Best Waterless Car Wash 2023
Recently we discussed Rinseless Wash products and I mentioned that many people confuse them with Waterless products. In this post, I want to dive deeper into Waterless Wash and find what is so unique about it, what it means, which benefits it has, and what are the best Waterless car wash products available on the market.
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Best Waterless Car Wash Products
Money-Saving Tip! Instead of buying a ready-to-use Waterless wash, check our post about Best Rinseless Car Wash to find dilution ratio to receive up to 15 Gallons (56 Litres) of Waterless Wash from a 16 oz (473 ml) bottle!
What is Waterless Car Wash?
Waterless Car Wash – is a detailing product that is designed for washing slightly dirty or dusty cars without using any water. To wash your car, you need to spray the solution on your car’s surface and wipe it off with a clean microfiber towel. Such products are pH-neutral and have a lot of lubrication agents in the compound to prevent leaving any swirl marks and scratches on the surface.
Rinseless Wash VS Waterless Wash
Waterless wash products and Rinseless wash products are different. For washing your vehicle with Rinseless wash, you need a bucket of water and a cross-cut sponge, while Waterless wash requires only clean microfiber towels and no water at all.
Rinseless wash products provide you only with cleaning features, while some Waterless Wash products have natural or polymer waxes in their compounds. It means that besides cleaning your vehicle, Waterless Wash and Wax also protect your paint and leave a wax layer on it.
Benefits of Waterless Car Wash
Convenience and Time-Saving
A waterless car wash makes the process of washing a car more convenient. You shouldn’t look for a suitable place, to set up buckets, and hoses. With waterless washing you can take care of your car anytime and anywhere, all you need is a waterless cleaning solution and the best microfiber towels for cars. Above this, using such a car wash method saves you a lot of time, making it similar to the time you spend only on drying your car after traditional car washing. Such a wash method allows car mobile detailing professionals to serve clients even without access to a water source!
Environmental Friendliness
Unlike traditional car washing, you don’t need to waste copious amounts of water on rinsing and foaming your car. Above this, you avoid releasing harmful chemicals into wastewater, which can be possible when you use not environmentally friendly shampoos for regular car washing. Waterless car wash products have eco-friendly formulas, and together with water-conserving it makes such a method the best choice for environmental friendliness.
Preserving the Vehicle’s Finish
Waterless wash products have a lot of lubrication agents in their formulas, which create a protective layer on your car and prevent the appearance of swirls and scratches. Some products include in its compound waxes, which not just give you extra paint protection during a car wash, but continue protecting it in between washes.
Disadvantages of Waterless Car Wash
Limited Cleaning Power
Compared to traditional wash methods, waterless wash products cannot provide the same level of cleaning power. It is also not suitable for vehicles that accumulated layers of dirt, road grime, or mud.
Potential for Swirl Marks and Scratches
Waterless wash products have a lot of lubrication agents, but using improper washing techniques, or low-quality microfiber towels can lead to swirl marks and scratches. Also, you need to access the car’s paint contamination correctly, and not use a waterless wash when your vehicle is too dirty, otherwise, you will have a high risk of scratching the paint.
Cost Considerations
While waterless wash offers water savings, traditional car wash methods can be relatively cheaper per application. The cost of purchasing ready-to-use waterless wash products, and high-quality towels sometimes can be higher than using hoses and buckets. However, using concentrated Waterless Wash products, or diluted Rinselss Wash can minimize the costs.
Top Picks for the Best Waterless Car Wash in 2023
Meguiar’s Ultimate Waterless Wash & Wax
Meguiar’s offers a high-quality ready-to-use waterless wash, for the most reasonable price. You can effectively remove grime from your car, without leaving swirls and scratches, if you follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Above this, it has wax in its compound which will protect your paint after washing and enhance your car’s gloss.
I put Meguiar’s Waterless Wash in the first place on our top list due to its combination of the lowest price for a ready-to-use product, effective cleaning, and wax protection.
