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uwe · 04-24-2004, 10:16 AM

OK, so I went and bought one last night. We had rain last week, so now I have 2 black cars, and a silver suburban to wash. I figured they offer a full guarantee, plus it costs about the same as a hand car wash, a coffee, plus tip for the employee would cost.
i am going to try it later and post my findings. They are pretty specific on using their soap only, and it does say that spotting occurs when the filter is exhausted, right on the housing.
It comes with a 3-use filter and a little bottle of soap. Tells me where they'regoing with it - make the money on the soap and filters. ( de-ionizing filters)
If it works, then I don't care about that, black cars and hard water are a bad combination, if you wash yourself. My real hope is that it will work on the Airstream later this week.

uwe · 04-24-2004, 07:11 PM

OK, done the Suburban and one of the cars. Suburban is Silver, has black windows, car is black with clear windows. Paint in excellent condition, wax about 1-2 onth old, maximum, newer on the car's hood.
72 degrees outside, full shade in my driveway.
The Suburban came out looking so-so. I took my time and did as they direct it in the manual. It's not spotty, but more streaky, and it does not have that freshly washed look to it.
The black car looks like crap after washing it. I don't know how else to say it.
It's not for people like me that like really clean cars and trucks.
I guess it would be ok for a quick car wash inbetween, or if it's rainy and muddy where you live.
For me, it's like millionairstream says; a waste of time. It's going back for a refund tomorrow.

millionairstream · 04-24-2004, 09:36 PM

-on thinking it was junk.
A call to US Filter explains it all. It is the size and speed factor and the "contact time" being insufficient by quite a lot.

The idea that I have from speaking to them is that I will need to get the nicer portable to receive good soft water, free from calcium, iron, and lime. Even the smaller West Marine models don't appear to have the proper amount of media to soften water.

The other interesting benefit that I learned is that all my dock neighbors who have these fill their tanks and wash clothes, dishes, and take showers with the softened water. No scale on the shower stalls and nice soft water to bathe in- they say its an additional perk thats really pleasant.

The other important point, according to US Filter, is that these nicer portables are rechargable and it costs less than $1 a month in rock salt to maintain it for a 60-70 foot boat. That tells me that my trailer will use $1 every 6 months.

Cliff

uwe · 05-21-2004, 12:23 PM

Check this out:
I called the Mr. Clean number for a refund. It's the customer service number inside the little user's manual.
They are sending back the full purchase price, and don't even want the unit back.
No hassles from this company. So, even though the product did not perform for me, at least their customer service is great.

RoadKingMoe · 05-21-2004, 02:53 PM

Our water is VERY hard. I washed my bike with it and regretted it. It had to be wiped down and soaked with vinegar and rinsed with distilled water to get the waterspots off.

We bought a Mr. Clean starter set with a coupon, and tried it with the unsoftened outside faucet on the boat. Worked like a champ! There must be something in the soap, because most of our rinsing was done with the water passing straight through the Mr. Clean, but a final rinse was done through the filter. No water spots at all.

The Mr. Clean soap wasn't quite strong enough to get the fiberglas non-skid clean, so we used a little hand dishwashing detergent and that did it.

We bought a bottle of the soap and one of the 10 wash filters to do the Airstream. May try it Sunday if it's cloudy.

Our results were more like Porky's.

67caravel · 05-21-2004, 09:23 PM

I bought the Mr Clean thingy, two additional water filters and more soap for it after using the trial supplies to GREAT success.

It works TERRIFIC, IMHO, after using a towel to dry down the car/trailer afterwards... Our water is hard, too. Without it, my at home washes are a disaster.

And, it is easy.

X

Porky Pig · 05-22-2004, 11:55 AM

Right now we are camping at Abrams Lake in Mount Shasta ... the owner told me that we are on "spring water" ... so it should be pretty soft to begin with. At least it tastes pretty good!

The trailer is pretty dusty right now ... so I'm gonna see if they'll let me do a wash at my site ... which is usually a no-no at most places.

I would like to try my Mr. Clean again ... see if the reults are the same

Chuck · 06-06-2005, 09:43 AM

Got one of these units for my birthday, and finally got a chance to try it out over the weekend on my dark blue truck. I thought it worked great.

