual work and chemicals.

If you are in the habit of Waxing \ Polishing your car twice a year , then Rinseless wash is perfect. You dont need too many microfiber clothes and certainly dont need to buy expensive ones either. I have four of them - First wipe, Second Wipe to dry, Interior, Wheels\ running board. I use a large brush to dust away any mud \ sand from the lower surfaces like footstep, mudflap, door sills etc.

My vehicle after 4 years of doing this way(once a week) remains nice and shiny, I use the Formula1 wax polish once in 6 months(no power tools) \ sometimes on certain panels when I feel the surface is becoming a bit sticky.

Thanks to Bangalore traffic, you may need to paint a panel or two at times. I am not worried about micro scratches, but rust.

But yes, rinse-less wash only works on lightly soiled vehicles, anything more and you need to use a good car shampoo or a Good hair shampoo as an alternative.

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by prithm

- I use oodles of cheap soap (for regular wash) in the first bucket. Pour half bucket of it liberally from top so that it flows on all panels. Allow it to soak for good 5 min and then use the rest of the water to wet the cloth and clean surface.

I would suggest you to use a good quality car shampoo, as cheaper soaps tend to affect the paintwork. The effects on the paintwork may not be perceptible very soon, but can be observed over a period of time.

[Chillout]

Originally Posted by aim120

...Some people also use the R.O waste water for plants.

Sadly, the vast majority of the people just drain them to the sewer.

We route our RO to the kitchen sink, however the sink waste water is routed to the plants. It's unfortunate that most of the people have to pay for water and we are to be blamed for the same. Place like Chennai receives enough rains and if water is harvested properly,,there isn't a need for buying water. We still have a well, unfortunately all our neighbors closed theirs and are repending now.

I used to see a few butterflies, but hardly see any now, signs that air quality has deteriorated. We still have lots of flowering plants , however the butterflies are missing.

I wish every bhpian plants alteast a couple of trees in their lifetime and ensure it's growth. That's the best gift you can give to the next generation.

BTW i wash my car once in a month, silver color and Jopasu duster works like a magic

[pratyush6]

Washing your car on your own is a generally bad idea but washing it more frequently is even worse.
1. Most of the commercial car shampoos have very harmful chemicals in them, which leech off straight to our drinking water sources (When a car is washed off in front of our homes). Remember this water isn't treated like your sewer.
2. A lot of washing as pointed out by many, just removes the top layer protection.
3. Water wastage is ridiculously high when anyone uses a hose or even a pressure hose. Remember we live in cities where we are terribly short of drinking water.

I have some suggestions:
1. When you wash off your car, try to do it on grass, that way, the chemical doesn't leech to the storm drains.
2. Use the 2 bucket method as widely propagated in the forum.
3. Dispose off the dirty water on grass and not anywhere else.
4. If possible, try and use commercial car cleaning services, they are by law required to treat the water before it enter our drains. They also use much less water than us.
5. A simple water wash will keep you car clean for atleast a couple of weeks, if a car cover and something like a Jopasu Car Duster is used as well.
6. Properly Wax your car, once every 6 months. If you plan to use spray wax, then the intervals are typically every 2 months (which is good too)

[Khushrav]

My society recently tried to encourage plant extract based car cleaning. There are a few companies offering this and the average water consumption per wash is about 500ml. The downside? It costs double compared to normal washing. With our penny saving mindset, the idea could not be pursued since the company needed a minimum commitment of 35 cars.

[prithm]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

I would suggest you to use a good quality car shampoo, as cheaper soaps tend to affect the paintwork. The effects on the paintwork may not be perceptible very soon, but can be observed over a period of time.

True Anjan. The ones that I use are almost hair shampoo types and recently got Wurth 5 ltr wash soap can from Maruti. Sounds too fancy but mild as a baby shampoo (did not sting even when I accidentally splashed couple of times in my eyes).

