DFB's Garage

A couple of months ago, I decided to try a different microfiber detergent. My go-to had been P&S Rags to Riches, but it commands a significant price premium in Australia, and I'd often read people say R2R is just hype — not worth the premium over competitor products. So I switched to 3D Towel Kleen.

3D Towel Kleen: $59.95 AUD (1 gallon)
P&S Rags to Riches: $109.95 AUD (1 gallon)

While roughly half the price, I don't think Towel Kleen is as effective as R2R. I've noticed my drying towels becoming increasingly hydrophobic since switching. Those towels had been in service for years under R2R with no issues, and only started underperforming after the switch.



So I've picked up a fresh gallon of R2R and I'm doing an overnight soak to try to revive them. To 15-litres of hot water, I added 125ml of R2R, gave it a stir and left them with the lid on to soak overnight.



I know towels have a finite lifespan, but the timing — performance dropping right when I switched detergents — points to the detergent, not just age.

I also know 3D and P&S are under the same parent company now, but both products were developed independently before merger.
 
Atbut

You guys in the USA don't know how lucky you are in what you have readily available at your finger tips.
Well from reading several of your posts it seems you guys in Australia really take it on the chin on detailing products. First on what's available and then on the elevated cost of them. Seems like the price is triple.
So what are the reasons for this? Is it the cost of shipping or is it a healthy price mark up? Or both.
Seems that the shipping could be part of it, but in the USA there are several imported brands that are slightly more pricey such as Carpro/Bilt Hamber/Labrocosmetica/etc. But nothing crazy.
Is it like that for most things imported to Austrailia or is is just Automotive products or even just detailing products.?
 
I started with Griot's Microfiber cleaner, then Microfiber Restore, then 3D, and now P&S. I like the P&S the best by far.
 
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The following is related. Only been using Rags to Riches a couple years. Before that I was just using a free and clear detergent. Admittedly I had allowed my drying towels and multiple 16 x 16 better grade microfibers to become hydrophobic. Try as I may I couldn't get them corrected by washing or even soaking in Rags to Riches. I had to resort to soaking them in simple green and then in white vinegar.
Once they were corrected, I first stopped using my drying towels with anything that would make them hydrophoblc. I do still use 16 x 16 microfibers maybe 350 gsm with drying aids/waxes/sealants as they are easier to deal with si02 residue than an 1100 gsm drying towel. However any towels/applicators/etc used with protection products gets soaked in simple green afterwards and is laundered with Rags to Riches in a separate load from anything not used with protection products/etc.
 
Well from reading several of your posts it seems you guys in Australia really take it on the chin on detailing products. First on what's available and then on the elevated cost of them. Seems like the price is triple.
So what are the reasons for this? Is it the cost of shipping or is it a healthy price mark up? Or both.
Seems that the shipping could be part of it, but in the USA there are several imported brands that are slightly more pricey such as Carpro/Bilt Hamber/Labrocosmetica/etc. But nothing crazy.
Is it like that for most things imported to Austrailia or is is just Automotive products or even just detailing products.?

It's a complex situation and applies to pretty much everything in Australia. In other words, everything is expensive. The flipside, our minimum wages are considerably higher.

The big killer for anything coming further than the general Asia Pacific region, shipping charges are astronomical, especially during Covid, but those prices have remained high after Covid. It's why every American brand sold here goes from being a value proposition to a premium priced option, even if the brand can't really stand as a premium proposition. That price hike is hidden with certain boutique brands, but it still stings when I know what my US peers are paying.

There is also a lot of pricing what the market will tolerate. For example, Ford only sell a fully loaded versions of the Mustang, be that the EcoBoost or GT. That includes the Performance Pack and Premium Spec as standard equipment. Then knowing they have no competitor, Ford price it juuuust on the edge of comfort for those, almost like an elite purchase. So, the cheapest V8 Mustang is nearly $100,000 on the road, which to me takes the car away from its true target audience. Ford could offer an entry level V8 version, but they like the profit margin of selling the premium models. They do the same with the grossly overpriced Ranger, even though it comes from Thailand on the cheap.

I could go on, but you get the drift.
 
Used 3D Towel clean for many years. Tried Rags to Riches about a year ago and I’m sold.


