Optimum No-Rinse - now a believer

[Loft23]

I was skeptical at first about using Optimum No-rinse on my new dark colored M5, but I was in a pinch last night and had to do it. Long story short, I had my full-front clear bra installed last week and haven't had a chance to seal it with wax. On xmas day I took my car out for a drive up through the woods. Came back and the bumper was riddled with bug splatter. I thought I would wash it this weekend, but remembered my clear bra installer telling me that I should be concerned about bugs on the film. So the next day, I emailed him and he quickly replied saying "WASH IT NOW!!!!!!!!" It has been 24 hrs since my drive and I quickly rushed home after work. Unfortunately, the good car wash / hand wash detail shop I go to are already closed. Now I face the dilemma of using the Optimum No-rinse that I ordered from Amazon sometime back. I only had one bucket, but had a lot of chenille wash mitts and all the micro fiber towels needed to safely wash the car.

Took all my stuff and headed down to the garage to not risk staining on the film. Used a spray bottle with a mixture of water and optimum no-rinse, I sprayed and presoaked the panel I was working on. Then took my chenille wash mitt, soaked in optimum no-rinse solution / water mix, and used both sides to wash each panel with NO pressure at all. It is amazing to see how much dust and dirt are picked up. Rinsed the wash mitt in running water and placed it back in the bucket. Was rotating through two wash mitts from panel to panel. What amazed me was how easily the bugs came off with no pressure and no rubbing. To dry, I took a waffled microfiber drying towel and dragged it across the panel. I closely inspected the paint and saw no swirls or scratches at all. To finish it off, I applied Optimum car wax. It's just amazing how the paint feels, slick and wet to the touch.

In-progress results, sorry for the poor iPhone pics.









Now that my clear bra has fully cured, I will have the car detailed on Tuesday morning. Color correction and polish if needed and then 3 coats of aircraft wax to last me at least 6 months.

[B-1Pilot]

ONR is amazing stuff. I use it as a clay lube. I use it as touch up cleaner. I use it even when I hose wash (i put about 2 capfuls in my soap bucket)

Opti's instant detailer is nice too.

Just a question.. why wax? why not have the car opti-coated? It will make any cleaning that much easier and you will have a stronger clear coat to boot.

[Loft23]

Originally Posted by B-1 Pilot

ONR is amazing stuff. I use it as a clay lube. I use it as touch up cleaner. I use it even when I hose wash (i put about 2 capfuls in my soap bucket)

Opti's instant detailer is nice too.

Just a question.. why wax? why not have the car opti-coated? It will make any cleaning that much easier and you will have a stronger clear coat to boot.

I hear that opti-coat has a mildly tacky feeling to the paint. I like the slick feeling of wax. I also hear that applying it flawlessly is difficult due to the curing time and the things you have to avoid initially after the application.

[Spinny02]

Originally Posted by Loft23

I hear that opti-coat has a mildly tacky feeling to the paint. I like the slick feeling of wax. I also hear that applying it flawlessly is difficult due to the curing time and the things you have to avoid initially after the application.

+1 Opti no rinse is great stuff! I have Opti coat pro on one car and I have not noticed any tacky feeling ? I have Modesta BC5 on the M5 and it is slick slick slick it feels very nice.

[Loft23]

Originally Posted by Spinny02

+1 Opti no rinse is great stuff! I have Opti coat pro on one car and I have not noticed any tacky feeling ? I have Modesta BC5 on the M5 and it is slick slick slick it feels very nice.

Do you have a clear bra on your car? I guess if I had to do it all over again, I'd opticoat and the clear bra on top. I hear that BC05 or any glass coating for that matter is very brittle. Talked to a detailer and he said that all these permanent coatings will require the same maintenance and when there is damage, it's more difficult to work with in order to get a touch up even with the rest.

[Spinny02]

Originally Posted by Loft23

Do you have a clear bra on your car? I guess if I had to do it all over again, I'd opticoat and the clear bra on top. I hear that BC05 or any glass coating for that matter is very brittle. Talked to a detailer and he said that all these permanent coatings will require the same maintenance and when there is damage, it's more difficult to work with in order to get a touch up even with the rest.

I put Modesta on three weeks ago. The clear bra goes on the 4th of jan. The coating needs 2-3 weeks to fully cure. Some have put it on sooner but I decided to wait the full length of time because I am out of town, so it works out.

