ArmorAll Car Wash - Free at Target - Use or Pitch?

bill57 said:
There is nothing undesirable about the Armor-all car wash product. Dilute it in warm water, get it to suds up, and wash the whole car with it- not just the wheels. Unless a product is "boutique", it is below some peoples dignity to use it. But it works!

Finally! Somebody with common sense.

I've been using a bottle of Amour All Car Wash all summer on my week-end / toy car that I routinely spend 20+ hours detailing and nothing bad has happened!

The Meguiar's 21 sealant is still on the car, the color of the paint hasn't changed, the windows are still transparent, the rubber and plastic trim is still black and the bare polished aluminum wheel rims are still shiny. The car wash hasn't installed extra swirls in my paint or given me colon cancer.

Sometimes I wonder about you people. Especially the ones who bash a product without having tried it. Blue collar detailing snobs!
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XB70 said:
bill57 said:
There is nothing undesirable about the Armor-all car wash product. Dilute it in warm water, get it to suds up, and wash the whole car with it- not just the wheels. Unless a product is "boutique", it is below some peoples dignity to use it. But it works!

Finally! Somebody with common sense.

I've been using a bottle of Amour All Car Wash all summer on my week-end / toy car that I routinely spend 20+ hours detailing and nothing bad has happened!

The Meguiar's 21 sealant is still on the car, the color of the paint hasn't changed, the windows are still transparent, the rubber and plastic trim is still black and the bare polished aluminum wheel rims are still shiny. The car wash hasn't installed extra swirls in my paint or given me colon cancer.

Sometimes I wonder about you people. Especially the ones who bash a product without having tried it. Blue collar detailing snobs!
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Wow! I'm sure glad I didn't bash it! :)

How can I, I've never tried it!
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What negative effect does warm wash water have on a car's surface that isn't negatively affected by the heat of the sun?
 
bill57 said:
What negative effect does warm wash water have on a car's surface that isn't negatively affected by the heat of the sun?
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I'm not sure I understand your question. I don't wash my car in the sun.
 
What is the downside to using warm water to wash a car? Just curious...
 
OK, rephrasing the question: if the heat of the sun doesn't negatively affect a polished, sealed surface, how could warm wash water negatively affect the surface?
 
Dudge said:
What is the downside to using warm water to wash a car? Just curious...
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Depends how warm... Hot water will soften the wax and then through the friction of your wash mitt be more easily removed from the paint.


bill57 said:
OK, rephrasing the question: if the heat of the sun doesn't negatively affect a polished, sealed surface, how could warm wash water negatively affect the surface?
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Sorry, wasn't sure that was what you meant. See above
 
Since the heat of the sun never melted my sealant, I doubt that warm water - as opposed to cold water - would pose a threat to any product currently used by anyone on this forum.
 
I have just recently read this post (not all the replies) but I will echo Bill57 and XB70. I have found nothing wrong with AA Car Wash. It suds, has decent lubricity and does not strip wax. I do not worry about water spotting as I dry almost immediately (and can safely assume that everyone else does on this forum). AA Car Wash may not be on my radar when buying car care products but it works.

For the record, Griot's Garage Car Wash is outstanding and surprisingly (cover your eyes if you are squeamish) Turtle Wax Ice Car Wash worked very well for OTC. I stand ready for the bashing.....
 
bill57 said:
Since the heat of the sun never melted my sealant, I doubt that warm water - as opposed to cold water - would pose a threat to any product currently used by anyone on this forum.
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Depends how hot of water and what type of wax. If warm means 110 degrees then I won't argue. If warm means 130 degrees or more then I would argue that the friction of the mitt combined with the softened wax is not going to advance your cause.

btw, sealants have a much higher tolerance for heat then waxes do.
 
longdx said:
I have just recently read this post (not all the replies) but I will echo Bill57 and XB70. I have found nothing wrong with AA Car Wash. It suds, has decent lubricity and does not strip wax. I do not worry about water spotting as I dry almost immediately (and can safely assume that everyone else does on this forum). AA Car Wash may not be on my radar when buying car care products but it works.

For the record, Griot's Garage Car Wash is outstanding and surprisingly (cover your eyes if you are squeamish) Turtle Wax Ice Car Wash worked very well for OTC. I stand ready for the bashing.....
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Nah no bashing. I used Turtle Wax wash n' wax for quite a long time before i got seriously into detailing and never had any issues with it. Even used their rubber/vinyl dressing...a little oily but did great with protection...dash has suffered in Az heat (black dash) for almost 10 years now and atleast 1/2 of those were not in a garage.

I cant comment on if it stripped wax or anything because at the time i didnt even know about that lol...but i can say I always had tight water beading so I think that woudl count for something.
 
Ok Guys, I put them head-to-head :)

I had to order some SIP polish from AG anyway so I added a bottle of P21S Shampoo. I filled 2 buckets: P21 per direction, ArmorAll with twice as much concentrate than directed.

I started by using the ArmorAll on the roof of the car. Then for the next surfaces I tried the P21.

There is a remarkable difference in lubricity between the two. Remarkable.

That said, I was the car every week and only drive about 20, 25 miles per day. Plus i dust it off with some microfiber and QD spray during the week. It's never too dirty. It's quite possible the AA lubricity is adequate, and the premium for P21 is a waste.

But it just felt so.... good.

I will continue to use the ArmorAll for the wifes car, plus the tires as others have suggested. But if I was ever, say, run-out of P21, I wouldn't freak about having to use the AA product.
 
encoder said:
I will continue to use the ArmorAll for the wifes car
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When you dine at Tavern on the Green, do you have a Happy Meal delivered to your table for the wife?

I predict divorce within 6 months.

By the way, how does she like being called, "the wife?"
 
XB70 said:
When you dine at Tavern on the Green, do you have a Happy Meal delivered to your table for the wife?

I predict divorce within 6 months.

By the way, how does she like being called, "the wife?"
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My wife does not have a problem eating happy meals.

We have been married for over 20 yrs.

Mine gets called the "old lady" Whats the big deal if you call here "the wife" ????


As for the AA car wash, I prefer Meguiars Gold Class but AA is not a bad soap either. Especially if your washing a vehicle for the first time before detailing it or washing something that is not really maintained.

I do get the vibe from this forum that if its not boutiqe its not good.

You would be suprised just how great of results you can get with OTC products.

You can do a good job since clay, compounds, and polish are OTC.
 
Want a good OTC product to wash a car that is loaded with lubricity? Try an inexpensive bottle of baby shampoo. That's right, if it is mild enough for an infant's hair, it can clean the exterior of a car and it won't melt away whatever is protecting your car's finish, either. I've used such products to wash cars, found them to work well, and never had a car develop dandruff as a result.
 
Not sure what the offense would be. She IS "the wife".

It's not like anybody knows her by name here so if you were to refer to her as Stacy or Nicky it would mean nothing.
 
bill57 said:
Want a good OTC product to wash a car that is loaded with lubricity? Try an inexpensive bottle of baby shampoo. That's right, if it is mild enough for an infant's hair, it can clean the exterior of a car and it won't melt away whatever is protecting your car's finish, either. I've used such products to wash cars, found them to work well, and never had a car develop dandruff as a result.
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:laughing::laughing::laughing::haha: dandruff free ride! love it!
 
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