Washing your car yourself sounds simple, but let’s admit it – it’s yet another hassle to deal with.
If you live in a condo or apartment, you may not even be allowed to wash your car where you park it, meaning a trip to the car wash, a wait in line, and a few dollars out of your pocket each time. And if you just want to get rid of a few dirty spots, the full wash might feel like a waste of time and money. Those are the issues that the portable C7 washer from Diisea, which is currently on Kickstarter, is designed to address.
Besides the inconvenience of lining up, one concern with traditional car washes is the potential for dirt and abrasive particles to cause micro-scratches on the paint or even damage sensors. The C7 doesn’t use high-pressure water. Instead, it features so-called Water-Dust Circulation technology.
Basically, the device's soft, spongy roller uses a controlled flow of water to collect dirt from the surface and pull the particles into the machine right away, before they can cause scratches. The roller rotates constantly and gets rinsed with clean water, so the part touching the car always stays clean. The designers recommend replacing the roller every six to eight months, depending on usage. It has a claimed lifespan of up to 150 washes.
It reportedly takes about five minutes to wash a whole car with the C7, using just one bottle of water. The detachable water tank inside the device holds 300 ml (10 oz), and, according to the creators, you won’t need more than that for a full wash.
The device is relatively light at 1.4 kg (3 lb) and measures 57.7 x 21.4 x 10.3 cm (22.7 x 8.4 x 4.06 in), so it should be comfortable to operate with one hand. It has a replaceable li-ion battery that fully charges in about one hour via USB-C. One charge is claimed to last for up to one hour, which might not sound like much, but it also translates to roughly six to eight washes, depending on how quickly you work and how large your vehicle is.
The company emphasizes that the portable washer is also eco-friendly. According to Diisea, it uses only as much water as needed, doesn’t require soap, and doesn’t create foam or wastewater. Because there is no water splashing around and getting the ground wet, the company claims it’s safe to use the device even in parking garages with restrictions on car washing.
There are some potential downsides, though. Because the tool is designed primarily for flat surfaces, it's not ideal for cleaning a car’s interior. It can reportedly handle leather seats, but for deep crevices, you might want to use a dedicated cleaning tool.
Bird droppings are another challenge. The C7 is designed to handle them as well, but once they have been sitting on a car for too long and have baked in the sun, they can be very difficult to remove completely without the high-pressure water that traditional car washes provide.
The other thing that might get potential customers hesitant is the price, which seems just a little too steep. Nevertheless, the company argues that compared with conventional car washes, the C7 could pay for itself in the first year if you wash your car about once a month.
The early-bird price on Kickstarter is US$349, while the planned retail price is $599. Assuming the campaign is successful, shipping is currently scheduled for November.
Source: Kickstarter
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