EliteCM.net

Anyone here use deionized water when washing cars? If so do you have your own water deionizer?

I use the ones at the car wash place after a wash so there is no need to dry the car since there are no "water spots" when it dries.

whats the name of the car wash place you use? maybe there might be a similar place like that where I'm at.

no particular one, any general self-wash place. Most of the time they label it as "spotless rinse"

None of my local car washes offer this although I wish they did.

Cant remember seeing that.  The last time I used a self car wash was in Myrtle Beach last year right after we arrived. I wonder if you can buy a deionizer?

Is it not just like a water softener? Maybe not, but I occasionally go through a place called Goo Goo was and they have a spot free rinse.

The quarter wash has one of those things too.  I haven't really tested to see if their "spotless" rinse is just snake oil, but I guess I could give it a try.

It's worked the couple times I have used it. It usually sprays at a slower speed though, so you have to be quick to get all the "spot" water off the car

As far as results go, a water softener will probably give you the same effect (As long as it is not salt tablet based)...Deionizied water is just another step above that.

I wonder how much a home based dionizer would cost. Only experience I have had with them besides at the car washes are the large wall mount ones found in labs. Those are probably over the top for a car wash, they run the water by UV light along with some intense filter lol. the one in the lab I work in gets the particles down to 18ppm....to bad we autoclave it after that as well to make sure there is absolutely nothing living in there lol.

You could just get one of those Mr Clean spray and wash things.  I dry my car after I wash it, so it's not usually a step that I take at the quarter wash.

Ya I usually do that, but at school I have no driveway to wash my car and don't really feel like doing it in the parking lot :/

I used the MR Clean deal in the past, and it actually seemed to work. I never used it on the accord because the filters for it get a little expensive. But, I used it to wash my black camry all the time, and with no drying I got no water spots.

Then you're in the same boat as me since I don't have anywhere to hook up a hose at my apartment.  I just use the quarter wash down the street.  It's great for not making a mess on your driveway when you clean your engine!!

yea the mr. clean thing works the same way - surprisingly good actually

I had one of those things when I lived in Waltham and had a hose.  I'm sure it works just about the same as the one at the quarter wash.  Maybe I'll give it another try one day.

i might pick it up. its nice not to dry your car. less chance of picking up dirt and created swirl marks on your car.

in a related (but slightly off-topic) story, the professor I work under is a big fish collector and has one of those giant 50 Gallon tanks, apparently he only uses deionized water and has the change it only once a year...he mentioned something along the lines of when the water evaporates there is less precipitate left in the tank = less cleaning


I remember back on that show Pimp My Ride, they were sponsored by mr. clean and would always show them using it and mentioning no drying needed. Also, I was looking up info on this and some of the really high end detailers (like the ones that show up with a giant truck full of supplies and detail nothing but Ferraris) carry around giant tanks in their trucks full of dionizied water for the final rinse.

The spots are caused by hard water...dissolved minerals in the water.  A water softener should be sufficient to prevent water spots.  Higher degrees of filtration such as reverse osmosis and deionized water is a bit excessive.  We use deionized water for molecular genetics work in my lab...I don't think you need water that pure to wash your car...but if it floats your boat go for it.

I just love my car so much lol, maybe i'll add some DEPC for good measure!

I've tried the Mr clean thing and returned it...

The best system I know of if you truly want to be able to rinse your car and let it air dry is the CR spotless. Many detailers use this system.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.as ... d=11201522 (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11201522)

I was hoping you'd chime in!  I remember talking about this last year when it was on sale in the Canada Costco warehouses.

is this what you use?

pretty pricey for your average car owner, but i'm sure it's worth it for a detailer

The spotless rinse at the car wash places is a joke.  Those places never change the filters for the spotless rinse.

Agreed!

I dont have water spotting issues here... I have thought about getting it just so I wouldn't have to be bothered with drying but haven't yet forked out the coin justto skip the drying step...

man I wish I had one of those systems today..went home for the weekend and took advantage of the drive way to clean my car first time in 4 months...it was so hot today water would evaporate so fast leaving white spots...had to keep rinsing the entire car every 5 minutes to keep it wet and prevent the spots from forming...