Car Wash Soap

J

JSFM35X

Active member
I just opened my last bottle of car wash soap. I have been using Ultima's Car wash soap. It smells good, lathers well and rinses easily. I like the slick feel b/c I hope that prevents some Micro marring. Stuff is a little pricey. I used to use Mothers California gold wash which I also liked.

Is there a major difference between OTC car wash and "boutique" car wash? I wash 3 cars 1-2 times a week but for the pro's who do this over and over is there a difference?

Jeff
 
Well, this will surprise ya, but I use the PB stuff.

It does real well.. I don't have to worry about other garbage in it so when I feel like waxing etc, I dont have to worry about it. Lots of the otc stuff has garbage in it that wold make it harder to seal.
 
You know I learn something new all the time in these forums. Today I learn that OTC car wash soaps have garbage in them. :eek:

IMO, there may be a bit of over thinking the car wash thing. Some may be marginally better than another, but I can't really think of a bad one that I've used. I've tried some of the boutique washes and frankly I haven't found them to be a very good value. That is not to say that they weren't good soaps, but how good does a soap need to be? Find one you like and buy it in a container size that makes sense for you. I buy by the gallon and keep a few gallons on hand.
 
Mr. Clean said:
You know I learn something new all the time in these forums. Today I learn that OTC car wash soaps have garbage in them. :eek:

.
Click to expand...

What I meant was that some of the otc car wash soap has wax or a small amount of sealant (what i previously referd to as garbage) in em. So if you have one that has some in its contents, you may not get good bonding out of your sealant.
 
Can't think of any car wash that has any sealant. There are a few, including PB's, that have some amount of carnauba wax. I would say that if you are going to be applying a sealant w/o any further prep that might not be the right soap for the occasion. If you would be polishing or any other prep work, I doubt that it would create bonding issues. I wouldn't choose to characterize it as garbage.
 
Mr. Clean said:
Can't think of any car wash that has any sealant. There are a few, including PB's, that have some amount of carnauba wax. I would say that if you are going to be applying a sealant w/o any further prep that might not be the right soap for the occasion. If you would be polishing or any other prep work, I doubt that it would create bonding issues. I wouldn't choose to characterize it as garbage.
Click to expand...

If I am not mistaken, and I may be...... TW ice has a little sealant in it.

The only PB car wash that has wax in it, is PB slick suds with wax. A speciality product he makes once a year for people like me in the Northeast that cannot do a wax or sealant job in the middle of winter. SO we can add a little more protection.

As for the prep work, after spend i decent amout of time with the OP. I know what he is trying to accomplish which is layering the sealant. So stripping the paint is counter productive in his case.

As far as characterizing the added stuff in carwash soap as "garbage", in this case it was unwanted additives in the soap.
 
Mr. Clean said:
IMO, there may be a bit of over thinking the car wash thing. Some may be marginally better than another, but I can't really think of a bad one that I've used. I've tried some of the boutique washes and frankly I haven't found them to be a very good value. That is not to say that they weren't good soaps, but how good does a soap need to be? Find one you like and buy it in a container size that makes sense for you. I buy by the gallon and keep a few gallons on hand.
Click to expand...

I respectfully disagree with you here ... the different surfactants and cleaners that can and can not be put into a car wash can be immensely different. When we decided to even make our first car wash, the difference was not only noticeable but extreme in many cases. The way they clean, whether they remove the dirt easily, if they are ph neutral, if they will strip wax or sealant, how they work with different water types, if they free rinse, & for those who use foam guns or cannons now :wow: it can make quite a difference. Will most people who have never tried a better wash know the difference, probably not, but they spend more in summer water bills trying to rinse off the soap residue and not even realize it.
AWD330, who is very picky and finicky, was my tester in making SS&S and she had tried them all. When we made a version she really liked we stopped and went into production and have made a lot of believers since then ;)
 
Mr. Clean said:
Some may be marginally better than another, but I can't really think of a bad one that I've used.
Click to expand...

Apparently you've never used "The Wax Shop" orange shampoo (made by Turtle Wax.) :eek: :yikes:

That stuff is (IMHO) THE WORST shampoo I've ever used. Streaks the paint somewhat, streaks trim to the point that it won't wash off and has to be rubbed out. Doesn't matter even if you do a small a section! UGH!! I HATE IT!!!! (Oh, by the way, it isn't made anymore, as far as I know. ;) )
 
Poorboy said:
I respectfully disagree with you here ... the different surfactants and cleaners that can and can not be put into a car wash can be immensely different. When we decided to even make our first car wash, the difference was not only noticeable but extreme in many cases. The way they clean, whether they remove the dirt easily, if they are ph neutral, if they will strip wax or sealant, how they work with different water types, if they free rinse, & for those who use foam guns or cannons now :wow: it can make quite a difference. Will most people who have never tried a better wash know the difference, probably not, but they spend more in summer water bills trying to rinse off the soap residue and not even realize it.
AWD330, who is very picky and finicky, was my tester in making SS&S and she had tried them all. When we made a version she really liked we stopped and went into production and have made a lot of believers since then ;)
Click to expand...

No problem! We will agree to disagree. :bigups I have used a lot of car washes from many sources. Put 'em all in buckets w/o labels and tell me which is which. A car wash either cleans or it doesn't. I don't believe in "cleaner than clean" in this case. Which is my point regarding value.

For the purposes of full disclosure I have not tried your SS&S. Though I have a few of the nice boutique soaps. Great though they are, IMO they didn't clean my car (too expensive to use them on customer's) any better than others which are less costly per use.
 
Big Leegr said:
Apparently you've never used "The Wax Shop" orange shampoo (made by Turtle Wax.) :eek: :yikes:

That stuff is (IMHO) THE WORST shampoo I've ever used. Streaks the paint somewhat, streaks trim to the point that it won't wash off and has to be rubbed out. Doesn't matter even if you do a small a section! UGH!! I HATE IT!!!! (Oh, by the way, it isn't made anymore, as far as I know. ;) )
Click to expand...

No, that one flew just under my radar. :D I will give you an example though, Zip Wax car wash (I think that was the name). Call it cheap, or inexpensive or whatever. It wasn't luxurious, but it cleaned just fine. Used to use the heck out of it.
 
Mr. Clean said:
No, that one flew just under my radar. :D I will give you an example though, Zip Wax car wash (I think that was the name). Call it cheap, or inexpensive or whatever. It wasn't luxurious, but it cleaned just fine. Used to use the heck out of it.
Click to expand...

Yep, I'll agree with you. I don't think Zip Wax shampoo is as bad is it's often made out to be.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top