Which Adams product is best to use as a pre-soak spray to breakup heavily soiled car?

[ryan66]

My normal wash is a standard 2 bucket with a garden hose. But I'm wondering if there is a Adams product that I can spray on the front end (bug guts) and lower door/rocker panels (more heavily caked dirt) before I start the standard 2 bucket mitt wash? Something like the presoak at the local car washes.

 

Waterless wash?

APC?

Diluted car shampoo in a spray bottle?

Nothing at all?

[falcaineer]

Waterless Wash is a great option. Be careful with APC as it can break down waxes and sealants.

[Sandalwood]

Rinseless wash is a more concentrated version of Waterless wash.. might be more aggressive for your purposes.

Personally, I use car shampoo applied with the foam cannon, let it sit, then go at it with a pressure washer. The re-foam and bucket wash.

Edited September 10, 2019 by Sandalwood

[falcaineer]

Good point above. You could dilute Rinseless Wash 16:1 for a Waterless Wash-like solution and use it the same way.

[Nickfire20]

19 minutes ago, Sandalwood said:

Personally, I use car shampoo applied with the foam cannon, let it sit, then go at it with a pressure washer. The re-foam and bucket wash.

I did this yesterday (Mega Foam) 10min dwell, then pressure washer.  Worked great!  Took off dozens of bugs!  No scrubbing required 

[Norton]

2 hours ago, falcaineer said:

Be careful with APC as it can break down waxes and sealants.

+1.

 

1 hour ago, Sandalwood said:

Rinseless wash is a more concentrated version of Waterless wash.. might be more aggressive for your purposes.

I've used diluted Rinseless as Waterless for years. IMO, it works better than Waterless to pre-treat bug guts on leading surfaces.

[Black Bowtie]

Diluted Rinseless here as a presoak also.

[mc2hill]

14 hours ago, ryan66 said:

My normal wash is a standard 2 bucket with a garden hose. But I'm wondering if there is a Adams product that I can spray on the front end (bug guts) and lower door/rocker panels (more heavily caked dirt) before I start the standard 2 bucket mitt wash? Something like the presoak at the local car washes.

 

Waterless wash?

APC?

Diluted car shampoo in a spray bottle?

Nothing at all?

All of the above!  

 

As the others have said, Waterless Wash (RTU or mixed from Rinseless Wash works good).  The diluted Car Shampoo in a spray bottle would work, and using a foaming sprayer would allow for more cling.  These are both options if you want to leave the existing LSP (wax or sealant).

 

If the bugs are really bad, the car is coated, or you will be reapplying the LSP give APC a try.   Just do not let it dry on the surface.

 

I have cleaned off very bad love bugs with Rinseless/Waterless wash before.  I soaked thin MF towels in the wash solution, and placed them over the 'buggy' areas for 5-10 minutes (time to clean a wheel or 2).  Sometimes I needed a 2nd application, but the bugs were softened up enough to wipe them off.

[ryan66]

Thanks guys.

 

I'm thinking I'll give both diluted Rinseless Wash (maybe slightly more concentrated then 16:1) and car soap in some sort of foaming sprayer (one of those pump action sprayer maybe) and see which works best.

[alanwrench]

During lovebug season in Central FL, I use RW @ 6:1, mist heavily over the whole area, dwell for 5-7 mins, then 16:1 RW in a stream (stream setting and pull as hard and fast as you can). That usually takes the bugs down to 30%. Assuming the surface already has LPS or similar and the bugs haven't been there baking for days. If the car I'm working on will have a wax/sealant applied that wash anyway; I mix 4-6oz APC, .75oz CS with 30oz distilled water in my IK sprayer and pre soak the bugs as well as wheel wells, rockers etc. Hope this helps!