Optimum Polymer
Technologies ( ONR) have set the standard in waterless
washing by using encapsulating
polymers and surfactants to safely remove dirt/grime without causing
surface scratching.
Waterless
polymer based systems do not require pre-wetting the surfaces. A
combination of polymers and surfactant cleaners safely removes dirt and grime
and leaves a glossy protective finish. The polymers
and surfactants used in these non rinse washes have the capability to bond to
dirt particles and act as a barrier between the dirt particles and the paint.
The grime and dirt is then trapped in the surfactant, protecting the paint
finish without the need to use large amounts of water to flush the dirt off the
vehicle.
With our busy
schedules it’s very difficult to find enough time to wash your car and what
with water restrictions and concerns for the environment it is even more
difficult. Even when it's freezing outside it allows you to wash your vehicle. Some
communities (condos, housing associations) prohibit the use of the traditional
car washing (water hose and bucket) or severely restrict or do not allow car
washing due to drought and water restrictions. Low winter temperatures make car
washing difficult (and uncomfortable)
Optimum No Rinse™ Wash & Shine
This is the most
technologically advanced car wash system that only requires 1-2 gallons of
water to wash the entire car. It does not require rinsing since there are no
soapy surfactants to wash off into the storm drains. An innovative product that
protects automotive paint, while preserving our most valuable resource, water;
enabling you to wash your car anywhere, even in freezing temperatures or even
inside your garage. It’s a multi-purpose product that serves as a shampoo
additive, no rinse wash, quick detailer and clay lubricant.
The science behind
this cleaning process is pretty simple. When sprayed on a dirty surface; surfactants break down the soil by releasing
its surface tension or bond with the surface, polymers encapsulate the soil
particles in the media used, and the
polymers provide surface lubrication to enable safe (marring free) residue
removal using a minimum amount of water. A micro fibre towel is then used to
wipe away the dirt. A second dry
microfibre towel is used to help polish away any remaining formula and buff the
surface to a clean, streak-free shine.
No rinse contains encapsulating polymers that are soy
based and there is no silicone whatsoever in this product. In fact you can
paint right over it which would be impossible if it had any silicones. This
unique product contains substantive polymers which bond to the paint and
protect it during the wash. Therefore, ONR offers
better protection and lubricity than a conventional car wash, leaving a sleek
finish behind afterwards.
Additional benefits
are faster washes, ability to wash anywhere at any time including washing
inside the garage during the cold months, no messy water runoffs, and greater
looking car finishes.
These are some of
the reasons Optimum (OPT) No Rinse™ Wash & Shine New Formula (ONR)
is being used by many professional detailers across the country
Used as a winter
car wash or in areas that have hosepipe ban, water usage restrictions, or where
a water supply is not readily available (apartments, car shows, etc; cleans and
protects while minimising water usage, 100% environmentally safe and it reduces
water usage to a fraction of a conventional car wash, 1- oz ONR per 2- gallons
of water to wash the entire car.
For best results
swirl-free results, use Optimum's high lubricity wash Optimum No Rinse
Wash & Shine along with a towel with a thick nap, 500-600 gram weight in a
16 x 16 –inch size seem to work best.
How does ONR work?
[The polymers in No Rinse have reactive
groups that bond and trap dirt particles making the dirt particles virtually
non-abrasive. They also bond to oily particles and emulsify them into water.
The latter is equivalent to the cleaning action from soaps which
also work by emulsifying oil particles into water. However, with soap there is
no interaction with dirt. This is why adding No Rinse to a regular wash also
helps protect the paint from dirt particles.
The No Rinse polymers also bond to all automotive surfaces and
create a slick surface and act as a barrier to protect paint from marring. That
is something that soap will not provide since surfactants in soaps have no
affinity for painted or other automotive surfaces.
When you use 1 oz. of No Rinse in 1 or 2 gallons of water for
your wash at the molecular level this provides hundreds of billions of polymer
molecules to do what was said above. Additional product will not be necessary
except if you are using tap water that contains high levels of minerals such as
calcium hydroxide or silicates. In these cases some of the polymers will bond
to these minerals and take them out of solution therefore more product might be
necessary to compensate for this effect.
This is another reason why adding No
Rinse to regular car wash soap improves the results when using tap water. ] - David Ghodoussi - Optimum Polymer Technologies
To remove stains the surface tension
that bonds them must be released, then the stain encapsulated and held in
suspension to be removed. ONR is an almost waterless wash that doesn’t
require rinsing, it’s formulated with surfactants to keep dirt in suspension,
avoiding surface contact; it also provides surface lubrication, thereby
avoiding surface marring. A surfactant or surface active agent is a substance
that, when dissolved in water, gives a product the ability to remove dirt from
surfaces. They emulsify the dirt; the polymer protects the paint surface by
forming a molecular bond, which remains even after the wash, offering
protection comparable to that of a spray wax
ONR is an ionic wash that contains zwitterions (hybrid)
[: a chemical compound that carries a
total net charge of 0, thus electrically neutral but carries formal positive
and negative charges on different atom] This allows the polymers to attach to the dirt
and form a molecular bond to the surface at the same time. ONR binds the dirt
to the wash media intentionally; so you should change washing media as needed
The polymers also
bond to automotive paint surfaces and create a slick surface and act as a
barrier to protect from marring. That is something that soap will not provide
since surfactants in soaps have no affinity for painted surfaces (unlike a
polymer).
