Car Wash Soaps

I'm going to place an order on AG right now for the Durogloss and Optimum. I'll let you know what I think as I try them using the two bucket method. I'm also going to get a Meguirs Soft Touch drying towel also. I have been using the beige waffle weave microf towels and love them but they do get stiff fairly quickly which I worry might lead to micro marring. We'll see how the Meguirs works.

Also, what does everything think about storing products in a cabinet in the garage? It's coldddd down here in the south right now but I just dont have room for everything inside.

I dont know why Sal doesnt go with AG. You would think it would mean so much more exposure and money for him. His products are excellent but he has to rely on word of mouth. Maybe that's what he wants? I was hoping he would throw in a free T-shirt with an order one of these days as much money as I've spent over the last two years. So far no t-shirt......
 
Dane said:
Also, what does everything think about storing products in a cabinet in the garage? It's coldddd down here in the south right now but I just dont have room for everything inside.
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Dane, here's a link to an autopia forum where someone has asked your same question about winter storage of products:

Winter Storage of detailing products - Autopia.org

I myself live in Southern NC, and yes, it's been cold! I have an attached garage, and I put a thermometer near my stuff stored there, and the temp has not gotten below 40 F, so I am not worried. I would be if the temp got too close to 32 F, which is freezing...
 
Tex said:
I will second (or third or fourth) the recommendation on DP Auto Bath Shampoo.

I have learnt on this forum that in a shampoo, you are looking for 3 qualities: lubricity, detergency and possibly gloss. I used to use the Meguiars Gold Class and it has these qualities, although I found out later on that DP was glossier and had even more lubricity at a lower concentration. I am a DP fan now.
That said, all products recommended here are extremely high quality.
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:iagree:The products mentioned on this thread -- OCW, Meg's GC, DG -- they are all excellent. However, the lubricity, suds, and lovely mild banana scent make DP ABS my current favorite. It is just a beautiful product. Just got a gallon on BOGO.
 
Honestly, if you spend a little more money then you would on say Turtle Wax you probably have a functional shampoo. After that, smell is my biggest deciding factor, Optimum and DP ABS is my current favorites. These are favorite enough to bench the Meguiar's even as much as I love it.
 
Just don't waste your money on Dodo Juice Supernatural Shampoo. Over priced, doesn't sud well, and takes more than 1 pump per gallon as mentioned on the label. I ended up using 6 pumps or squirts for 1 gallon to get some suds action and cleaning ability. My fave has always been Meg's but after reading this thread I may order DP.
 
rwright said:
Just don't waste your money on Dodo Juice Supernatural Shampoo. Over priced, doesn't sud well, and takes more than 1 pump per gallon as mentioned on the label. I ended up using 6 pumps or squirts for 1 gallon to get some suds action and cleaning ability. My fave has always been Meg's but after reading this thread I may order DP.
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Check out this video from Mike Philips' Show Car Garage days:

How to Wash Your Car (ShowCar style!)#

According to Mike, suds are not an integral part of the washing process. Some soaps are intentionally not sudsy. If they provide lubricity and cleaning power but not suds they're still a good soap. I've never used Supernatural Shampoo but no suds doesn't necessarilly make it a bad soap.
 
MikeyC said:
Check out this video from Mike Philips' Show Car Garage days:

How to Wash Your Car (ShowCar style!)#

According to Mike, suds are not an integral part of the washing process. Some soaps are intentionally not sudsy. If they provide lubricity and cleaning power but not suds they're still a good soap. I've never used Supernatural Shampoo but no suds doesn't necessarilly make it a bad soap.
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this is very true, however some people shop by the ability of a soap to suds up (not the case for me). i just provided my experience. when i washed my car with the Supernatural, it didn't have the same slick feel that i am used to with Meg's Gold Class. i am impressed so far by the quality of their waxes. just not a fan of the soap or wheel cleaner.
 
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Do the DP and Optimum soaps work pretty well, even in hard water? Just wondering...

And I did watch that video last night, and it is full of great info. And yes, Mike P. did talk about the lubricity of the soap being the most important factor. He intentionally doesn't blast the wash bucket with water and soap because then you have too many suds and not enough water. He gets water ready in his wash bucket first, then he puts the soap in and swishes it around by gentle mixing with his mitt in his hand inside the water + soap bucket to mix the soap into the water. Good method! I will try this next time I do a regular wash (now doing ONR because it's cold out!).