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With all of the rain we've had over the last week, the Wildtrak was in desperate need of a wash. Mud, road grime, tar, bugs and debris.............all hitching a free ride.

Before I did anything, I mixed up a 1.5% dilution of Bilt Hamber Touch-less, foamed it on and left to dwell while I filled buckets and got setup for the wash. I decided to do this first so that it would give me a headstart on the wheels, arches and tyres. After rinsing the Touch-less, it was business as usual; tyres with Wise Guy, wheels with Brake Buster, tar removed with KCx TEA. NV Snow then finished off the cleaning.

The Can Coat EVO I applied last May has left the building, so I'm nursing this car through winter. While performance dropped off around February this year, it's been present right up until this last wash, so the claimed 12-month durability is about right. The water behavior on the vertical panels is basically toast, the roof and hood are still decent enough. Completely normal.



To get it through the next few months, I decided to give a new-to-me product a try, Bilt Hamber Touch-On.

Touch-On is a competitor to the likes of Carpro HydrO2 Foam and Gyeon Bathe+. In that I mean a low foaming soap that delivers a layer of Si02 with minimal effort. Compared to HydrO2, which has separate versions for washing/foaming and the spray/rinse action, Bilt Hamber does it in one single product and applied three different ways -

- Via foam cannon. Add 30ml to 970ml of water, foam it on and rinse off immediately.

- Via bucket washing. Add 30-60ml to 10-litres of water, then wash working section to section and rinsing as you go.

- Via a trigger sprayer. Add 30ml to a 970ml of water, I'd use demineralized water in this case as you'll likely store this for a while. Again, working panel to panel, mist it on, then rinse off.

With all three methods, its recommend to wash the car first. However, if the vehicle isn't very dirty, or you've pretreated with Touch-less first, you can use Touch-On as a light cleaner. I would avoid using this in the sun or on hot days, especially if using the foam method as you risk causing water spots that will be extremely difficult to remove. Bilt Hamber also caution against using Touch-On any more than once a month to avoid overloading the paint and causing streaks and residue buildup.

Touch-On is sold in two formats, a 1-litre bottle or as the 30ml sachets I have here. My application method was via foam cannon. As you can see, the "foam" isn't all that foamy, but that's by design and the same as HydrO2 Foam. While the foam cannon does the delivery, its the rinse that does the work, helping to activate and disperse the sealant.





At this point, I'd say HydrO2 Foam provides a stronger beading effect, Touch-On seems to be more of a sheeter. That's not a complaint, just an observation. Either way, it brought back some hydrophobics to the paint, slickness too.





As for the rest of the process, I dried using ADS Amplify, interior cleaned with ADS Pilot, tyres got OG TD. I also gave P&S Reflect another try, which is proving to be an excellent product.
 
Over the last few days, I've been attempting to revive a selection of towels that had become increasingly hydrophobic. I started by soaking overnight in hot water with Rags to Riches, then cycled through the washing machine with an extra rinse and spin, followed by drying on low heat. For now, I've done this to the following towels -

4x TRC Gauntlet 24x60 (Drying)
10x TRC Gauntlet 12x12 (Wheels)
4x Microfiber Madness Chipmunk Jr. 16x16 (Drying)
12x TRC Dry Me A River 16x4 (Glass)
2x TRC Dry Me A River 20x40 (Door Jambs)
9x TRC FTW 16x16 (Glass, Drying)

There is nothing worse than a hydrophobic towel, it just pushes liquid around and around, increasing the working time and contacting the paint more than you should need. In my case, there are two causes for this -

- Using SiO2 drying aids and glass cleaners
- A change in laundry detergent.

The obvious action here would be to stop using drying aids, at least ones with SiO2 or wax. However, the drying aid process is one of the tasks I truly enjoy, so I do my best to manage the situation.

In the past, I've noted that as long as you prevent the towels from drying out and get them into the wash ASAP, you'll reduce the likelihood of them become hydrophobic. And I still stand by that advice, leaving towels in an open pile for days or weeks is a one-way ticket to Hydrophobic City. But it's clear that the laundry detergent plays a role too. Moving onto a cheaper detergent didn't really save me any money. In the end, its actually been a waste of time and money.

