OPT Optimum No Rinse (ONR) Wash & Shine - Review & Guide

[Lowiepete]

Hello Folks,

(1) Introduction to ONR Wash & Shine
Optimum No-Rinse is one product in our armoury of cleaning materials that
appears to defy logic. Because of this, and the way that it can and does
challenge a few established practices, it tends to raise many questions,
some of which I'll attempt to answer here. Although this FAQ was originally
written for V2, it is still valid guidance for the 2012 Version 3.

Personally this product has been a revelation that has enabled me to easily
maintain my own vehicle, Tia's Taxi. This without the need for a lot of
cumbersome paraphernalia including, for most of the year, obviating the need
for buckets of suds. Now, 18 months since my first use in 2009, I'm confident
enough to assemble this FAQ.


Tia's Taxi given an ONR wash after return from wheel refurb Sept 2013

(2) What is ONR?
If you're looking for a versatile cleaning product that could qualify as the first
thing you'd grab in almost any given dirt removal situation, it would probably
be ONR. It is a rinseless wash product, meaning that it relies on its polymers.
By coating the surface and the dirt, they act as a lubricant to prevent marring
when using wash media that may scratch when used with other wash potions.
Also, they keep the wash water clean, though some fine clays can defeat this.

However, for many people, getting to a point of trusting it might take a bit
of a leap of faith. Probably, the first sharp intake of breath is in wondering:
Just how does such a thin liquid actually work to protect the surface?
There's probably a very scientific answer to that question; all I need say is
that the list of satisfied users just grows.

(3) ONR can be used as...

• a basic washing liquid in a bucket
• a basic washing liquid, without need for any buckets (not in a UK winter!)
• a surface cleaner in a spray for removing light dust
• a cleaner to attack bird-bombs
• a cleaner to remove dead flies
• a cleaner to remove light brake-dust
• a cleaner to take to shows
• a cleaner of any surface, including plastics and film
• a cleaner to use with a clay cloth
• a clay bar lubricant
• a pad primer for waxing

This list is by no means exhaustive! Note also that I have not used the word
"shampoo" in any of its attributes! To call ONR a shampoo is in my opinion
a complete misnomer. There are few similarities between ONR and a wash
and wax car shampoo.

However, it's also no over-statement to say that if you were given a choice
of just one liquid cleaning product to be left with, it would probably be this.
ONR is a technology that seems to work best with another 21stC offering,
the microfibre cloth.

(4) ONR provides...

• a liquid that has remarkable lubricating qualities
• a fluid that will get under the dirt, even that baked on by the sun
• a remarkable resistance to evaporation, even in warm weather
• a fluid with various non-soapy surfactants that hold dirt in suspension
• a polymer coating of its own which will act as a good base for a QD or wax

(5) Spray, dwell time, then wipe
There is one "rule of thumb" with ONR, once it's applied you _must_ allow it to
dwell a while before any physical wiping contact is made. Even if you don't do
a pre-spray, do at least squeeze out some liquid from the wash media over the
surface to be cleaned, then slowly count to 15 _before_ contact is made.

Did I mention the dwell time? You see, I cannot over-emphasise this aspect, so
if you take nothing else away from this missive, please see this as your key to
success. If you spray and then immediately wipe, which I admit can be very
tempting, then I'll guarantee that you will be working against yourself; be
prepared for some disappointment with the results, including marring!

ONR = spray, dwell, then wipe! If needs be, don't be shy in applying a second
spraying - it's about making the product do most if not all of the hard work.

(6) Will ONR mar my paint?
Marring is mostly the result of heavy-handed use or carelessness with the
wash media. Or possibly, the result of familiarity or impatience, leading to
these. It's probably easier to mar the paint with a _dry_ MF cloth or a very
foamy wash liquid than it is to do it with ONR. Foamy suds can easily lead to
a false sense of security, leading us to expect too much protection from
them by pressing a tad harder than intended.

