Last weekend I washed my Toreador Red F150, and being in a bit of a hurry, I made the mistake of not drying the truck off.

The next morning, I was horrified to see how badly the water spots stood out on this color. My Ranger is grey and never showed the spots like this. So, I spent the next couple hours re-rinsing, then waxing the truck. Amazingly, I could still see the old water spots on the windows! I really had to scrub hard to get those spots off, and this was the first time I've washed the truck after bringing it home from the dealer.

I saw the ad on TV for the Mr. Clean AutoDry car wash system. It uses a special detergent that helps the water flow off the truck, and it uses a filter (made by Pur) for the final rinse.

I picked it up at Wally World for about $20, and it's the best $20 I've spent in a long time. I just finished cleaning the truck, and it really looks great! Using that filtered water to rinse the truck off makes all the difference in the world. I didn't have to wipe the truck off at all. Not only did I save a lot of time, but the risk of some abrasive getting into the drying towel or chammy and scratching the paint is eliminated.

I highly recommend this product! The filter that comes with the unit is good for three washes, and the replacement filters are good for ten washes.

Using it gave me plenty of time to.....

 

Thanks for the info Dusty...I had that thing in my hand about 3 or 4 times and always put it back on the shelf. Glad to hear it works. Guess im going to the store tomorrow. Man another $20, last week the auto shop here had a special,,,10 percent off all cleaning supplies you can fit in a 5 gallon bucket. So I filled away stuffing and shoving stuff in there to get what I needed and all at 10percent off. All said and done I spent $75, 10percent aint that much. Guess its just the "feel good" of not paying full price.

 

Try a California Water Blade.

Best money I ever spent for car care.

 

If we can just get enough global warming and eliminate this whole winter and ice thing I think taking care of your auto's looks would be a lot easier without all that salt.

 

I live in VA, and there's hardly any use of salt on the roads. However, my well water is another story. It puts a lot of white "stuff" on the truck when the water dries.

I've heard good things about the water blade too, but then again, you can't possibly get ALL the water off, and you still run the risk of something getting on the blade and putting a scratch in your paint. After all, we're only human.

 

In case you were wondering about the cost of refills:

Auto Wash Kit- $19.42
Replacement Filter- $5.47
Replacement Soap- $4.36

 

I went to their website a few weeks ago and filled out a form to receive a $5 off coupon. It showed up this week along with a second coupon you can give a friend. My wife took it to Target and picked it up for $14.99 after the $5 off coupon.
I'll be trying it out in the next few days but it sounds like a winner.

The link to the website is: http://www.homemadesimple.com/mrclea...ry/index.shtml

 

Dusty, I've been using a water blade for about 5 years now, and I've never once put a scratch on a vehicle. Ever.

I hand washed my FX4 Scab last Sunday, and I'll tell you what I do - I do the cab first from the windows up, dry that off, then work around the truck starting with the hood/front end.

If you have a decent spray nozzle it works well, and the Cali blade is ALOT better for the paint than a chamois or towels (zero spider webbing).

Edit: You are correct, the blade can't get every nook and cranny. I have a chamois in the other hand for that. I might have to wring it out once during a wash.

I have high lime concentration in my water too (city supplied well water). Try the blade if you get a chance.

 

I have also purchased the Mr. Clean thing. I love using it for the wifes explorer. Because I'm not nearly as **** about how it looks. I don't use it on my truck anymore because it left spots on the paint. Not water spots from hard water but it looks like armorall or somthing simmilar got sprayed over it and they are a pain to get off.

 

I'll keep my eyes open for that blade. Sounds like a winner! If you've got heavy lime deposits, we've probably got similar water. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

I'll second blitzkrieg's comments on the California Water Blade. I've been using mine for several years now. It saves a ton of time and has never scratched my truck or my wifes 525i. Since I live in AZ (Hotter and certainly dryer than Hates much of the year), and our water is high in minerals, I try to get the rinse water off as fast as possible before it drys and spots. The CB cuts down by about half, the time it takes. No, you can get every nook and cranny, but part of the time saved is from not having to wring your chamois more than once or twice to do the whole truck.

I'm considering the Mr.Clean Auto-Dry just for the in-line filter that removes some of the minerals unless somebody knows of an in-line hose attachment that I could put on my outdoor spiget that I wash the truck out of. Anybody ever heard of/seen/used anything like that. Anything I do on the water quality side certainly couldn't hurt.

Blitz's washing "technique" (i.e. I do the cab first from the windows up, dry that off, then work around the truck starting with the hood/front end) is also the way I go about my washes and it works good with any BIG truck or SUV to minimize spots.

 

I'll 'third' the comments on the Cal. Water Blade...been using it for years on the '97 and '04. The silicone blade is harmless on painted surfaces. I once won a bet by drying the truck (with a chamois to get into corners, etc.) in less time than it took to smoke a cigarette (his, not mine). I've noted recently that there is now two versions on the market...one somewhat cheaper than the $19.95 original.

 

Thanks. I just ordered the 18 inch California water blade with an extension handle. It was going to be a bear cleaning and drying the ARE Tonneau cover.

The only hiccup I've had with the Mr Clean system is you have to be sure not to get the regular rinse water splashing up on an area you've already final rinsed with the filtered water.

 

The California Water Blade is a huge time saver.

I've been using them now for some years on vehicles ranging from Bentley and Aston Martin to my Trucks in the States.

Only ever had one problem....I left a scratch...easily polished out...on the hood of my light metallic blue Volvo Sation Wagon.

That was my own fault because I simply forgot to do what I usually always do....before each 'sweep' of the paintwork to run my thumb and forefinger along the blade just to ensure there is nothing there.

For those people who say the chamois leather is a safer bet....years ago I would have agreed, but in retrospect the blade is much kinder and FAR quicker.
Grit can easily get lodged even in the best quality chamois.

But as a previous post said it is still useful for small areas of compound curves where the blade would not be effective.

PS. Sam's Club often has a good deal on a pack including the Water Blade and The California Duster.

 

I have plenty of rainwater available.
I always wash my truck with rainwater from my 9000 gallon watertank.
And just let the truck dry out of the sun.
The rainwater doesn't leave any spots and the truck is as shiny as new as well.

Try it some time if you have rainwater avalaible and you will be amazed.