I would not hesitate to put on a coating on. It's all about protecting your paint. A coating is much harder and more resistant to damage then clear coat with wax. Example would be .... Would you prefer to be protected with a spermicide condom or only with spermicide lube..... You could always wax over your coating but then you will lose some of the water shedding properties and the wax won't last as long.

The coatings have more benifits then then drawbacks. No more waxing is worth it for alone. A quick ONR and the car looks great! A great forum is autogeekonline.net if your ready to go full geek on detailing.

The important part is that your happy and comfortable with the wax or a coating and both ways the car is protected by something. Wax has been around and works, it's just a big PITA.

Note: some details don't use coating because it takes away repeat customers or they are old school / stubborn and refuse change what they know. I would stick with wax if I had a show car that was going to be in magazines and car shows and I would have a dedicated persons who spends 2-3 days getting the car show ready... But I don't have any need for that.

[GOLFFRR]

Although a lot of members on the forum are not fans of this stuff I personally have used it before lots of times with great success.

I still try to only use the 2 bucket cleaning process, however this ONR stuff def works in a pinch.

[B-1Pilot]

Originally Posted by Loft23

I hear that opti-coat has a mildly tacky feeling to the paint. I like the slick feeling of wax. I also hear that applying it flawlessly is difficult due to the curing time and the things you have to avoid initially after the application.

I watched a guy put on Opticoat to my 3-series.. then did it myself on my M5. It is asexually very easy... its the original pro form that was a bit difficult to apply. I did all this before putting my paint protection film on.

If you wash using ONR and then use in-between details with either optimum car wax (the spray kind which is amazing) or optimum instant detailer, the car remains very slick. Here where I am, there is a lot of blowing dust, and theopti products do great to capture that dust and lift it right of the car without any pressure. The opticoat bonds and hardens the clear coat, decreasing the likelihood of scratch and maintaining a hydrophobic surface.

[Loft23]

Originally Posted by Spinny02

I put Modesta on three weeks ago. The clear bra goes on the 4th of jan. The coating needs 2-3 weeks to fully cure. Some have put it on sooner but I decided to wait the full length of time because I am out of town, so it works out.

I would not hesitate to put on a coating on. It's all about protecting your paint. A coating is much harder and more resistant to damage then clear coat with wax. Example would be .... Would you prefer to be protected with a spermicide condom or only with spermicide lube..... You could always wax over your coating but then you will lose some of the water shedding properties and the wax won't last as long.

The coatings have more benifits then then drawbacks. No more waxing is worth it for alone. A quick ONR and the car looks great! A great forum is autogeekonline.net if your ready to go full geek on detailing.

The important part is that your happy and comfortable with the wax or a coating and both ways the car is protected by something. Wax has been around and works, it's just a big PITA.

Note: some details don't use coating because it takes away repeat customers or they are old school / stubborn and refuse change what they know. I would stick with wax if I had a show car that was going to be in magazines and car shows and I would have a dedicated persons who spends 2-3 days getting the car show ready... But I don't have any need for that.

So what did you have to avoid in the 2-3 week curing process?

[Spinny02]

Originally Posted by Loft23

So what did you have to avoid in the 2-3 week curing process?

I drove all over the EU and from Tampa to Houston with out a single rock chip in the paint. I did however get chip in the windshield.

I just don't follow close behind other cars. In this case I have been out of town so my wife took the car out twice just to keep the batt & tires in good shape.

Since you have the clear bra already I would not remove it but just coat around it. Some put the Opti coat over the bra but that is up for debate. One guy on autogeek just started a test to compare how coatings fair over different clear bra films.

[Dionysus]

Originally Posted by Loft23

To dry, I took a waffled microfiber drying towel and dragged it across the panel.

Loft, perhaps not necessary over clear bra, however, hope you don't mind me making the following observation (my preferred colour choice was SG, but went with something lighter as I wouldn't be able to live with any noticeable swirls).

I would recommend investing in something like the following rather than the waffle weave drying towel (soak up a lot more water than a waffle weave): -

http://www.autopia.org/forum/topic/1...fiber-madness/

Regardless of wash method (ONR or regular wash), avoid wiping/dragging drying towels across the panels, either fold and pat dry (vertical panels) or place the towel on a horizontal panel and wipe your hands over the towel, i.e. don't move the towel.

I've being using the MM dry me crazy for more than 6 months and they are as good as the reviewer states in the link above.