But whatever money I save from costly soaps and liters of water, I invest in spray wax (read that Collinite 845) and Hardwax (Collinite Fleetwax). Both are fairly detergent safe and I don't have to rub with hard cloth, my old Rupa Banian and old soft boxer shorts with worn out waist elastic band are doing their magic.

[veyron_head]

It comes to me as a surprise that people still use 30 litres of water to wash their cars. I wash my car myself every two or three weeks. If I miss the 3 weeks deadline I take it to a neighborhood car wash guy. But when I clean my car I use exactly 1 liter of water! 5 ml of 3M solution in a gun that holds 1 liter of water. I first dust off the car with jopasu and then spray the solution and clean the car with a cloth.

[prithm]

Originally Posted by veyron_head

But when I clean my car I use exactly 1 liter of water!

I read your comment at least 4 times before writing this. Don't get me wrong, but I really am lost in cloud of assumptions.

Can you please elucidate how you are able to clean your car with 1 Ltr of water ? Leave the degree of dust aside.

For my benefit and fellows here, kindly give us more details of this process.

[lurker]

There is no alternative to pressure washing for underbody cleaning. This water could be recycled water and does not need to be highest quality but it should be water nonetheless. This needs to be done once in 6 months atleast or after every monsoon season to prevent caked on dirt initiating rust in hard to reach areas.

Surface cleaning has some options though, steam cleaning, two bucket method can all be options on lightly soiled surfaces. Anyway even pressure washing the body shell does not take up much water as it is.

[ravimathi]

Originally Posted by prithm

Can you please elucidate how you are able to clean your car with 1 Ltr of water ? Leave the degree of dust aside.

For my benefit and fellows here, kindly give us more details of this process.

Please see the details in the thread dry washing cars/ waterless car-wash (Dry Washing cars / Waterless car-wash)

I am using proklear raw for more than a year and I am satisfied with the product.

[ard1955]

In a situation like this, Why don't we all switch to water-less car wash or use recycled water? How effective would that be in the long run?

[veyron_head]

Originally Posted by prithm

I read your comment at least 4 times before writing this. Don't get me wrong, but I really am lost in cloud of assumptions.

Can you please elucidate how you are able to clean your car with 1 Ltr of water ? Leave the degree of dust aside.

For my benefit and fellows here, kindly give us more details of this process.

Not sure if you are being sarcastic, but I am not faking it I use 3M car wash shampoo in a 1 ltr foam gun. Step 1 is to dust the car thoroughly with Jopasu. It takes some effort to do a thorough job but at the end its some 65% of work done. Now its only the muddy parts that Jopasu cant clean. I spray the foam-like liquid all over the car. And wipe it clean. Some areas that are too dirty may need some more cleaning. But sometimes I dont even get to exhaust the 1 ltr that I have in the gun!

[Mr. Nobody]

Originally Posted by veyron_head

Not sure if you are being sarcastic, but I am not faking it I use 3M car wash shampoo in a 1 ltr foam gun. Step 1 is to dust the car thoroughly with Jopasu. It takes some effort to do a thorough job but at the end its some 65% of work done. Now its only the muddy parts that Jopasu cant clean. I spray the foam-like liquid all over the car. And wipe it clean. Some areas that are too dirty may need some more cleaning. But sometimes I dont even get to exhaust the 1 ltr that I have in the gun!

Should one not also wash with clear water after the foam spray to prevent residue of shampoo that can get in gaps where a cloth cant wipe it off? or is that unnecessary?

[veyron_head]

Originally Posted by Mr. Nobody

Should one not also wash with clear water after the foam spray to prevent residue of shampoo that can get in gaps where a cloth cant wipe it off? or is that unnecessary?

I do a dry wipe with a microfibre cloth if the foam has left residue. But let me also put a disclaimer here - While the outcome of my cleaning is much better than the apartment cleaning guy's job, its not 3M-grade cleaning, if you will! Works for me though.