What car wash products do you use?

best_potsticker_in_town said:
As it relates to power washers...I have a WORX cordless:https://www.worx.com/20v-hydroshot-...MIgLSX_LeE6wIVURh9Ch0p6QtwEAQYASABEgI1VvD_BwE

I bought it back when I was living in a condo and didn't have easy access to a hose bib. Battery powered and fill out a 5 gallon bucket with water and use that. The psi is lower, but it does the job. On the occasions I don't do ONR, I'll use this.
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LOL, serious?!? I also got the Hydroshot and I tried it with distilled water and was hoping I didn't have to dry it by hand but was disappointed in how much dirt still got left on the car and it looked bad when it dried (and water everywhere). So I went back to the ONR.
 
best_potsticker_in_town said:
I have a small spray bottle with ONR in it and pre-spray any spots on the panels I'm working. Pre-spraying helps the ONR soak into the grime and lift it up. When you wipe it down with the ONR soaked microfiber or big red sponge, it'll all wipe away easily.
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Yup! I keep a small spray bottle of ONR in the trunk with a couple of microfiber towels. I find it useful for taking care of things like bird poop, etc when I'm in between washes.
 
I use the BRS. I would give it a 7 out of 10. The good - saves me from washing 3 or 4 microfibers after the wash. The bad - as Cares said, it doesn't perform that much better than a regular sponge. The slits do help with picking up dirt though.

Not a fan of the black sponge. At least with Red, I can see the dirt being collected and know when rinse in the bucket.
 
zovall said:
best_potsticker_in_town said:
As it relates to power washers...I have a WORX cordless:https://www.worx.com/20v-hydroshot-...MIgLSX_LeE6wIVURh9Ch0p6QtwEAQYASABEgI1VvD_BwE

I bought it back when I was living in a condo and didn't have easy access to a hose bib. Battery powered and fill out a 5 gallon bucket with water and use that. The psi is lower, but it does the job. On the occasions I don't do ONR, I'll use this.
Click to expand...

LOL, serious?!? I also got the Hydroshot and I tried it with distilled water and was hoping I didn't have to dry it by hand but was disappointed in how much dirt still got left on the car and it looked bad when it dried (and water everywhere). So I went back to the ONR.
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It takes a bit of doing, but you can definitely get all the dirt off with the Hydroshot. That being said, I wash my car every 10-14 days (w/ ONR). Dirt is rarely embedded to the point where a quick rinse can't remove 80% of it.
 
I had looked into pressure washers and the Worx hydro shot.  Pricing wise, the two are about the same.  You can get a Ryobi 1,600 psi pressure washer at Home Depot for $100 retail.  Comparable model "Greenworks" brand is about the same at $100 as well.

My friend who works as a contractor used a pressure washer on his car and it did eventually damage the clear coat and paint.  I suspect it's a mixture of improper use, Japanese car with soft clear coat, and hard water.  Many others use pressure washers to wash their cars without noticeable damage.

The hydro shot is really a cordless "pressure sprayer".  It does have some advantages, being able to draw water from a bucket or a soda bottle.  This opens the possibility of using distilled water and pre-treated water, such as ONR solution.  In theory, spraying the car with ONR is probably better than hard water from the hose.  There are also hacks (see youtube) where you can attach a rare earth magnet to the hydro shot without the lance attachment and spray at high PSI setting.

In the end, I went to Harbor Freight and bought a half gallon garden pump sprayer for $5 ($5.99 - coupon).  I pour ONR solution in and spray the car exterior with a fine mist prior to Garry Dean method wash with microfiber towels.  I think this method gives ONR solution more time to work on the dirt particles prior to wiping.

The Harbor Freight pump sprayer is not a high end model.  It requires ~30 easy/short pumps with the handle, and you should depressurize prior to storage (or else it will leak through the top).  But it's $5 and works.
https://www.harborfreight.com/lawn-...rs/05-gallon-multi-purpose-sprayer-56167.html


p.s.  I didn't get the Worx hydroshot, but bought a Worx "Turbine 600" leaf blower.  It didn't work as well as I thought in blow drying the car, but it's very powerful (and loud).  I use the low power setting to clean the backyard and patio.
 
