Hoseless Washing

[TheDan]

Gotta agree, dust and dirt on a car that needs a wash consists of many different kinds of contamination and sharp gritty sand particles are one of them. That is the whole point of the pre-rinse, to try and lubricate those particles and knock them off before any brushes or clothes get near the surface.
Just can't believe that spraying some product on and wiping it off with a cloth isn't going to leave some scratching, lots of products make big promises but deliver something else.
Do I have a solution to the problem, not at all, but I would stick with "do no harm" as the first step.
You could just let the car be dirty until the water restrictions are lifted.

Yeah this is my thought exactly.

I was out today and saw a few people washing their cars probably trying to get in before the imminent hosepipe bans. Unfortunately in just over a week I am taking the Z4 on a roadtrip round Italy and so I'd like it pretty clean and preferably slightly sealed with a wax or ceramic spray before going. I'll probably end up getting a local detailer to come and do it as I've used him before and he does a good job.

[Jollyjoiner]

Be a rebel and leave it dirty

[Nanu]

You could always make suitable arrangements with another forum member who lives in an area without a hosepipe ban.

For a small donation of beer, my drive and pressure washer is always available

[pvr]

My house is the last one in the ban area. They drew a line around it. I just need to run the hose from the neighbour

[Pondrew]

My house is the last one in the ban area. They drew a line around it. I just need to run the hose from the neighbour

You may have problems with pressure drop on a hose that long, mate. I don't even know if you can get a 4,000m hose!

[Beedub]

waterless products are simply not for me at all.

[Mr Tidy]

waterless products are simply not for me at all.

That says it all for me!

I just couldn't see how they could remove dust without abrading the paint.

[Raj_UK]

I’m far from a detailer but learnt my lesson about waterless products many moons ago. Once upon a time on the front of a Max Power mag there was a free car cleaning wipe. Basically it was a huge wet wipe to clean your whole car. The instructions specifically said not to prep or do anything but just wipe the car. At the time I had a black Astra which Id had from new. Always hand washed myself because I couldn’t afford anything else. Anyway I gave this wipe a go and the results were amazing, or so I thought at first. After a few days in the sun I saw the error of my ways and the major swirl marks… very fine but lots of them!

[Pondrew]

FFS.
If you normally wash with a hosepipe or pressure washer (perish the thought), use a watering can with a rose on it. It's the same thing but with a little more effort and less water.

There is no such thing as a "watering can ban".

[pvr]

No wonder you can’t keep a car longer than a few months, you will have scraped all the paint off it

[Special Kay]

There is no such thing as a "watering can ban".

[MikeyH]

Back in the old days when I was a mere wee child I would wash the car with a bucket of wash and wax and then rinse off with a bucket of clean water, did it okay. Or you can always wash the car in the rain as the AA once recommended. I seem to remember that some years ago, (1976?) they brought in a car wash ban.

[Pondrew]

No wonder you can’t keep a car longer than a few months, you will have scraped all the paint off it

Yes Paul, I have seen thousands of cars for sale because all the paint has been eroded off by the wrong type of washing.

I nearly bought a DeLorean once, but it was just too far gone!

Actually...thinking about it...if people are so worried about scratching their paintwork by rubbing the air-borne dust into it, I would recommend never driving it. That is sand-blasting it at anything over about 10MPH

[pvr]

Instead of the Glasses guide, those cars will be valued by the Pondy guide

[Pondrew]

Instead of the Glasses guide,

Is that still around? I though Autotrader now value cars for the trade.
Like 17 year old estate agents now value the trillions of £ worth of property in the Country.