Share your washing approach

What step are you saving with rinseless washing?

Regular washing = rinse/presoak > soap > rinse > dry
Rinseless washing = rinse/presoak? > soap > dry or is it just soap > dry?

Is that basically it? So your towels get really dirty instead of rinsing the car before drying? I don't really understand the benefit.
Trust me. It took me a looong time to convince myself to even try it. It all seems so counterintuitive. Even the first couple of times I tried it, besides the noticable improvement in the final finish, I still wasn't sure I liked doing it. However, after 3-4 times, I really got the process down, and discovered that it actually took me less time. I would say that the wheels still take about the same time, but the main body goes so fast. I really can't explain the difference - perhaps it's related to not performing a second rinse, dragging the hose around the car, etc. I keep several towels on my shoulders as well, so once I wash a panel, I have the towels immediately available for drying.

One process you need to figure in is washing rags immediately afterwards. I toss them in the washer with a little Rags to Riches, and let them run. This is something you probably need to do with regular washing as well if you dry with microfiber, but it may be new if coming from a chamois.

There are lots of videos on rinseless washing on YouTube (The Rag Company, Obsessed Garage, Pan the Organizer) to help you better understand it before trying it. That said, (like the Emira) this is probably not for everyone. But it is definitely game changing for some of us.
 
No right answers to the OP question; it's too dependant upon an individual owner's preference, OCD level and past experience.

Darker exterior paint needs more care. For example, I had a black E550 Mercedes which I bought new and kept for 10 years. Back then, I didn't worry much about paint swirls and the only PPF was on the front of the car (the usual areas, except I did the complete hood). One warm sunny summer day when washing the SUV "family-mobile" on our driveway, my spouse decided to spoil me so she pulled out my (then) 5-year old Mercedes and had a go. I couldn't believe it when she said afterwards my car looked ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE due to all the paint swirls visible in the bright sunlight, considering she's decidedly NOT a "car-person" and always accused me of worrying too much about my vehicles. It was a hard lesson to learn and I've since taken better care when washing any vehicle, for example, to follow the advice of my detailer when using microfiber cloths: dumping them (or folding over any slightly dirty contact surface) when they pick up the least amount of dirt...and moving them in the same direction on the paint surface when washing (with a solution recommended by my detailer) or drying, to avoid swirls. But that's just me and each to his/her own.
 
I usually wash my cars by hand using the two-bucket method 1-2 weeks after buying them, and then again a couple of years later just before selling/trading them.
 

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