ONR has very little foam, so it holds an inherent and constant reminder that
contact must always be gentle. If at _any_ point you feel the need to rub, stop!
It'll always be your technique, not the product that'll need revision.

(7) Is ONR an exact replacement car shampoo?
It can be. However, if you were to use it that way, you would be defeating
its purpose. ONR is often described as a "waterless wash" - personally, I'd
describe it as a "less water" wash. Depending on the level of dirt, you could
use as little as 300ml or maybe no more than 6 to 8 litres of water on an
average sized car.

If there is a product that renders the two-bucket method almost redundant, it's
ONR. Yes, I know what I'm seriously challenging! One of the most common reports
is the surprise people express on how the dirt just rinses out of the sponge
(yes sponge!) and simply falls to the bottom of the _one_ bucket!

Bucket after cleaning off farm muck


Do bear with me, all will be explained. I've already hinted that ONR challenges
some established practices; these are replaced by just as careful ideas. The
challenge is to protect the paint and make this easier to achieve! This is a
21stC product, and properly used it can easily consign the 2BM to being an
outdated 1990's routine.

IMO continuing with the 2BM using ONR is risky and a waste on all sorts of
levels. The whole point of this technology is to _safely_ reduce water usage
and make the job easier. Most, if not all, of the OPT product range is designed
to make maintaining a vehicle very simple and quick. With ONR being such a
thorough cleaner, it seems pointless to add complexity to a simplified process.

(8) Why is ONR not a Waterless Wash?
Most of the products that fall into this category are liquids applied to the
paint directly from the factory container, with no dilution and only need a wipe
with say a dampened microfibre cloth.

OPT have another product called "Opti-Clean" which falls into this category.
ONR on the other hand can be used with a wide variety of dilution ratios. It's
therefore much more economical in use. Its eco-friendly credentials come not
only from less water use, ONR's chemical content is also environmentally safer
than most.

(9) Can I use ONR like a Waterless Wash?
Most definitely! The only time when you probably shouldn't is when road salt is
present. For many months I have successfully used ONR with nothing more than
the QD strength liquid applied from a spray-bottle. This, gently wiped away with
a number of damp MF cloths.

If carrying buckets of suds to your wash site is a problem, or you need to get
to a show without the car being on a trailer, using this method to clean the car
is ideal. There's a link to my "Bucketless wash method using ONR" guide at the
bottom of this post.

(10) What are the dilution ratios?
If you are resident in the UK and Europe, you can completely ignore those
suggested on the bottle. The reason being that US water hardness can be up
to and over 5 times the PPM figures found here! Using the US dilution rates in
the UK is not only wasteful, it'll probably lead to some smearing.

What follows are only guidelines for the UK and Europe. It isn't necessary to
measure ONR to the ml, though careful measuring is recommended! Mostly it
will be a case of trial and error mainly controlled by how hard or soft your water
is locally. Do please note this; it definitely is not a case of one dilution rate
suits all!

For use as a pre-spray...
along with QD uses, dilution can be as strong as 32 to 1, though with soft or
softened water it can go to anything up to 64 to 1. A stronger dilution will
_not_ increase the cleaning potency of ONR!

Assuming the cap from a 32oz bottle to be about 15ml, 32:1 will be...

• 1 capful per 500ml
• 2 capfuls per 1 litre
• 3 capfuls per 1.5 litres
• 4 capfuls per 2 litres
• 5 capfuls per 2.5 litres

For a 64 to 1 ratio, simply halve the ONR capfuls.

In the wash bucket...
in a soft water area it can be as low as 1 capful per 5L of water. Maximum,
for a hard water area, would probably be 2 capfuls. Also, don't be tempted to
err on the side of caution when mixing. In a soft water area you can actually
have too strong a wash-mix which will work against you. This will not only
interfere with the effectiveness of the surfactants, it could also cause some
smearing!

(11) Did you really mean: Use a Sponge?
With ONR, using a fleece wash-mitt or long-pile MF cloth can cause severe
rinsing problems and a risk of marring! They will quickly be overwhelmed with
dirt particles that are a devil to dislodge, even with enthusiastic rinsing!