Price
Adam’s Waterless Wash
Adam’s has two options for waterless wash, one with a unique feature for such products, and offers them for a good price. Ceramic Waterless infused with 10% SIO2 reserves a second place in our top list.
Adam’s Waterless Wash
It is just a cleaning solution, without any waxes. On the other hand, it has advanced polymers in its formula to provide a safe and effective waterless wash!
Price
Adam’s Ceramic Waterless
The second option for Waterless Wash from Adam’s has a unique feature for such products – 10% SIO2. It will be the best waterless car wash for cars with ceramic coating. The product cleans and provides SIO2 protection of your car’s paint, and can be used on uncoated vehicles as well.
Price
Griot’s Garage Spray-On Car Wash
The third option on our top list is Griot’s Garage Spray-On Car Wash. It is a high-lubricity spray solution with carnauba wax. It allows you to remove dust and minor dirt without scratching the paint and leaves a carnauba wax protection layer on your car. Higher size spray bottles and reasonable pricing makes it a good option to consider for your car.
Price
Chemical Guys Waterless Wash
Chemical Guys are here to offer 3 options for superior Waterless Washing. It is a high-quality option from a well-known car care brand, but prices for a ready-to-use solution are not low enough to be in the first place. However, using a concentrated Ecosmart, makes this product very rational. Often sales and discounts from Chemical Guys can make their Waterless Wash products the most attractive for you.
Ecosmart-RU Wash&Wax
Ready-to-use waterless wash with carnauba wax. It washes and protects your car, and provides a UV-protection.
Price
Ecosmart Wash&Wax
It is a concentrated waterless wash that has the same benefits as ready-to-use Ecosmart. Concentrate saves you money by letting you dilute it in a 1:16 ratio.
Price
Swift Wipe
Ready-to-use waterless wash with high-shine sealant. It washes and protects your car, and provides gloss enhancement.
Price
FAQ about Waterless Car Wash
Is Waterless Car Wash Safe?
If you follow the manufacturer’s instructions and recommendations, yes, a waterless car wash is totally safe for your car. It will not scratch your car’s paint if you use it on a slightly dirty or dusty vehicle, generously spraying your car with waterless wash solution, and using the right technique with high-quality towels.
How to use a Waterless Car Wash?
You can check our post about ways to wash your car without a hose, but below you have a simple step-by-step guide.
- Park your car in the shade, and make sure its surface is cool to the touch.
- Shake the bottle of Waterless Wash.
- Spray Waterless Wash on the paint’s surface.
- Give some time for a cleaner to emulsify dirt.
- Wipe off the residue in one direction, folding your towel with each wipe, or use multiple towels to make sure you are wiping off the dirty solution with a clean towel. Do not apply excessive pressure.
- Buff your car with a clean microfiber towel.
How does Waterless Car Wash work?
Waterless car wash emulsifies dirt with surfactants or special polymers, and lifts the dirt, lubricating your car’s paint surface. Lubrication agents create a layer between the paint’s surface and dirt, and you can safely collect the dirt with a clean microfiber cloth.
Conclusion
Waterless Car Wash is a good example of innovative ways to care about our cars which we receive over the last years, but as everything has its pros and cons. These products can solve specific problems that some car owners can face. When you don’t have access to water, or you live in areas with drought conditions, you can delay visiting the car wash with the help of waterless solutions. However, such products cannot replace traditional car washing, and if you will use only ready-to-use products can be pricy.
I believe that Waterless Wash will gain popularity over time, as more and more people have less and less time to wash their cars. Like it was with Quick Detailers. And when your car is not really too dirty, but you want it to shine, you will not spend an hour or two visiting a local car wash, or setting up a pressure washer at home, you will just spray waterless solution, wipe it off, and your car is shiny again.
Don’t forget to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and use a waterless wash only on slightly dirty or dusty cars to avoid scratching the paint.