($200 of car wash supplies later...@_@ )


* With exception to chemical guys stuff, I've been buying car wash supplies mostly from detailing.com in Irvine.  Their prices are better than Amazon for a lot of items, and you can choose contactless pick-up at their store to save on shipping.  When your order is ready they send you an email, you just drive over and call them, give them your name and they put your order on a table by the door.


* I bought chemical guys stuff from "Detail garage" retail store in Buena Park and use the "Glossworkz" product line, which is kinda pricy.  If you watch the instruction video on how to use glaze, you'd end up using 1/3 of the bottle when you really only need ~15% of the bottle ($30/bottle!).  Don't squeeze multiple lines on microfiber application pad, use a foam applicator and apply a few dots at a time.  This one is really nice and only cost $4:
https://www.detailing.com/store/lake-country-ccs-red-foam-wax-sealant-pad-hand-applicator.html

So is glaze really necessary?  Chemical guys sell it as a wonder product to make your car shine and fill in scratches.  Yes it makes your car shine, but it doesn't fill scratches that much better than waxes.  I wash 5 cars (including my in-law's) and test different products on them.  Applying glaze / sealant / wax is like waxing your car 3 times.  Honestly, it's not worth the effort. 

If you really want to apply a paste wax by hand or machine, skip the glaze and just use Collinite no. 845 ($20) -- you need to warm up the bottle and shake well first.  It'll save you a lot of money.  Everyone has their favorites.  Some prefer Fusso Soft99, whatever works for you.
https://www.detailing.com/store/collinite-no-845-insulator-wax-16-oz.htmlhttps://www.collinite.com/product/no-845-insulator-wax/


* I read that someone applied Chemical Guys glaze then used optimum car wax spray on top.  I tested this and the results was not great, required quite a bit of buffing (note to self:  next time spray to towel and not directly to panel).  If you really want to use a quick spray wax on top of Chemical Guys glaze try the Insta-Wax.  The spray bottle sucks, be prepared to use pliers to remove the sprayer and replacing it (I pulled one off a Windex bottle).  But misting the product with a sprayer will allow the 16 oz bottle to last many applications.  Don't let it dry too much before you wipe/buff.
https://www.chemicalguys.com/instaw...MI8Z7RjcD66wIVJj6tBh0NaAHUEAAYASAAEgIpYfD_BwE


* Be aware that chemical guys car wash soaps are not always friendly with optimum products.  The glossworkz car soap is not supposed to strip waxes and sealants, but will strip optimum car wax and opti-seal.  If you're looking for a soap for that purpose, go to Walmart and pick up Purple Power for $8/gallon.  Works great in a foam cannon and will strip off old waxes.  It's a power washer concentrate and you only need a couple oz in foam cannon.  The 1 gallon jug will last a long time.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Purple-Power-Heavy-Duty-Vehicle-and-Boat-Pressure-Wash-Concentrate-1-Gallon/50941516?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=4132&adid=22222222227900539828&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=463483629726&wl4=pla-943678049476&wl5=9031062&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=50941516&veh=sem


*  If you use optimum products, sticking with their product line is a safe bet.  For example if you had previously applied optimum car wax, using optimum car wash soap ($11) will not strip the wax and you can see the water beading as proof.  The optimum car wash soap is like a gel from the bottle and highly concentrated.  0.5 oz in the foam cannon is sufficient and you get 32 oz per bottle.
https://www.detailing.com/store/optimum-car-wash-32-oz.html

I've used both ONR (blue) and ONR with wax (green).  Honestly I don't see much difference, but if you want to cut down on number of car cleaning products, ONR with wax can be diluted and used to clean both exterior and interior.  At detailing.com ONR is $15 and ONR with wax is $19.  Amazon charges like $21 for ONR to cover the "free shipping".
https://www.detailing.com/store/optimum-no-rinse-wash-32-oz.htmlhttps://www.detailing.com/store/optimum-no-rinse-wash-and-wax-32-oz-concentrate.html