So, using a sponge is a viable option. Not just any old sponge however,
especially not a firm cellulose one! A soft "grouting sponge" like those from
B&Q is the best bet. OPT have introduced a foam wash-mitt specifically for
use with ONR. The Zymol Sponge also comes recommended. (See Key Links
at post bottom).

Again, nothing hard and fast here, so a microfibre noodle mitt might suit you
better. It's probable that there will be some discolouration of the noodles,
caused by ONR's polymers. This won't cause marring or lower the effectiveness
of the wash. The colour will soon be restored through a normal detergent wash.
Do this in a bucket or sink, prior to it going into the machine. The rinse water
can appear a bit scary.

Personally, I would limit the use of plain MF cloths to the final drying wipe.
Even then, I'd dampen them with ONR first. Don't underestimate the power of
MF cloths to gather dirt, especially when they are dry!

(12) What's the best washing technique?
The sheer versatility of ONR means there is wide scope for experimentation
and a wide variety of techniques. Probably the best starting point is to follow
BigPikle's video. (See Key Links at post bottom) That should at least help you
to build your confidence in its abilities.

Working panel by panel, with small overlaps on the unwashed areas, the starting
point is to use a pre-spray of ONR, at QD strength according to how hard or
soft your water is locally. Allow the pre-spray to dwell a while - the delay
between spraying and wiping allows the product to do its work and it'll make all
the difference between making the job quick and easy, or possibly being left
with some residual dirt.

Keeping to a safe wash method means using the wash media to apply as much
liquid as _needed_ in a contactless fashion. (Don't overdo it!) Allowing it extra
time to do what it does best, i.e. get into and under the dirt, means physical
contact can be limited to just one wiping pass, even on dirtier surfaces. This
will probably only come with practice, so don't risk marring your paint trying to
achieve this first time!

Try and keep to straight lines when wiping. If the car is quite dirty, use
vertical downward strokes only so that you use the liquid to gently "push" away
the dirt. Using straight lines is preferable to indiscriminate wipes in all directions.

Let me issue a clear challenge here. Try and see just how lightly your touch
with the wash media can be. To all intents and purposes, if you are having to
apply any pressure, particularly if it's over and above the weight of the wash
media, then there is probably something wrong. Often, it's too short a dwell
time. Step back and relax!

For the dreaded jobs, such as cleaning off dead bugs, (see key link below)
the dwell time is absolutely essential! Some patience with possibly a 2nd
spraying and you'll be rewarded with need of very little effort beyond that.
In difficult areas, like grilles, or in extreme circumstances you may need to
gently agitate the liquid with a brush. You could also do this if in a hurry,
but in fact the short dwell delay usually makes that extra work redundant.

Where my technique differs markedly from BigPikle is that instead of using a
drying towel for my final wipe, I use a clean MF cloth, lightly dampened with
ONR from the pre-spray bottle. (About 6 sprays per side) Should there be any
dirt remaining, you are at least tackling it in the safest possible way.

To my mind the biggest risk of creating swirls is at the drying stage, especially
using _dry_ MF towels! Using ONR as a QD drying aid is definitely the safest way
to approach this task. The dampened MF cloth and ONR working together bring
out the best qualities of each technology.

ONR will leave a very thin polymer coating of its own - a ready base for another
QD product, or a wax / sealant. There is also something very satisfying in
watching the ONR evaporate after the dampened MF wipe.

(13) Can I use ONR in Winter?
Absolutely! Because of its "less water" properties, you may have many more
opportunities for washing, where "getting out the gear" may otherwise be
impractical. You'll certainly have much less water on the ground afterwards.

One danger to avoid with the "less water" approach is that you don't use enough
to fully dissolve the road salt. Beware, if salt is only partly dissolved, it can be
an almost invisible abrasive as sharp as sand!