I didn't get a chance to try it on the airstream, yet. its currently parked under trees that are going to continuously litter it w/ oak and pine pollen for the next couple of weeks, so I may just hold off. but I was impressed with the job it did on the truck. particularly the mirrors. no spots/no streaks.

Porky: I don't know what they mean by "spring water", but my water comes from a well...it has plenty of calcium and iron in it. Cars and trailers come out spotty if you don't dry them.

startrekker2001 · 06-06-2005, 11:57 AM

I did my blue Excursion, my Airstream and my Cadillac. It left all of them with a streaky film. The windows were the worst. The streaking has an oily sheen to it. It isn't oily, but has the look.

The trailer had the same problem and so did the Cadillac.

Count me as a vote against.

sovereignrwe · 06-06-2005, 12:33 PM

Mr Clean has been Mr Inconsistent for me.

LuminumTraila · 06-10-2005, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuck

I didn't get a chance to try it on the airstream, yet. its currently parked under trees that are going to continuously litter it w/ oak and pine pollen for the next couple of weeks, so I may just hold off.

Chuck - How do you clean out the awning gutters and top of your trailer? I noticed the oak/pine/pollen litter is making a real mess up there. We got a nice storm a few nights okay and that washed some of it out, but there is still a good bit that's clinging.

bredlo · 06-10-2005, 11:03 AM

Hope this isn't from that Oxyclean guy with the beard. I HATE that guy.

Everytime he shoots a new commercial, his voice gets louder by a factor of 10 - I swear, he just screams at ya. "OXINATE IT WITH OXYCLEAN!!!! LOOK AT THIS DIRTY RUG!!! LOOK AT IT, DAMMIT!!!"

Chuck · 06-10-2005, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dougjamie

Chuck - How do you clean out the awning gutters and top of your trailer? I noticed the oak/pine/pollen litter is making a real mess up there. We got a nice storm a few nights okay and that washed some of it out, but there is still a good bit that's clinging.

I just use a hose w/ a high-pressure nozzle...that is, if I ever actually get to it.

its not as if the stuff "sticks"; its just "there".

more annoying is the pine needles in the fall.

they really build up. but, this is where I live:

LuminumTraila · 06-10-2005, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuck

I just use a hose w/ a high-pressure nozzle...that is, if I ever actually get to it.

its not as if the stuff "sticks"; its just "there".

Okay, well now I know I'm not the only one. We have a few pines too.

I think the real dirt must be from the pine needles that fell into the gutters when we brought the trailer home and parked it. Btw -- what's the best thing to remove pine pitch from the truck and Airstream?

Tin Hut · 06-10-2005, 12:01 PM

Interesting about the mixed results. I've been using the Mr. Clean on mine for about a year and like the results. It soaps, rinses with filtered water and then the no dry spray sheets the water off with no spots. I've never tried it on a dark vehicle though and that would be the ultimate test. On the alum. airstream it's been fine for me. I replace the filters every other wash.

overlander63 · 06-10-2005, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dougjamie

Btw -- what's the best thing to remove pine pitch from the truck and Airstream?

Turtle Wax Bug and Tar Remover work pretty well. It is a petroleum distillate, so the usual cautions about paint finish applies.
You can also try a chunk of dry ice, the metal will contract faster than the pine blob, and it will pop loose.

juel · 06-10-2005, 05:27 PM

If you haven't tried "Marine Clean" you should. I sprayed in on the inside ceiling and wiped it off, then took a clean wet cloth and rinsed it. What a difference. No more sticky. Sooooo...I used it on the outside of the Argosy. Sprayed it on then took the hose/brush attachment and brushed it lightly. Then rinsed it. What a difference. Stuff came off that had been on there for years I'm sure. Not many pines in Oklahoma, but the Oaks leave nasty little sap and the birds leave purple Mulberrys all over. It did a great job. You get it in the Por 15 catalog. It's really good stuff. Judy

LuminumTraila · 06-10-2005, 06:05 PM

Thanks for the recommendations. I remember using TW bug and tar remover on my first car -- a '67 Mustang fastback. I guess I don't keep my cars clean like I used to or I would've remembered that.

I'm glad I don't have the mulberry problem, Juel. We had a mulberry tree in our yard when I was growing up and I had purple stains on my feet all summer long from playing barefoot in the grass around it. The pine needles have to be dealt with, but at least they smell good.