Waterless Washing: The Wheel Hero
by Ian MartinezI have been detailing via a waterless/rinsless wash method for a long time, and I have experienced almost no drawback compared to traditional washing. However, the one area that has been a bit of an issue is wheel cleaning.
When wheels are actually dirty, a waterless wash solution is not strong enough, nor safe enough, to remove all of the contamination. Yet, a wheel cleaner needs a lot of rinsing to ensure none is left behind to potentially damage the finish. So, what is a detailer to do? The best solution I had was a pump garden sprayer, which did work. However, it was time consuming, had low pressure, and often required more water than was in the tank since the pressure was so low.
But then, surfers saved the day. I found this product invented by people who surf and need a “portable shower” to rinse off sand. This RinseKit is a 2-gallon chamber that is pressurized by the force of the water pumped into it, via garden hose, with a garden hose attachment on the end. So, you essentially have a hose with a 2-gallon water tank that requires no pumping. Now maybe 2 gallons isn’t enough to wash a car, but for wheels? Cowabunga dude.
The Good
- Portable.
- Plenty of pressure and capacity to clean wheels/engine bays.
- ABS tank so you can even fill it with hot water.
- No pressure washer needed.
- Quick disconnects and easy on/off ball valve. Multiple spray patterns if you’re into that.
- If you had two you could even attach a foam gun to one and wash a midsize car the traditional way without the need of a huge tank, meaning you don’t need a huge truck as a mobile unit.
- Closable lid, while the hose is still out so it can double as a seat.
The Bad
- Price. At almost $90 it is not a cheap item for something that is best for just cleaning wheels and engine bays. However, it is much more efficient and effective than a pump sprayer and much less than the investment of a truck/trailer and tank.
- 3 gallons would be a bit better just to have some reserve in case you need to re-wash something.
- Must be filled via a hose connection/faucet adapter. This is not an issue for me as I can fill it up before I go to the job and I am only doing 1 car at a time, prepping it for correction. But for mobile car wash guys it simply wouldn’t be enough.
Overall
- It is a niche product for this space since it wasn’t designed for it, and the price is a bit high, but for my situation it has been a game changer.
What about using steamer?
Hello Michael,
While yes the steamer would do a good job cleaning it would not provide and lubrication to safely remove the contamination. Also if the wheel is heavily soiled a wheel cleaner may still be needed and that plus heat could have an adverse reaction on something like carbon ceramic brakes.
Thanks Ian, I like your sense of humor too lol. I use a portable washer from a company called sealy it has been proven to rinse a whole regular size car.
Thanks Mr. Block! Wow that looks really cool as well. It has an onboard water tank as well?
Yes it does. Not sure how long the battery last before having to recharge but its an awesome look and feel.
This rinsekit, is it available on your site or elsewhere. I like it because it can be used not just by surfers but also people who travel a lot and don’t want to have too much load on-board. @Mr. Block, does this use rechargeable battery?
Is it ok to apply the sealant after the car has been waxed?I’m an old Vietnam ve(2 tours) and need to have this question answered.I am not well and the car as I said has been waxed.
Looking forward to your answer when you have time.
To get the best results, you want to apply the sealant first, then the wax on top of that.