Dry Car wash
Welcome to the world of advanced chemicals

Dry car wash is a term I think would be instantly confusing to most people -especially under the context of washing your car.

I think most people operate under the working principle that more is better mentality -more water, more soap, equals a cleaner car.

Which means that in an instant, dry wash doesn't even compute onto our mental hard drives. 

The more popularized term is waterless washing -and just like the name suggests, it's how to wash your car without using water.

Dry wash, waterless washing -both terms that disrupt our mental hard drives!

I personally developed my own type of waterless washing or "dry wash", well before the internet ever existed. And since this was long before the internet, it was also long before any dedicated waterless washing products ever existed.

Which didn't stop me since I was enamored by the technique!

Imagine my delight when I discovered I could actually wash my car without the traditional water and soap methods, do so completely safely, and even produce better end results!

That was  over 20 years ago and I have never stopped using the dry wash method. It really is a case of the proverbial: once you try this, you never go back!

I also know that every person I have taught how to do this has never gone back to traditional methods of washing their cars unless circumstances force them back into old ways.

Dry Car Wash
FAQs

To keep this ultra simple for better understanding, I am going to take you through the key points you need to know that will help your understanding, while calming your nerves down:

Q. What is dry car wash or dry car washing?

A. Dry car wash is the process of "removing" dirt from your car without using traditional water and soap methods. Through the use of dedicated products that you spray onto the dirty car, you are able to safely remove the dirt. 

Q: Is there a single product you have to use in order to wash your car using the dry wash method?

A. No. Most cosmetic car care companies now make their own version of a waterless wash product that can be used to dry wash a car. In simple terms, dry wash, or waterless washing is about the technique, not about a specific product.

Q. Why would you want to dry wash your car?

A. It can saves mounds of time and can produce better results than traditional car washing methods. It is also more environmentally better due to zero water/chemical run-off.

Q. Why was dry washing your car even developed?

A. The original and accidental reason is the time savings that can be achieved compared to traditional methods. This then ushered in the realization of the massive water saving benefits of dry car washing.

Q. How exactly does dry car washing even work?

A. The best comparison I have found is to think of using a furniture polish like Pledge to clean/dust your household furniture. You simply choose your preferred brand of furniture polish, spray your dusty furniture, then wipe to perfection. Waterless car wash products use the same concept, but do so with products specifically formulated to work on car paint.

Q. But my car gets dirtier than my furniture; will this not scratch my car paint.

A. Depends. It is impossible to wash your car in any manner without doing some form of scratching or abrading regardless of the chosen product or method. Your car has thousands of scratches on the paint already. It is part of having a car that must endure the elements of life, weather, outdoors, etc. You could make a full-time career out of washing your car in the most gentle ways just to prevent scratches or abrasions. But most people have a life. Most people want a better return on their time that traditional car washing methods deliver. For this reason waterless car washing represents the winning balance for everyone I have ever taught. So while it is completely realistic to accept that some scratch/abrading might be part of the dry car wash method, it becomes negligible part of the equation that everyone I have shown considers it a non-issue.

Q. I am still worried about washing my car without water.

A. I completely get it. Until you have experienced not only the ease of this method, but the finished results, it will be hard for any person to wrap their mind around this revolutionary concept. But once you try, you will become a committed follower!

Q. Are there times when I wouldn't use the dry wash method?

A. Yes! And this is really a common sense issue. If your car has accumulated so much dirt, or weather conditions have destroyed your car with mud, snow, sleet, etc., then you will likely want to default to the traditional car washing methods.

Darren's Tip: Let me be a voice of reason here: During non winter months, the majority of the dirt on your car is in the form of water soluble dust. These unique waterless car wash products are engineered and formulated to encapsulate the dirt/dust particles and lubricate the space between the dirt particles and your paint so that you can wipe the dirt away and leave behind a glorious shine you will be truly amazed by.

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Dry Car Wash Products

Aero Cosmetics Dry Wash Kit on Amazon

• One of my personal favorites.
• Number one rated dry car wash on Amazon.
• As easy as easy can get.
• Spray over dusty car, section by section and buff as you go.
• Cleans and protects as you go.
• Will not stain black trim.
• Can be used in direct sunlight.

Darren's Tips: The included scrub pad is for bug removal, not to scrub your paint within the process of cleaning your paint. This means you use the scrub pad very limited. As far as the "wax" in this product; I would not rely on this alone to keep my paint protected. I certainly recommend you apply a dedicated car wax or sealant to the paint and use this product as a dry wash and maintenance product only.

Chemical Guys Eco-Smart RTU Waterless on Amazon

• Another quality waterless dry car wash formulation.
• Clean, shine, and protect all in one.
• Top rated dry car wash product on Amazon.
• Can be used in direct sunlight.
• Won't stain black trim.
• One of my personal favorites

Darren's Tips: once again, I would not rely on the "wax" in this formulation for more than anything but as a maintenance product.  Meaning you should apply on a consistent basis a dedicated application of a car wax or paint sealant.

Waterless Wash Cleaning Cloths

Now that you know about waterless washing, you need to get the second most important part of the equation. Nothing works better than a quality micro-fiber cloth.

The cloths below represent the winning balance between size, thickness, and cost.

Chemical Guys Microfiber cleaning cloths on Amazon

• Ideal for many uses of auto detailing, but definitely ideal for use with any of the waterless wash products.
• Safe, economical, and top rated.
• Don't underestimate the performance of a quality micro fiber cloth.

I hope after reading through this page you will begin to expand your mind to the possibilities of this unique technique of washing your car without using gallons upon gallons of water. Once you try you will never go back!

Sincerely,

Darren Priest