I wonder if the genuine sheepskin mitt is Mike's go-to mitt for washing nowadays, or if he uses a different mitt? The video was shot in 2006.
 
spike said:
Do the DP and Optimum soaps work pretty well, even in hard water? Just wondering....
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We have some of the hardest water that I have seen here in Jacksonville and I can whole hardedly say DP is awesome. I am still waiting for the temp to raise a little more to try out the Optimum soap. Dublifecrisis hooked a brother up with the Optimum sampler they sell for Christmas and looking forward to trying all of it out.

Rob
 
robbyboatz said:
We have some of the hardest water that I have seen here in Jacksonville and I can whole hardedly say DP is awesome. I am still waiting for the temp to raise a little more to try out the Optimum soap. Dublifecrisis hooked a brother up with the Optimum sampler they sell for Christmas and looking forward to trying all of it out.

Rob
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Thanks Rob. Looking forward to your review of the Optimum soap (AND warmer temps, too!!) :D
 
rwright said:
this is very true, however some people shop by the ability of a soap to suds up (not the case for me). i just provided my experience. when i washed my car with the Supernatural, it didn't have the same slick feel that i am used to with Meg's Gold Class. i am impressed so far by the quality of their waxes. just not a fan of the soap or wheel cleaner.
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Some people put a huge emphasis on suds so I thought it would be a good addition to the discussion if I added this point (and the video).

Don't get me wrong, suds make washing fun. :props: I use my foam cannon everytime I wash my car. However, I know the foam isn't really doing anything except getting the soap to stick to the car. When I first got my foam cannon I would foam the car, let it sit for a few minutes, and then rinse. No matter what soap I used or if I added APC or Poorboy's Bugsquash to the soap container there was never a significant (or really even noticeable) amount of cleaning performed by the foam.

spike said:
Do the DP and Optimum soaps work pretty well, even in hard water? Just wondering...

And I did watch that video last night, and it is full of great info. And yes, Mike P. did talk about the lubricity of the soap being the most important factor. He intentionally doesn't blast the wash bucket with water and soap because then you have too many suds and not enough water. He gets water ready in his wash bucket first, then he puts the soap in and swishes it around by gentle mixing with his mitt in his hand inside the water + soap bucket to mix the soap into the water. Good method! I will try this next time I do a regular wash (now doing ONR because it's cold out!).

I wonder if the genuine sheepskin mitt is Mike's go-to mitt for washing nowadays, or if he uses a different mitt? The video was shot in 2006.
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If you like this video you should see the "How to Use a PC for Show Car Results" DVD that Mike was selling a couple of years back. It's chock full of great tips & info. Mike is like a walking encyclopedia of detailing. There are a lot of knowledgable people out there though and the most impressive thing about Mike is that he's SO good at explaining the process and teaching it whether it be written, on video, or in person.
 
Ok, I know you guys have been on pins and needles just waiting for the review. ;) Between the Duragloss and the Optimum I have to say...........................................Optimum. Loosens up the dirt and everything so much it's amazing. Makes it even hard to hold on to the sheepskin mitt its so slippery. Almost seemed to wash by itself. In my opinio of course. And, loved the smell :)
 
Another car wash soap not already mentioned is Griot's Garage car soap. Lots of suds, use a small amount per bucket, excellent lubricity. Just my 2 cents!!! thanks
 
intmdt8r said:
Another car wash soap not already mentioned is Griot's Garage car soap. Lots of suds, use a small amount per bucket, excellent lubricity. Just my 2 cents!!! thanks
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What is the dilution ration GG says to use?
 
Dane said:
Ok, I know you guys have been on pins and needles just waiting for the review. ;) Between the Duragloss and the Optimum I have to say...........................................Optimum. Loosens up the dirt and everything so much it's amazing. Makes it even hard to hold on to the sheepskin mitt its so slippery. Almost seemed to wash by itself. In my opinio of course. And, loved the smell :)
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Thanks for the review! I have a small bottle of optimum, and I can't wait to try it out. Glad to hear that I won't be disappointed with it...
 
Just curious if anyone has any opinion on "Kit carnauba wash & wax" found OTC at Ace hardware etc.
 
I might be a little bit of a minority here, but I like PB Super Slick & Suds! Realllllly slippery! I'm going to try optimum soon though (about to order one of their 4-pack samples).

I'm very interested to use it if it smells like blueberries!
 
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