Rainwater Rinse

[JCB..]

I've often heard 'old-boys' who drive mint veteran cars say they always wash their cars when its raining.

Anyone who has owned a black car and lives in a hard water area knows the joys of washing the car between applications of polish or wax.[]

We had a persistent light drizzle on Sunday so I put the car out for an hour, washed it, hosed it down and then left it for a couple of hours in the rain before putting it back under the car port. I didn't touch it again just drove it straight in and left it. This morning it's clean dry and absolutely spotless.[]

(It still has all the stone chips though)[&:]

JCB..

 

[daro911]

ORIGINAL: JCB..

I've often heard 'old-boys' who drive mint veteran cars say they always wash their cars when its raining.

JCB..

Acid rain for ya knew it had to be good for something

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

John

You want to try the Flash Car Wash System which uses de-ionised water and has the same effect.

 

[JCB..]

You want to try the Flash Car Wash System which uses de-ionised water and has the same effect.

As advertised on TV?

 

[Ivor]

I did just the same yesterday, apart from not having a carport to park under. No nasty hardwater stains but will have to leave the car until completely dry before I can put the cover on!

 

[38F3E1]

You must have cleaner rain than where I live. I usually end up with a car covered in small sand marks after it rains. Maybe the fact it rained all day 'cleaned' the dust out of the air.

Ian.

 

[THX911]

Tried the Flash car wash system with their own shampoo (which claims to leave some residue for the ioniser to work) once and with Autoglym shampoo thereafter; was the same results both times i.e. no spots... Though it does not work when it is really hot and in direct sunlight; it seems to work well if you let your car dry in shade or use a squeegee dryer or chamois straight after the ionising spray.

 

[Mark_Bennett]

In the USA you can get the de-ionising filter that fit on to your hose (without all the Mr Clean/Flash gubbins).

If anyone knows where you can get these in the UK.. You know we want to know!

 

[THX911]

ORIGINAL: Mark Bennett

In the USA you can get the de-ionising filter that fit on to your hose (without all the Mr Clean/Flash gubbins).

The Flash things is exactly that i.e. the shampoo bit is optional. I now just use the ioniser bit of it only. It plug directly to the hose. In America the same product is sold under another brand name.

 

[garyw]

I have a black car and suffer the same as others, as in the rain usually leaves sand marks all over the car [:'(]
If my cars stands outside it usually has to be washed to remove the rain water.
I tried the Flash car kit and it worked very well.

There is an article in PP this month about the water filter device Page 23 or http://www.aquagleam.co.uk

garyw



Edit to get the link to work - Mark

 

[Mark_Bennett]

In America the same product is sold under another brand name.

Yes. Mr Clean!

The things I mean that go on the hose fit at the tap end of it, and are great big industrial size things! The cost however is somewhat less than the Flash filter...

I think they last a bit more than 3 washes[]

 

[Mark_Bennett]

Gary,

That's the sort of thing! - Investigating...[8D]

 

[THX911]

ORIGINAL: Mark Bennett

In America the same product is sold under another brand name.

Yes. Mr Clean!

The things I mean that go on the hose fit at the tap end of it, and are great big industrial size things! The cost however is somewhat less than the Flash filter...

I think they last a bit more than 3 washes[]

Ah! So I also have a hardwater softner system in my house but I never use this soft water to wash the car or for windscreen wash as the water is softened using salt which cannot be good for the car? Open to comments on this.

What other economical ways are there to make hard water soft? I have heard of some copper coils which do something similar but are not very good...

The Flash/Mr Clean is indeed 3 wash if you buy from the shops; I have managed to grab some from Costco which last 16 washes...

 

[garyw]

Isn't the 3 wash filter only the one that comes with it?
I thought the others were more washes...

garyw

 

[oliver]

ORIGINAL: Mark Bennett

In the USA you can get the de-ionising filter that fit on to your hose (without all the Mr Clean/Flash gubbins).

If anyone knows where you can get these in the UK.. You know we want to know!

Try www.ionicsystems.com/cars

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

ORIGINAL: Mark Bennett

If anyone knows where you can get these in the UK.. You know we want to know!

Also try http://www.ionicsystems.com/cars/index.html

The cartridge is about £45.

Edit: Oops - should have read the previous post. Still, now you know the price.

 

[russtbird]

Kish - I have a water softener too and I'm sure I read that the salt is used in the 'exchanger' to help the softening process but does not end up in the softened water. I usually mix hot (softened) and cold (mains, hard) water in the bucket to wash my cars and I havent had one rust away yet!! Besided the c**p on the roads is probably far worse than anything you can throw at it!
Try the softened water and see if it makes a difference - I can't really tell with the Arctic Silver!
Good luck...

 

[David]

ORIGINAL: russtbird

Kish - I have a water softener too and I'm sure I read that the salt is used in the 'exchanger' to help the softening process but does not end up in the softened water. I usually mix hot (softened) and cold (mains, hard) water in the bucket to wash my cars and I havent had one rust away yet!! Besided the c**p on the roads is probably far worse than anything you can throw at it!
Try the softened water and see if it makes a difference - I can't really tell with the Arctic Silver!
Good luck...

Salt is only used to back flush the resin bed and does not end up in water, Levels of softness can be set, but pure soft water [0ppm] is slighty acid, but only from softeners.De-ionising is whole new ball game
regards dave

 

[geoff Ives]

If any of uses a de-humidifier the water from that is de-mineralised. I use it for batteries, windscreen washers and radiators on watercooled vehicles. I also supplied some to a poor soul who entered one of our Concours Comps.

 

[THX911]

ORIGINAL: David

ORIGINAL: russtbird

Kish - I have a water softener too and I'm sure I read that the salt is used in the 'exchanger' to help the softening process but does not end up in the softened water. I usually mix hot (softened) and cold (mains, hard) water in the bucket to wash my cars and I havent had one rust away yet!! Besided the c**p on the roads is probably far worse than anything you can throw at it!
Try the softened water and see if it makes a difference - I can't really tell with the Arctic Silver!
Good luck...

Salt is only used to back flush the resin bed and does not end up in water, Levels of softness can be set, but pure soft water [0ppm] is slighty acid, but only from softeners.De-ionising is whole new ball game
regards dave

Have you ever tasted the soft water from such machines? I have it connected to the entire house except the main tap coming into the kitchen and the external garden tap. It cannot be used for drinking, cooking or watering the plants and my wife discovered that it is indeed slightly salty when she accidentally drank it though it is not sea salty in taste. If I can remember my O level chemistry then Calcium in the hardwater reacts with the Sodium Chloride (Salt) and forms Sodium Bicarbonate which explains the slight salty Eno like taste; but isn't Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) an alkaline used in neutralising the stomach acid? [8|]
In either case I'm not too convinced that it is safe for the car.