How to wash a Skyline in an inner city apartment (no tap) equipment to buy

[Haxorz]

Hi guys,

I'm in a 70's apartment complex and I really wish I could hand wash my Skyline.  I currently take it to the $1 wash places.

I do have power but I have no water/tap nearby.  Also, I don't want too much soapy water run off in the common driveway area, I'm sure a little is fine though.

I'd like to know what type of high pressure washer would be best.  I saw at Aldi there are some available that can source water from a bucket via a hose, and also at Bunnings there are these things these Ryobi 20L bladders.

My questions are - how much pressure would I need to give my car a good wash?  These things range from $99 up to $499 and brands Ryobi, Karcher, Gurni, etc.

This Ryobi 1800W 2000PSI for $129 looks good, although it doesn't look like it can use a portable water source.

Questions:

1. I've noticed some have a soap tank and some a separate soap bottle attachment - either of these good or should I just stick with soapy water in a bucket?
2. How quickly do these units use up the water?  I mean, if I had a standard household bucket or the 20L bladder, would that be enough for a good wash or would I need to keep refilling it?
3. What would be the minimum power / PSI I would want for a reasonable clean?
4. Are any of the brands much better / worse than the others?
5. Any recommendations on a mains powered portable water version?

Thanks!!

Edited March 6, 2019 by Haxorz

[Kinkstaah]

There's also the waterless wash and wax stuff. Depending on how much you trust the science behind it it may be an option. Seeing people use it on Ferraris and Porsches for years has made me believe it works fine for my 34.. 

/prepares to be brutally murdered

[GTSBoy]

You don't need any pressure at all.  Any pressure washer will do more than enough.  You only want to wet the car prior to bucket&glove wash, then gently rinse it off.  High pressure concrete cutter type washes are for boats and bro-dozers, not nice cars.

[Haxorz]

Ok cool.  Just the most basic one then.

My current problem is finding a basic one that draws water from a bucket - the only one with the portable water source that I can see is the high end V36 battery powered Ryobi for $349 - 499...

Wish I jumped on the Aldi one sooner.

[junkie]

this would my choice in your situation:

https://www.zas.com.au/product/419/optimum_no_rinse_wash_and_shine_946ml.html

and a useful "how to" video:

 

 

 

[The Bogan]

I like power washers, not paint stopper power held close though.

I use a little Karcher that has a foam attachment and hose that sucks u p car wash.

 

1st, I foam the car and let it sit

I then Karcher the foam of to remove all dirt and grit that a hose wo u ld leave, I get in nice and deep like....

 

I then hand wash and dry with bath towels.

 

[The Bogan]

This looks ok?

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Hydrocell-Portable-Pressure-Washer-w-15-Litre-Tank-GFS-A1/192286872550?_trkparms=aid%3D777003%26algo%3DDISCL.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20161005235629%26meid%3D24acc1f424c84d74be5c9a3f6220ec7f%26pid%3D100689%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D2%26sd%3D192286873010%26itm%3D192286872550&_trksid=p2385738.c100689.m4649

 

Maybe?

 

[djr81]

So you need a low pressure device that will spread the water out over the cars' panels?
 

 

You're welcome.

Edited March 7, 2019 by djr81

[Haxorz]

Gee that ONR stuff looks awesome.  Does it really work?  I've seen a few YouTubes and it's people using it to clean already clean looking cars. 

Mine is black, parked outside and looks TERRIBLE and filthy after a downpour.  Hard to imagine it turning that into something clean with little friction based 'washing'.

[The Bogan]

I wouldn't use a spay on wipe off stuff if you like your paint, hell, I foam and pressure wash my car before I use my microfiber wash cloth.

 

I've done alot of work with soils, in construction, with that alot of soil testing and research.

 

Alot of that fine dust you see is fine sand and silt, both are bulky materials, whilst it is small it does scratch shit up good.

But, don't let that get in the way of good marketing

 

[GTofuS-T]

Having lived with a Skyline in the inner city, I'd be less worried about micrometer scratches from dirt and more worried about people who employ "touch parking" techniques.

[junkie]

It does work yes. But generally recommended for light to medium dirt buildup, so I wouldn't use the method on a really filthy car. 

When i was driving my S14 every weekend, I would clean it every Sunday night with a quick detailer and 2x clean microfibre cloths - never had issues with swirls or scratches

[hattori hanzo]

use the fire hose they are required to have installed 

[Haxorz]

22 hours ago, junkie said:

It does work yes. But generally recommended for light to medium dirt buildup, so I wouldn't use the method on a really filthy car. 

Cool, I thought so.

Mine gets really really filthy with trips out the country.

I was thinking of combining both, a cheapie $99 Karcher pressure washer , this $45 suction hose kit (which is a rip off but required because it has the fancy valves in it to stop sucking in air and allow it to work against gravity) to first spray it all down and then use the rinse-less wash to 'wash' the car and perhaps a powerful air blower to dry it.

I just can't see the rinse-less wash washing off splattered on bugs, heavy dirt and other hard to remove things like that.

Combined with buckets and sponges it looks like I'd be spending near $200 just to wash my car at home, now I know why I've been using the $5 do it your things.  Went to wash it at my nearest one but the queue was 3 cars deep, one of the cons of living inner city.

[Kinkstaah]

The rinseless wash stuff feels like magic when you use it though. Now I don't know about the chemicals but the claim is that it breaks the bonds down between the paint and the dirt itself. It "feels" like it dissolves it instead of wiping it off. So quite often you will spray something stubborn and it wipes right off, which is... skeptical.

Things do exist for bug stuff though - Pretty much the hardest things that exist to clean off a car really is good ol dried up splatters after going for a drive in the country.

That said, the rinseless wash stuff is often regarded to as "the wash between washes" so to speak. The bonus is if you do it once a week it literally takes ~5 minutes. Hasn't really been in use long enough yet for someone to say "I did this once a week for 10 years and this is what happened to my paint" yet.

[tridentt150v]

Like others, I have been using Meguiars waterless wash for a few years now and am sold on it.  I wash the car properly about every 3rd or 4th time, but in between I use the Meguiars.  An added bonus is the 'as good as wax' finish it gives you,  And I can do my whole car in 15-20 minutes.  Only thing I do before starting is to use a dust mop/brush on the car first, a 5 minute job.

And you need so little of the waterless solution that I am still using the same bottle.