Car washing and water restrictions

Shane,

I feel your pain. We've been put on water restrictions here in Sydney from October 1. What I can't work out is that where I live in the Sutherland Shire of Sydney, we get our water from the Woronora dam which is 90% full and not from the Waragamba dam which is only 60%. I don't see why we should have water restrictions as well as we have plenty of water.

Anyway, what I can say to help your situation is that there used to be a soft brush (like a mop)which has a type of wax included in the soft fibres. The brush is like a duster, very soft and won't harm the paint. The wax in the fibres picks up the dust and works quite well. I then use a bucket of very warm water with a cup or 2 of metho and a chamois. I go over the car with a very wet chamois of water/metho and then dry off with a the chamois after squeezing out the excess. The metho in the water really cleans out the paintwork even better than a car shampoo.

This type of cleaning is only good for when your car is dusty from road dust etc, not much good for mud and other gunk. I would go to Car Lovers and use their high pressure cleaner and clean that stuff off first and then do the metho/water chamois method. These methods have worked for me and I'm very particular about keeping my car clean. The paint work is in A1 condition.

The brush you describe on this side of the pond is called the "California car Duster" It's a cotton string brush impregnated with paraffin wax. It pulls all the dust off you car without leaving any residue. The best part is the older it gets the better it works. My dad's had one for over 10years and it's still going.

I'm assuming by commercial car wash you mean the type you drive your car through and not the do it yourself type. Otherwise I'd reccomend visiting when it's not busy and bring your own bucket and mit.

My guess for your water restriction is that although they level is at 90% its not being replenished at a rate that would allow no restriction.

What's Metho?

How strict are the NSW / ACT restrictions going to be ? Down here in Melbourne under stage 2 restrictions you are still allowed to wash your car with a high pressure water machine (ie, Karcher or similar). Double check what you can or can't do under the proposed restrictions.

Canberra is going to Stage 3 restrictions on Oct 1st. No car washing except at commercial ones that recycle water, not even from a bucket. No sprinklers, hand watering only 7am-10am or 7pm-10pm

details at

Losiho wrote:

Use the rinse water from your clothes washing.......

details at

Losiho wrote:

Sorry, I should have known that the Americans who read this wouldn't know what Metho is. It's full name here is Methylated Spirits. Is that what you know it as over there in the US. I think it has another name but it is essentially pure alcohol or methanol not ethanol. Its very good for cleaning car surfaces and windows as well.

The car wash I was talking about are the type that you do yourself with the high pressure water cleaner hose and then the brush with the detergent suds. These car washes use recycled water and are ok in the water restriction areas.

Our dam I was talking about (Woronora) gets plenty of rain fall and has never been below 55% (it now has 90%). So I don't know why the politicians have decided to put us on restrictions like the rest of Sydney. Unfortunately I'm a cynical bastard and reckon that the politicians are just gearing us up to believe that the only way to really retrict consumption is to put the water rates up. Just another way for the government to screw some more money out of us tax paying suckers.

Regarding the water restrictions: It is probably because it would be too confusing to have varying restrictions in the same close area. Residents may not know from which dam they get water, or, more likely, "Oh, I'm sorry officer. I thought I got my water from the unrestricted dam."

"California

I used to clean Lear Jets with a bottle of glass cleaner and a rag. Yep, the entire plane was cleaned this way. However, Aviation paint seemed to be thicker and we always had a good quality of wax on it.

What, no toothbrush? :)

Regarding the water restrictions: It is probably because it would be too

Alan, a good point. Silly me didn't think of that. Too busy being angry at the law makers.:)

Thanks for the tip mate, I found one of those dust mops at K Mart on the weekend.

Shane

Lance: Ditto! I see that politicians are politicians everywhere.

-Steve U.S.A.

Hi,

I think most of the world knows "fuel grade" or solvent alcohol as meths, methylated spirits or similar. In the US we have "denatured alcohol" at the paint or home improvement store. Same stuff AFAIK.

Rick

Shane,

Tell me what you think of my method for cleanind the car. I would like to know if the brush thingy works for you. Remember to then clean the car with the hot water/metho solution. It's good for keeping the windows clean as well.

Lance

Hi,

Could that be a local/regional name? Or a different ethanol based fuel from "denatured alcohol?" I just checked the can in the garage and there's no reference to that name. My can says "contains ethanol denatured with methanol." It also says for use as a fuel for marine stoves (or, in the fine print, for any stove spec'ing alcohol fuel.)

But... we've had all kinds of names on stuff here and they become confusing. At one time we had "white" gas (actual gasoline/petrol without any additives) which is a term still frequently used for Coleman fuel (naptha based, but not the same as the naptha one buys at the hardware store) and its clones. And we still have "mineral spirits" which is a light solvent used for paint thinner and various cleaning/degreasing purposes.

I'll look a little further...

Rick

Rick,

It is ethanol. I've just had a look at the 20lt drum I have of it. It must be a name we use here in Australia and not you guys in the US. It is readily available in supermarkets, hardwares etc for cleaning purposes. I'm sure it would be the same in the States. Some of the homeless wino's use it here either straight or with a bit of orange juice to make it palatable. Do you know what I mean now? Do the wino's over there use an ethanol for a drink?

Lance.