The polymer protection left behind from ONR is very much dependent
upon the water hardness. The polymers bond to the paint surface; this will also
provide limited surface protection. That is something that other soaps will not
provide since surfactants in soaps have no affinity for painted surfaces. This
will have a limited affect on the durability of an applied LSP.
Optimum Opti™ - Clean
For really dirty surfaces
Based on the same surfactant
type polymers used in Optimum (OPT) No Rinse™ Wash & Shine New Formula (ONR) it
has increased cleaning ability but is safe for use on all automotive surfaces. ONR
works fine for a car with light to medium road dirt while Optimum Opti™ - Clean can be used
on a car with several days of built- up road salt, dirt and grime. The reason is that Opti™ - Clean contains the
same polymers as ONR that encapsulate
dirt but at a much higher concentration, as well as additional polymers not
used in ONR.
[While both of these products are pH neutral, Opti™ - Clean contains much higher levels of polymers than
No Rinse as well as some new polymers that we developed for this type of
application. The added polymers are necessary to compensate for using a
fraction of the water as compared to a regular No Rinse wash] David
Ghodoussi OPT.
A totally waterless
wash that provides some surface protection and
its ideal for a quick clean up or for use when there is no water
available (apartments, condominiums, concours d’élégance or car shows) Simply
spray Optimum Opti-Clean on any surface and wipe off with a plush microfiber
towel till the area is clean and dry.
Always work in a
shaded area on a surface that is cool to the touch. Make sure surface is not
gritty with dirt or sand to avoid scratching. Optimum Opti™ - Clean water-less
wash is
designed to wipe away dirt and grime from automotive paint and other surfaces
safely and effectively in a spray and wipe application. The substantive
polymers encapsulate the dirt and grime to protect the paint from marring while
lubricating and bonding to the painted and other automotive surfaces to provide
greater protection while leaving a slick glossy finish behind.
Application-
Avoid cross-contamination by
using different micro fibre towels for differing surfaces i.e. separate towels
for glass, paintwork, wheels, and interior surfaces. Mix an aqueous solution Optimum
(OPT) No Rinse™ Wash & Shine New Formula (ONR).diluted 1:3
with distilled water in a spray bottle and fold the towel in quarters.
Bodywork
- Spray liberally on painted surfaces and wipe clean with an OPT Foam
Wash Mitt or a plush microfiber towel. Fold and use a new section of the
towel as needed. When there is heavy dirt build up, use Optimum
Opti™ - Clean concentrate
Glass
surfaces - using a separate micro fibre towel apply one or two sprays and
wipe off with a clean plush microfiber towel.
Wheels
and lower paint panels - using a
separate micro fibre towel, spray liberally and let it soak for a few seconds
and then wipe off.
Road
salt - to remove salt and road grit or to clean really soiled surfaces
I would suggest a pre-rinse to remove the larger dirt particles first before
being washed. Then use the ONR concentrates or the traditional two-bucket wash
method or if you have a pressure washer available to remove the larger dirt /
salt particles.
The number of towels and how much product you'll use will vary
depending on how dirty the vehicle is but an average is five (5) towels per
vehicle.
Alternative
ONR wash method- Mix an aqueous
solution Optimum (OPT) No Rinse™ Wash & Shine New Formula (ONR) diluted
1:3 with distilled water in a spray bottle and a similar solution /in a bucket.
Place 10 – 12 micro fibre towels in the bucket, wring one (drying) towel
lightly, mist spray a panel and then
take a wet towel and wipe down a panel in one direction only, change to a clean
surface of the towel as necessary. When you have cleaned the panel place the
used towel in an empty buck for washing later. With the drying towel wipe down
the panel, finally with a clean, dry waffle weave micro fibre buff the panel to
a shine (Based on a method by Gary Dean)
Note:
if you mix with potable (tap) water the
product may lose its colour; this is due to a chemical reaction with the
impurities (Calcium and Magnesium) in the water; using a distilled water dilute
it will not change.
The Optimum Opti-Mitt 8 Inch Foam Wash Mitt is a
soft (80 – 100 PPI) nonabrasive wash mitt designed to be used with Optimum No
Rinse Wash & Shine and Optimum Car Wash to remove grime without scratching.
The porous foam "absorbs" dirt and oil to prevent paint marring. The
coarse yellow foam is excellent at cleaning wheels. Use the Opti-Mitt every
time you wash your vehicle for safe, swirl-free washing.