Apply a pre-spray of ONR at 32:1 and let it dwell. Test to see if it's ready by
a quick 2nd spraying - if there's dirt movement, it's ready. Then suspend the
wash media over the area to be cleaned and squeeze out _some_ of the liquid,
waving it out over the area to be wiped. Allow another short dwell period.
Then very gently wipe, small areas at a time, before rinsing out.

It should be possible to limit the wiping pass to just one. That's just a matter
of practice. Once you're confident that it's clean, give it a final wipe with
an ONR dampened MF cloth. Drying time will obviously be a tad longer, but there
won't be any water spots.

(14) Will ONR destroy my wash-media?
No more than any other product will. The constant soaking / drying cycles
produce their own stresses and it's unlikely that ONR will exacerbate this.

Wash media not recommended include fleece mitts, deep pile MF cloths and
MF covered sponges.

(15) The dirt didn't come off first time - why not?
Two important points immediately spring to mind...

• did you let the product dwell?
• were you tempted to rub the area rather than gently wipe?

I've lost count of the number of times that I've demonstrated how I use ONR,
always with the emphasis upon the dwell time. As soon as I say, "Now you have
a go" - what happens? I get a demonstration of spray & wipe :wall:

It's probably very easy to get carried away with this apparent "wonder liquid".
So much so that expectations can become a tad too high. Quite often, like with
the removal of squashed bugs, all it needs is a 2nd spraying and a little longer
to dwell.

Just don't be frightened to experiment, as long as you avoid rubbing, you won't
do any damage. If you're tempted to apply pressure over and above the weight
of your wash media - stop! The answer is in this section.

(16) Can ONR be used for Contactless Washing?
No! I'm very definite about this answer because to say otherwise would be to try
and promote ONR beyond its known and thoroughly tested uses. Although it will be
excellent at getting into and behind the dirt, there is no other method of making
that most important judgement call over whether or not to use a second pre-spray
application than making that first physical wipe.

(17) Can I use ONR as a clay lubricant?
The way that ONR provides its lubrication and its resistance to evaporation makes
it an excellent clay-lube. When used with a clay cloth, ONR's cleaning capabilities
really come to the fore!

(18) Is ONR safe on glass and windscreens?
The answer is a qualified yes. The reason for my hesitation is that the polymers
that ONR leaves behind can interfere with and reduce the slickness of some
nano-technology treatments such as gTechniq G1 / G3. Where these have been used,
it's probably best to only use a plain water dampened MF cloth for your screen
cleaning. These treatments are pretty effective at resisting dirt anyway.

Otherwise, ONR will make a very effective glass cleaner. Use a dampened MF cloth
in one hand and a dry one in the other, after a light spray of QD strength on the
glass. If there's soiling and it evaporates, apply a 2nd spraying before wiping.

(19) Is ONR LSP safe?
Yes! Not only that, it has its own polymers that provide a little protection and
reflectivity of their own. This is nothing more than a microscopic layer that
will afford no more than a very temporary protection window. This layer does
provide an excellent base for applying any protective coating over it.

(20) Does ONR limit my LSP choice?
Not that I'm aware of. The polymer coating left behind by ONR only provides a
short protection window. The only possible exemption is when cleaning surfaces
where nano technology products have already been applied - see below.

However, there is no reason to not use ONR before applying nano-products.
IMO, far too much is made of the polymers left behind by ONR. It's nowhere
near the levels left behind by a wash and wax shampoo! Many LSPs have some
form of solvent within them which will soon cut through the microscopic ONR
layer anyway.

(21) Will ONR affect other nano-technology treatments?
Probably. The reason for this being that, by their very nature, the ONR polymers
are not nano fine. I doubt that ONR will be on its own here, so I don't think
this precludes you from using it. The cleaning will still be very thorough and
ONR's polymers will provide only temporary covering of the nano coating; i.e.
normal "weathering" will very soon reveal the original nano layer.

