Many people prefer going the carwash route owing to the spot-free cleaning. The good news is that you, too, can have a spotless car wash system in the comfort of your home. All you need to do is to understand how the system works and to use it in your favor.
First things first, what is a spot-free cleanse? It uses distilled water or reverse osmosis water in most cases. However, deionized water will work just as great, but you should note that it will have some salts. Rinse agents added in the process are non-ionic surfactants. As such, they chelate the salts and keep them in the solution. You can compare this mechanism to what you would encounter in the jet dry when using a dishwasher.
Why use these waters? Well, distilled and reverse osmosis water is quite pure, and these waters do not have salts present. As such, they will not spot. Spotting results when the water has salts, and as the water dries, salts remain on the body. Spots could also result from the presence of other substances, other than salts.
That is where deionizing water comes into the picture. It takes place by running the water through an ion-exchange resin where calcium and magnesium ions take the place of sodium. This process deals with hard water ions and will thus not cater to all ions. As a result, some sodium ions may leave some spots, but you can get rid of these with a simple wash.
Given that you will not need to scrub the car surface to remove the salts, deionizing is a great way to deal with salts in the water. Calcium and magnesium ions, on the other hand, are not that easy to deal with as they have inverse solubility. That means that they are more soluble in cold water than they are in hot water, and they cause spots on vehicles that are hard to remove.
How do ion exchange resins work? They heavily rely on the differences of ions when it comes to bonding strengths to sulfonates. Sodium sulfate is fully soluble in water, and this property aids in the exchange. You can keep recharging the resin by running sodium chloride through it. Entropic factors come about in pushing out the unwanted salts, and you remain with water that can aid you in effectively cleaning your car.
DIY Spotless Washing System
Now that you have a grasp of the concept, executing it should not be that hard. The good news is that this system can last you many years, saving you those trips to the carwash. All you need is a water storage tank held in an elevated position. You also need to get a pressure washer. Given that water spots result from dissolved solids, you need to remove these from the water, and you can do this by using a filter system. Many systems can work for this purpose, including those intended to purify water in fish tanks.
De-ionizing water filter for car washing
You can build your own with a few things. You will need two refillable filter canisters as well as two commercial filter housings. Connect them in a series using PVC or other suitable fittings that you can get from home improvement stores. You can now add your preferred resin and proceed to test the water with a TDS meter. Alternatively, you can do away with the resin and use activated carbon or a mineral reduction filter in its stead. All these fittings will not cost you what you would pay in the market for a commercial deionizer.
Reverse osmosis home car wash
Reverse osmosis systems use pumps to increase pressure to force water through a semi-permeable membrane. In so doing, they eliminate up to 96% of the total dissolved solids in the water, reducing the chances of spotting. These systems thus reduce the time spent in hand drying processes, and they result in a clean look. Periodic maintenance of these systems goes a long way in ensuring their efficiency.
Simple chuck CR spotless
You could choose to use the simple chuck water system that can deliver up to four hundred gallons of clean water. It could help you in setting up the filtration system within a shorter period.
Spot free rinse additive car wash
Can you add additives to your cleaning process? Yes, some people opt to go down this route as it saves them a lot of time that they could have used in drying the cars. However, some chemicals leave a film, and others may damage the beading. It is thus best that you research any additive before using it in your wash.
DI rinse vs. CR spotless
Should you buy a deionizing kit or build one? Well, that will depend on the time you have on your hands as well as how much money you wish to spend. However, here is a trick that can help you save money in both cases. You can use hard water in cleaning the dirt then used the deionized water to rinse out the hard water. If you use the deionized water for everything, you will end up spending a lot of money on this process. Plus, in incorporating the two, you will still end up with a spotless car.
RV water filter for car wash
Here is another way you can avoid spots after cleaning your car. All you need is an RV water filter which you screw in line with your hose. It should last you at least three months before you require a change. However, this will depend on how often you wash the car and how bad the water is.That is how easy it is to build a car wash water filter. Whether you go commercial or choose to do it yourself, you are bound to enjoy a spot-free rinse for pressure washers. Happy washing!
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