My preference is to apply optimum car wax to exterior, just spray and wipe.  The price is right ($14) and you only need 1-2 sprays per panel.  If you want extra shine the optimum instant detailer is cheap ($9) and works.  Some people mix 25% optimum car wax to 75% optimum instant detailer in spray bottle -- I have not tried this yet.  The instant detailer makes your car less of a dust magnet.
https://www.detailing.com/store/optimum-car-wax-17-oz.htmlhttps://www.detailing.com/store/optimum-instant-detailer-17oz.html

Personally, I like optimum car wax better than opti-seal (more on that later).  Applying the spray wax is also much faster and easier than paste wax products.  I also purchased opti-bond tire gel this week but have yet to try.


* If you prefer Meguiar's product line, the "Ultimate Fast Finish" ($15) is also a quick spray and wipe product.  The product is intended for use as a sealant applied on top of clear coat, but what caught my eye was the claim that it can also be applied over wax to extend protection.  So if you spent an hour applying paste wax by hand, maybe this product will help extend the life of the wax?
https://www.detailing.com/store/meguiars-ultimate-fast-finish-8-5-oz.html

Dallas Paint Correction and Auto Detailing on Youtube suggests applying Jescar Power Lock Plus ($30) first, then Meguiars Ultimate Fast Finish on top.


* Also, recently Turtle Wax Ice products have been getting a lot of good reviews.  The spray wax and spray detailer has great reviews and is cheap.  The spray wax is $10 at Pep Boys, and if you order online for pick up in-store there's an additional 25% discount ($10-25% = $7.50).  Great price if you want to give it a try.
https://www.pepboys.com/turtle-wax-ice-spray-wax-23-oz-/product/81850https://www.pepboys.com/turtle-wax-ice-seal-n-shine/product/2203645
 
Costco is selling a Spotless Car Wash bundle for $379 (after $120 off). Today is the last day of the promo: https://www.costco.com/.product.100670295.html?&EMID=B2C_2020_0922_MailerEnding
 
Some further thoughts on optimum and other detailing products

* Buying bulk is not always a good deal as many auto detailing chemicals have 2-3 year shelf life, 3-5 years for paste wax.  The shelf life decreases once the product seal is opened and stored in garages during hot summers.  Products that require dilution will also have reduced shelf life when diluted (distilled water will last longer).  It's best to buy what you'll use within couple of years and replenish.

Optimum No Rinse, Opti-Clean, and Optimum Car wash are known to have good shelf life (~5 years) and can withstand 120F temperature and freezing/thawing.  Optimum Polish and car wax sprays have shorter shelf life and you should only buy what you'll use within 2 years at a time.  To prolong shelf life of products in general you can store them inside the house with A/C instead of the garage.

* If you use a foam cannon or pressure washer, try Purple Power Heavy Duty Vehicle & Boat Pressure Washer concentrate ($8/gallon @ Walmart - don't buy the degreaser by accident) and Optimum Car Wash concentrate ($11/32oz @ detailing.com - curbside pickup in Irvine to save on shipping).  The Purple Power pressure wash soap is PH 10 and will strip wash old waxes, sealants, and road grime.  I use ~2 oz at a time and at $8/gallon it's like 6 cents per oz.

Optimum Car Wash is PH neutral and will not strip Optimum sealant and wax products.  You only need 1 cap full (0.5 oz / $0.17 cents) in foam cannon and it works great.  I use Purple Power to strip wash every month or two, and Optimum Car Wash or ONR for weekly maintenance washes.  Purple Power will in theory reduce the need/frequency for claying your vehicle.

