So as someone with no garage or access to water...
 

Got a yellow SS. The apartment I'm living at now has no exterior car wash area. (Bummer). So I'm struggling come up with a method for detailing. So far I'm thinking of the following:

1. CG Waterless Wash
2. CG Synthetic Detailer + clay bar.
3. CG Butter wax
4. Turtle Wax Seal and shine.

Is this a good "go to walmart and buy " setup? Anything I could change? Trying to avoid buying off amazon for this first go round and wait for some Christmas deals.

Thanks for the help.

A rinseless wash is far safer than a waterless wash. I use it all the time, as I too am in a condo with no running water at my car location. Read the link below in my signature about Rinseless....good disc also here:

https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showt...ight=Rinseless

I have been in the situation as well, but I am now about to get a house. Unfortunately for me the damage has already been done from brush car washes. Don't do like I did.

I use Optimum rinseless and works great.

I use AMMO Frothe Hoseless Wash.

I think Wolfgang Uber Rinseless is the best but Optimum by the gallon is more economical.

When I lived in an apartment, I used Chemical Guys Waterless EcoSmart-RU Car Wash and a ton of microfiber towels to clean the car.

Ech20 rinseless wash is great...buy some high quality high GSM MF towels along with some high quality drying towels and a 5 gallon bucket. I have access to water at my house outside, but haven't used a hose in a very long time.

I only use maybe 1.5 gallons of water per 0.75oz of Optimum with about 5 microfiber cloths in the bucket. I have 2 larger microfiber drying cloths. I wipe down 2 sides of the car and then dry and then repeat for the other 2 sides. Then I do the roof/dry. Then I do 2 rims and dry and then repeat for the other 2.

I find this is the best way otherwise the car dries too quickly.
For the windows I just use a damped Ultimate Cloth I got from Southern Car parts. It works awesome and doesn't streak.

My whole process takes about 20 minutes. Then I just put all towels in the washing machine and dry on low and save them for the next time. I do this all in my parking garage space.

Exactly… This is known as the “Gary Dean wash method”, named after a detailer that came up with it a few years ago on autogeek from Sarasota. One microfiber for every couple panels, then toss it and get another one out of the bucket. It really works well and is far easier on the surface regarding scratches than waterless. Waterless just doesn’t have enough lubricity to continually use over years.

What do you think of using Waterless Wash for "in between" traditional washes? I usually wash every week, sometimes two, but with foam cannon. Really just annoyed with dust, but wondering anyone's experience with Waterless and if I can use that and reduce the full washing and hopefully not create scratches.

It will scratch long term, do a rinseless.....

Does anyone know if we will ever get to the point of having a wash that is truly touch less and truly works? I have never understood why is always takes manually agitating with your hands to actually clean bonded contaminates at the surface. There is a touchless wash a use now that seems to do a pretty good job, but at the end of the day even with touchless wheather its a pressure washer or a water hose you can still see a haze of bonded dirt on the surface.

It would be one thing if you could use a pressure washer to at least remove enough surface contaminates to where you could then use your hands on the rest and not worry about scratching, but I just don't really get why even high pressure can't remove some dirt.

Also are steam cleaners just hype? I've always wondered about steam cleaners and I don't see any info about anyone ever trying one for that purpose.

Touchless can work at home if your car is super slick and not too dirty. Pressure washer, foam cannon, hose rinse, SiO2 spray on/off, blow dry, and blot with a towel and you are pretty much touchless.

Touchless car wash coin ops or drive thru use very harsh soaps, chems and recycled water. Avoid at all costs!

I use a steamer every day but not to exterior wash a car. It would take a lot of steam and you would have to let the steamer pressurize a lot of the time. Steamers are great for tires, wheels, carpet, seats, etc.