Mr. Clean AutoDry Carwash - It really WORKS!

For me, the worst part about washing the car is drying it off -- and the ugly waterspots. I had bought a leaf blower so I don't have to towel dry it anymore, but the waterspots are still there if I don't get it dried fast enough.

Well, the Mr. Clean AutoDry system claims to allow your car to dry fast and without waterspots. Even though I had read some positive comments about it on these boards, I was still a llittle skeptical when I bought this kit for a grand total of $4.99 plus tax at CVS. But I found out it really WORKS!

The kit consists of a plastic soaper/rinser applicator device, and a starter filter and soap good for three washes. You install the filter, load the liquid soap, and attach the device to the water hose.

The soap is supposed to really cut dirt -- and it does -- my mop was much dirtier than usual each time I wiped down a panel even though I had washed the car just a week ago -- and to also contain some sort of polymers that "create a sheet of water to begin the unique dry-down process." The filter is supposed to remove the substances in the water that cause the spots.

It doesn't dry immediately but it is very fast compared to the normal wash -- but the biggest difference is that it dries absolutely spot free. At one point after cleaning and rinsing off one panel with Mr. Clean, I let it dry for a few minutes and compared it to the panel next to it that had previously been rinsed off with the hose. You could really see the difference. After the washing, it looked really clean and shiny, as though it had already been polished.

I didn't really need to use my leaf blower to dry it off except at the very end where there were still a few drops under the spoiler and to blow out some dirt/debris from the hatch and the seams.

 

I was very surprised to find it at CVS Drug Store for a mere $4.99 because I think I had seen it for a lot more (something like $20) at Costco. I hadn't paid much attention because of the price, but when I saw it for $4.99, I decided it was definitely worth a try. Glad I did. I haven't yet looked at the refill soap and filters so I don't know how much they cost.

I figure it's probably like buying a printer. You can buy the printer for $50 with starter ink cartridges, but then it costs you $80 to buy the refill cartridges!

 

Yesterday I saw the same kit, but with a carrying case, mitt, and wheel brush, at Target for $34.99!! Somehow, I don't think the case, mitt, and brush are worth $30.

So my $5 starter kit really was a steal. The catch is, the starter soap and filter are only good for 3 washes, and you can't find the refills anywhere! I looked in several stores and Autozone had the soap for about $5.99 (not sure how many washes -- probably about 10 from the looks of it) but no filters. They did not carry refills at CVS where I bought the kit, so I ended up buying two more kits. I figured that at least I'd have enough stuff for six more washes, by which time I hope I can locate refills. I can keep one of the extra applicator devices in case the first one breaks, and give the other one to someone as a Christmas present or something (as long as I don't use up the soap and filter from it!)

 

It says it doesn't strip wax. My car, which I had Zaino'd a week or so before, was still pretty glossy and slick after the wash. I just went over it with some Z-6.

I finally managed to find some soap and filter refills at Autozone, which is quite some distance from my house. I bought out the last two bottles of soap and four filters. That should last me for a while. I had looked online, but everywhere I found one, I couldn't find the other. They were all more expensive than at Autozone and I would have had to pay shipping charges for the different orders at different stores.

 

Those of you who have been using the system, how do you know when the filter needs changing? I know it says when it turns brown -- but does it actually turn brown? I mean, is it obvious just looking at it from the little plastic window?

Today I used it for the second time (it was actually third time the system was used because my BF used it to wash his car once). I was getting water spots and I kept having to redo parts of the car. Last time, it was working perfectly for me. I thought maybe the starter filter was getting exhausted, but it wasn't brown at all.

I think this is what actually happened. The first time, I didn't realize there were 3 settings -- soap, rinse, and autodry rinse. I thought there were only soap and rinse (which was actually the autodry rinse). So I was using the filtered water the whole time.

Afterwards, when I reread the instructions, I realized there is also a regular rinse setting and that you are supposed to wet down the car and rinse off the soap with the regular rinse, and then rinse off the water with the autodry rinse., So this time, that's what I did. However, either I wasn't doing the final rinses fast enough or spray from the regular water was getting on the parts that I had already rinsed, which resulted in water spots showing up.

I think in the future I am going to use the regular rinse only to for the initial wet-down. I'm going back to using the final rinse to rinse off the soap.

 

Thanks for answering...

Do wash/rinse/final rinse one section at a time, or do you wait until everything is done before doing the final rinse?

If the regular water starts drying on the car, will the final rinse get it off?