* When rinsing the car with tap water, you can spray ONR solution on exterior via spray bottle before wipe-down to avoid water spots.  Get a "ZEP 32 oz professional spray bottle" at Home Depot ($3.28), fill to 15 oz line with distilled water, add 1 oz ONR.  Rinse the car with your hose, spray ONR solution on exterior, then wipe.  If you're doing this under the sun and it dries with white polymer spots, spray a little ONR solution and wipe.  You can avoid this altogether if you use the Garry Dean Wash Method on one car panel at a time.

Some users have claimed that light water spots can be removed by wiping with hot water mixed with ONR.  I have not tried this.  The pro's prefer Citrol 266 or other degreaser & water spot remover products.  I have 2 friends with water spots all over their car's exterior to test this on later.

* Optimum Car wax goes well with Optimum Opti-Seal.  The car wax can be applied immediately after opti-seal, versus other products (including the Optimum instant detailer spray) require at least 1 hour curing time for opti-seal.

* Use Optimum Instant Detailer and Gloss Enhancer on car windows & glass.  Yes, chuck the Windex and use this on glass.

* If you do not currently own/use sealants and spray on waxes, try the Turtle Wax Ice Spray Wax and Seal & Shine products.  The 20 oz Turtle Wax Ice spray wax is $7 at Walmart.com, you can buy retail and ask them to price match their own web site.  I've tested this product and it works great for weekly maintenance wash application.  It will save you a lot of money over Opti-Seal and OCW (Optimum Car Wax).

*  If you want a spray-on wax/sealant to layer on top of sealants, glazes and paste waxes, try Meguiar's Ultimate Fast Finish.  This product can be used on bare surface as a sealant with good longevity as well.  The downside is it costs $15 and will only last 10-12 applications.  Other waxes don't always play nice with glazes, but this product will happily sit on top of whatever and make your car shine.  I use it on my in-law's car.  Easy to apply -- spray to microfiber towel and wipe.

* Optimum Opti-Bond Tire Gel 32 oz bottle has the same bottle cap as ONR, which makes it terrible for dispensing the product on foam applicators.  Take the bottle top from your dish washer detergent bottle -- its' the same size, screw it on and it will dispense the right amounts.  Opti-Bond also works great on lower trims.  Do not dilute, use full strength.  Diluted solutions do not last long when applied.  I use "SM Arnold Tire & Trim Dressing Foam Applicator with Plastic Case" ($2.50 @ Detailing.com), it comes with a plastic hard case to keep the foam applicator encased when not in use, and handle on top of foam to keep your fingers clean.

Opti-Bond requires a clean/dry surface to work.  When applied to dirty tires it won't last long.  Get "Super Clean Degreaser" from Walmart ($9/gallon), dilute & spray on tires and give it a scrub and rinse.  Super clean is a general purpose degreaser that can be used on tires, rims, car interior, engine, BBQ grill, laundry, pots and pans, etc.  If your car's interior door panel is dirty you can use diluted solution (4:1 or greater) to spray and wipe.  Biodegradable, phosphate-free, safer than "LA's Totally Awesome" and "Mr Clean Magic Eraser", you get the idea.
https://superclean.com/dilution-chart-2/https://superclean.com/applications/

* Dish soap and warm water works for cleaning your applicator & polishing pads by hand.

* Some people use Meguiar's Wheel brightener or Super Clean all wheel cleaner on their wheels to make them shine after cleaning.  I just spray some car wax on a towel and wipe.  Home Depot has a small car detailing section where you can find a neat little lug nut brush ($3.50) that's great for cleaning wheels.
 
marmott said:
The guys at Obsessed garage tested an enormous amount of cheaper pressure washers with car washing in mind:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLG_BGdABDC9s97iOZTLJVO3TF-K3fx99g.It's pretty insightful.

They also sell their own entry level bundles with upgraded accessories, it triples the price of the base Karcher K1700:https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/karcher-accessories.I don't wash my cars enough for that...
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I'm sure their accessories are better for people who do auto detailing professionally.  But for consumer grade it's a bit much.

Look at microfiber towels for example, you can pay 50 cents each at Costco or $5 each at the Rag Company.  The thick Korean 500 GSM edgeless towels are guaranteed to be better than the thin 325 GSM Costco Kirkland brand stuff, but at 10x the price.

