Shelby says a waterless wash is for safely maintaining a car that's already clean, and it isn't another way to wash one that's dirty. Asked when a waterless wash makes sense, he picked light dust only. Our maintenance wash uses a rinseless wash and runs from $80, which includes an interior refresh with a vacuum and wipe down. With that method, the exterior takes about 20 to 30 minutes. Because the vehicle is maintained, Shelby sees this as the safest, most efficient way to wash it regularly when it isn't super dirty. For a regular wash, see our mobile car wash page.
How to tell if it's only dust
Shelby puts it this way: "View a waterless wash as a dusting, a refresh for a lightly soiled vehicle with little to no grime." Anything that needs serious agitation is ready for a full wash. The mitt is his other tell: if yours is getting overloaded with dirt and grime after an initial pass, switch to a full wash.
We recommend a bi-monthly schedule, but Shelby says the calendar isn't really the best way to decide whether it's time for a waterless wash on a given day. One Google reviewer says Shelby maintains their vehicle weekly. Another repeat customer's review describes work on several of their vehicles, from a monthly wash to a full ceramic.
A coated C8 Corvette we maintain
In Granbury, we maintain a black C8 Corvette for one customer on a bi-monthly schedule. The car has been ceramic coated and detailed, and it stays garage kept and pampered. Each time we come back to it, it's only lightly to moderately dusty, so a full foam and pressure wash would be overkill.
We use Shine Supply Eco Shine in a 5-gallon bucket for this car. We wash the Corvette with Double Flip 1100GSM microfiber wash mitts. Then we follow with a detail spray to refine the finish. If it weren't coated, we would follow that with Shine Supply Ignition. Ignition is a three-in-one product: it gives a waterless wash benefit and leaves ceramic-based protection and gloss with a refined finish free of streaks and spots.
Dusters and paint
Shelby has found that many owners use dusters to get the dust off their vehicles. A duster has no lubrication, so it grabs the particles and drags them over the paint. Over time that builds up fine swirls and scratches that dull the paint. The lubrication from a waterless wash encapsulates those particles and minimizes the risk of wash-induced scratches and swirls.
When the car has a coating
In replies to Google reviews on coating jobs, we've scheduled follow-ups, including a maintenance wash one month after coating a truck. With normal maintenance, the rating on our 3-year coating is three years, though how long it holds up in real life comes down to the way the car gets washed and stored. There's more on that in our article on how long ceramic coating lasts.
Time and price
In this photo of our mobile wash setup, a vehicle sits beside the buckets, hoses and equipment.
An overall maintenance detail runs around an hour to an hour and a half. A more in-depth wash for a severely dirty or contaminated car can take 1 to 2 hours on the exterior alone, depending on numerous factors, including the vehicle's needs and your own detailing goals.
Our Essential Detail is a separate package: a complete wash plus an interior reset. The price goes by size, at $180 small, $193 mid-size and $204 large, and you can plan on about 4 hours. Extra-large vehicles get a custom quote.
On a mobile detailing in Granbury visit, Shelby carries his own water and power. He just asks for safe access to the vehicle, at a house or an office.
Next step
If your car isn't super dirty and you'd like to keep it maintained, ask for the maintenance wash when you book with Shelby. We don't charge a travel fee for any address in Hood County. If it's past that point, browse the services and pricing list.