Does this thing actually work? Does it make sense to buy it? Does anyone have this and if you do, do you like it?

 

Yes it works 100%. Completely worth the $20 if you don't have an electric leaf blower, but if you do have an electric leaf blower (a good one, like the Toro 210 mph model) just use that instead.

 

^^ LOL!
Electric leaf blower!

But $20, I thought it was like $50?

 

old thread, but i just got one last month for my bday. finally had the weekend to try it out.

first off, the premise behind it is that you don't spend all your time drying your car. you still have to scrub though. a fanatical washer might take a small section of the car; say roof first. rinse, wash, rinse, dry, move on to next section while in the shade. this is the best way to prevent water spots before they get stuck on by the heat or the sun if youre not in the shade. this product will allow you to clean sections at a time, but forgo the often time consuming practice of drying the car before water spots form.

a few stipulations: you must use the provided mr. clean soap. thats part and parcel of how the entire thing works. the soap contains properties that allow the water to sheet off the surface of the car, much like a wax would. there is also a filter that you use and will have to be replaced every 5-10 washes depending on how you use it. w/o these 2, you cant be sure what kind of results you'll get but i've heard of some folks who just use the filter to do a final rinse and they've been pretty happy.

some things to be aware of: the soap wasn't very sudsy...and i have no clue if suds are an indication of how good the soap is, but i live in an area with hard water anyway. but one thing i do know, is that suds help you visualize what parts have been soaped and what haven't. when the suds arent that visible and they wash away quickly with the rinse, you tend to miss a few spots. and as with the 1st stipulation above, if you miss a spot, you'll notice it if you look for it. you'll see areas that develop water spots or slight hazyness.

one thing i dunno about: if you polish and then wax your car, the soap might be redundant. because the soap will sheet off and bead the water on the surface, it acts much in the way the polymers in sealants and waxes work to protect your paint. however, most polishes are very mild abrasive. nothing new here, that how it cleans the paint and creates a smooth surface. so the polish may be removing the layer of soap anyway. and when you apply the wax to seal the shine, its gonna sheet the water off and bead it too. so you're kinda making more work for yourself. polishing and waxing will actually give you the best shine and give you that "wet" look that lets other know you baby your car.

overall, the product is pretty straight forward to use, and actually does what it advertises...no drying. but you have to use the mr. clean soap to get the best results, and it doesn't really foam up at all so you'll tend to miss spots if you're not careful. maybe not the best tool for the die-hard detailers and people who are into washing their cars religiously, but a useful, easy tool for the casual weeked washer who'd prefer to sit back and relax with the extra time he/she saved by not drying their car.
-meGrimlock

 

I think I am just too old-school for this...

 

^Yep^

Bucket, soap, sponges, rags, and a hose....

As new fangled as I get is that new "ICE" Polish

Awesome polish !! works on plastic too and no white residue....Highly recommended

 

really? i was looking at the ICE. thanks for hte tip.

 

Turtle Wax makes that, right? Im guessing this polish/wax (ICE) would work with the Mr. Clean. I can't see why it wouldn't. Basically you're putting a ionized water on the car to dry it. Then applying a layer or two of polish. So basically you're polishing like normal.

 

I got one, its pretty cool, i bought the $40 one, there its a $20 version but does not include the rim brush, nor the interior duster not the carryng case, the "pistol thingy for the hose" has 4 modes, jet , super jet, soap-ing, rinse, the filter its only working when you rinse, and im very pleased with the results the soaping mode its owesome, i can clean the car in under 30 minutes, and yes i owe a black car and im a clean freak, so 30 minutes its really fast, definetively a must have...

 

well since i started this thread, i actually got one before all these replies. I hardly ever use it though but that's mainliy because i don't have a standard hose. i have a bigger hose that won't fit with the nozzle on the mr. clean. i just hadn't had the time or made the effort to actully get the correct hose.

i actually spend about 2 hours or less washin' my car and i'm pretty satisfied with the results.
maybe this thread ressurection will make me buy the correct hose!