Speaking of Costco Kirkland microfiber towels, I think they no longer resale Eurow's bulk yellow towels.  Those have a habit to lint on windows.  The newer ones at Costco are darker (yellow-orange ish) and doesn't lint on windows.  At $18 for pack of 36, it's good enough for my cars and inexpensive to replace.  As a rule I use worn towels (or old cotton socks) to clean wheels/rims & lower body trims then discard -- I don't put towels covered in wheel grime & break dust in the washer/dryer.
 
marmott said:
The guys at Obsessed garage tested an enormous amount of cheaper pressure washers with car washing in mind:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLG_BGdABDC9s97iOZTLJVO3TF-K3fx99g.It's pretty insightful.

They also sell their own entry level bundles with upgraded accessories, it triples the price of the base Karcher K1700:https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/karcher-accessories.I don't wash my cars enough for that...
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Yup - Matt knows his detail equipment, and no one else is doing what he's doing.  He recently did a series of reviewing every single Milwaukee FUEL power tools (though take this review series with a grain of salt as he isn't the most mechanically inclined). This is one of those things where you get what you pay for and cater to the gearheads who don't want to settle for 2nd best. 

With that said, I wouldn't drop $1,500 on a Kranzle powerwasher as you can get 80-90% of the function for 1/5 of the price.
 
ONR product update preview:
http://optimumforums.org/topic/64653-product-updates/

"Dr G has tweaked 2 Optimum products to improve performance.  The changes were not big enough to consider reformulations.  ONR has been updated to allow better release of dirt, so wash media stays cleaner.  Hyper Polish has greatly extended work time, allowing safer polishing and require less product."

"Optimum does not announce formula changes until all our stock is the new product.  We can't control how other distributors manage inventory, but in general we wait until old inventory has flushed through the system.  As mentioned, the reformulations were not considered changed enough to require "New Formula" labels."



The ONR product update is also applicable to Optimum No Rinse Wash and Wax.  Since they need to "flush" the old inventory, existing stock of ONR is being sold at BOGO.  Buy 1 gallon get 1 gallon free:
https://www.opticoat.com/product/optimum-no-rinse/


Considering how little the product is used with every wash, I can't see myself buying 2 gallons.  @_@
 
(Information in this post are public from Optimum's online forum)

Optimum did not have a lot of product updates in recent years due to its founder Dr. David Vahid Ghodoussi's health issues.  He took a 2 year medical leave and returned to the company late last year.  As a chemist he is the father of optimum's products and owns several patents, for example US 6685765 B1 "Water based protectant containing UV absorbers".

Now that he has returned, I think we'll see more product updates in near future.  I'd suggest not stocking up on old inventory if you want to buy the new stuff when it's out.

There was some internal conflict regarding business decisions when he returned.  Dann Williams (VP of Optimum), Adam Huber (Optimum Synergy Podcast), and Yvan Lacroix (band ambassador) all quit.  Yvan went to work for Lake Country Manufacturing -- I buy their polishing pads.
 
I dug out the DA polisher last weekend to polish out automatic car wash scratches on the in-law's SUV.  My bottle of Meguiar's Ultimate Compound has been sitting around for 3 years and turned into liquid (was paste).  So I bought the new Turtle Wax Ice Speed Compound for $5 (order online at Pep Boys and pick up in store) to try it out.  Figured if it didn't work I'll order Optimum GPS later.

If you're used to paste compounds, the Turtle Wax Ice Speed Compound is not a paste.  It resembles liquid wax.  I dispensed a circle on my cutting pad then dabbed it over the application area on the hood, turned the DA to speed 1 to distribute the compound, then up to speed 4 to make 4 passes with minimum applied pressure.