The judgement call here is the level of cleaning required. If, however, you're
more concerned about beading patterns directly after a wash, then ONR probably
won't be for you. Unlike the windscreen, I would _not_ advocate using just plain
water to wash a nano-coated car, especially if ONR solves a water access problem
for you at any time of the year.

(22) What about cleaning wheels?
If you've previously sealed your wheels, washing them with ONR will be a breeze.
Other than in Winter, they can also be cleaned with little more than a QD
strength spray and an MF cloth wipe. However, what this means is that you're
transferring brake dust from wheel to MF cloth, and thence possibly to a soak
bucket, before a washing-machine wash.

I have mixed feelings and strong doubts about this. So much so that on wheels,
except at car shows, I exclusively use CG Hose-Free Eco Wash, HFE (See Key
Links at post bottom) not ONR for wheel cleaning. In half a bucket of warm water,
I use 1 capful of HFE per 2 wheels, using a noodle mitt to clean. There's no
rinsing and no need to dry either! Note, I'll use 2 x half buckets rather than a
full one for all 4 wheels.

(23) What about tar and tree-sap?
While ONR can be an effective cleaner, this doesn't mean that it will tackle
anything and everything. The way to look at its possibilities is to try and
imagine the bond between contaminant and paint. If a thin, water based liquid
could permeate twixt the two and separate them, then ONR will work. Otherwise,
your expectations are too high. ONR has little or no solvent properties.

(24) Does diluted ONR "go off" if left?
No, the diluted liquid does not weaken in strength if left to stand. What does
happen though is the blue colouration will fade almost to clear.

(25) Does using ONR really save time?
Very definitely! Although some patience is required with allowing for dwell
time, overall it should be possible to give the car a thorough clean in 20
minutes or less! Probably, to begin with, it may take longer than that.

Certainly, the first few occasions of use may scare you a tad - but it won't
be long before you'll wonder how you ever managed without it. Provided that
you have adopted the safest methods advocated here, your new mind-set will
probably give you more satisfaction than the 2BM, mostly because you've got
good results and avoided all the extra work.

(26) Is an ONR wash as effective as the 2BM?
If this question means: is ONR giving me a "proper wash"?, then there is only
one answer, definitely! I'll make no secret of it, with ONR available the 2BM
is just wasteful, of water, energy, time and money. Be aware that using the
2BM with ONR is risky because you can reduce the protection of its polymers
by over-dilution.

ONR will give you a very satisfying result. I've a sneaking suspicion that part
of OPT's design brief was to widen its target market to include enthusiastic
detailers as well as those resident in water-limited areas. It seems to have
succeeded way beyond this!

(27) Does temperature make any performance difference?
No. Whether using ONR as a QD from the spray bottle or using it at wash
dilutions from the bucket, there is no cleaning performance gained by using
warm water over that at ambient temperature.

(28) A short glossary
In very simple terms...
Surfactants: The little critters that make water "wetter" so that dirt can be
held in suspension.
Polymers: Basically microscopic bits of plastic that combine to provide local
lubrication when wet and produce a protective film upon evaporation.

(29) Conclusions
If getting water to a wash site is any kind of problem, whether it's because the
hose won't reach or because carrying buckets is difficult or hazardous, then the
automatic choice will be ONR. Its ease of use and sheer technological brilliance
make it one of the "must haves".

I'll readily admit my bias, but that's borne from the restored freedom to maintain
my own motor in a way that satisfies me, despite being afflicted with gammy hands
and a rather unsteady gait. I have sufficient confidence in the product to claim
that you'd probably be impressed with it too. Give it a try, you will probably not
look back.

(30) Key Links and Other Resources

A short movie about Winter Washing...



ONR available from... (Beware that you don't buy Optimum Car Wash!)
¶ Clean Your Car or ¶ Elite Car Care or ¶ Motorgeek or ¶ Perfectly Cleaned or ¶ Shop'n'Shine

Wash Media...
¶ B+Q Tile Sponge or ¶ The OPT foam mitt or ¶ The Zymol sponge

Regards,
Steve