I have to say, this stuff is nice.  No sling (it soaked into the pad), no dusting, no mess, long work time (doesn't dry out quickly), can apply under the sun.  Barely any residue and easy to hose/wipe off with just water.  Took out about 80% of the lighter scratches on the hood on first application.  The remaining deeper ones required additional application with a little pressure, but I managed to correct most of the defects.  This is not a heavy cut compound so you need to adjust your expectations accordingly.  For $5, this stuff is a bargain compared to the more popular Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Polish & Wax ($16) & Meguiar's Ultimate Compound ($10).

The finished result was so clean I didn't need to take out the polishing pad.  Just wipe clean with ONR solution and top with some spray wax.  The pros say use rule of 5 -- press down with 5 lbs pressure on DA polisher on speed 5 setting for 5 seconds over the scratched area.  This was really not necessary for light scratches that are easily buffed out with a few passes on speed 4.

For those who are not familiar with DA polishers, I bought mine from Harbor Fright for $50 ish.  You can use a 20% off single item coupon and save $10.  I had to order a replacement 5" backing plate to use 5.5" pads.  There are plenty of tutorial videos on youtube that show you how to use the polisher.  Most professional detailers will recommend that you stock at least 3 pads of each type (cutting, polishing, buffing) and swap them as they get saturated.  But if you're only fixing a few scratches here and there, you don't need 3 cutting pads.

The DA polisher can be used to apply glaze, sealant and waxes.  It's not as fast or easy as a spray-on product, and the noise level may impact your neighbors.
 
Turtle Wax product line has now been divided into 3:
Original, green packaging line (cheapest)
Deep blue packaging "Ice" line (most popular)
New Ceramic hybrid line (most expensive, comparable to Optimum products in pricing)

The original green packaging "Super Hard Shell Liquid Wax" 16 oz bottle is $3.92 at Walmart:https://www.walmart.com/ip/Turtle-Wax-50808-Super-Hard-Shell-Liquid-Wax-16-oz/16888963

This product is easily diluted (!).  You can dilute 3:1 with 12 oz distilled water, 4 oz liquid wax and shake it up in the spray bottle.  Make your own spray-on instant-wax for $1 in product.  Spray to panel or to microfiber towel and wipe.  Wait a few mins then buff with dry microfiber towel.  I tried this on my Camry and it works.  Likely won't last more than few weeks, but for $1 it's fine.  You can play with dilution ratio and find the ratio that you like.

Some people also fill the spray bottle with distilled water, then add 1 oz of this product to make a cheap instant detailer spray.  I have not tried this yet.

The Turtle Wax Liquid Wax is also popular for use on stainless steel appliances.  Again I have not tried this, but will do so when time is avail.

Optimum Car Wax owners have been known to mix Optimum Car Wax with Optimum Instant Detailer with good results as well.
 
If the goal is speed of application and longevity, what's the best thing out there?  The cost of the product is probably nil compared to my time.  Ideally I could wash/wax infrequently and pressure rinse between washes.  I have more cars and less free time than ever before.
 
daedalus said:
If the goal is speed of application and longevity, what's the best thing out there?  The cost of the product is probably nil compared to my time.  Ideally I could wash/wax infrequently and pressure rinse between washes.  I have more cars and less free time than ever before.
Click to expand...


If you're willing to spend the money, ceramic coatings have much better durability and longevity vs. waxes and sealants:https://www.showcardetailing.com/portfolio/cs2.html


For something cheaper, the $15 Meguiar's Ultimate Fast Finish is advertised to last one year when applied as base sealant on top of bare clearcoat:https://www.detailing.com/store/meguiars-ultimate-fast-finish-8-5-oz.htmlhttps://www.meguiars.com/automotive/products/meguiars-ultimate-fast-finish-g18309-85-oz-aerosol

It can be applied on top of other products (waxes, glaze) but will not last as long.  The product requires application to dry surface and 24 hour cure time.  Application is very simple, spray to dry microfiber towel and wipe-on.

I've used this on my in-law's SUV and it still looks pretty good.  I also applied it on top of glaze on my Lexus.  Since I did not acquire an used 1600 psi pressure washer until last weekend, I cannot say how well this product will hold up against pressure wash/rinse.
 
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