Thankfully, it would appear I've managed to revive them. The drying towels are back to nearly new, easily soaking up water and spreading the drying aid. The glass towels are much better too, again absorbing moisture rather than moving it around.

So, I got lucky on this one. The retail cost of that collection of towels above comes in at about $715 AUD. Buying the cheaper detergent to save $50 risked a $700+ collection of towels.

I will also say this, sometimes the apparent "hype" is justified, as in Rags to Riches is THE BEST microfiber detergent on the market.
 
The obvious action here would be to stop using drying aids, at least ones with SiO2 or wax. However, the drying aid process is one of the tasks I truly enjoy, so I do my best to manage the situation.
I've gone to using rinseless wash as my drying aid. Particularly Absolute at 64:1. Using Absolute has several benefits. It's very lubricious, its dirt cheap to use, it prevents water spots and doesn't make my drying towels hydrophobic. If I want to add protection I'll do so after drying the car.
As long as we are discussing hydrophobic towels I have a sensation I'd like to discuss. Think the foam on/ rinse off products are interesting. However if one dries their vehicle off immediately after rinseing off one of these protection products I believe they would be giving their drying towel a healthy dose of si02 residue. See any way to avoid that? Maybe blow off with ane Ego then mop up with a 16 x 16 microfiber?
 
Think the foam on/ rinse off products are interesting. However if one dries their vehicle off immediately after rinseing off one of these protection products I believe they would be giving their drying towel a healthy dose of si02 residue. See any way to avoid that? Maybe blow off with ane Ego then mop up with a 16 x 16 microfiber?

I have two main wash methods that I use depending on condition -

Method 1 (Light to Medium Duty) -
1. Wheels/Tyres/Wheel Arches/Exhaust tips
2. Rinse entire vehicle
3. Foam with soap, contact wash using one single "rinse" bucket
4. Rinse
5. Blower to remove 95% of the standing water
6. Go back with one or two 16x16 drying towel and drying aid (which varies from SiO2, detail spray, or rinse-less)

Method 2 (Medium to Heavy Duty) -
1. Wheels/Tyres/Wheel Arches/Exhaust tips
2. Foam with high pH soap, from dry, dwell
3. Rinse entire vehicle
4. Foam with soap, contact wash using one single "rinse" bucket
5. Rinse
6. Blower to remove 95% of the standing water
7. Go back with one or two 16x16 drying towel and drying aid (which varies from SiO2, detail spray, or rinse-less)

In reality, a 16x16 Eagle Edgeless 350 or 500 would do drying duties with ease. But I like the added material in my hands by using a Gauntlet or Chipmunk. So, there is a preference thing going on here, the thicker towel and the drying aid just feel right.
 
My wash methods are almost identical. With either I only have one bucket. Thats a rinse bucket with a grit guard and scrub wall. After foaming the vehicle I foam the wash mitt and wash in sections before rinseing the mitt against the scrub wall then refoam the mitt for the next section.. I use no bucket of soap. Don't see the point as the vehicle is covered in soap/foam and see no advantage in using a bucket of soap that one would end up dumping 75% of that bucket of soap down the drain.
 
I don't know the exact moment, but since I was a kid, I've been obsessed with small engines. Lawn mowers, leaf blowers, grass trimmers, chainsaws — if it's got a small engine, I'm in. Pinpointing my Stihl obsession is easier: I used to watch in awe as our neighbour cut firewood with his Stihl chainsaw, and ever since, I wanted one of my own.

As fate would have it, I eventually inherited that chainsaw..............two weeks after I had bought my first "real" chainsaw.



I started my own lawn mowing business at 15. My parents bought me a lawnmower and trimmer for consecutive birthdays. My dad bought me a leaf blower, which I worked off by mowing the lawns at his office — that leaf blower was my first Stihl product, and I still have it.

As the business grew, so did my collection of Stihl tools, out of necessity, but if I'm honest, buying tools was a dream come true. Apart from a couple of deviations, I've stayed a Stihl customer ever since: blowers, hedge trimmers, multi-tools, grass trimmers, shears, pole saws, and best of all, my own Stihl chainsaws — four of them, actually. Some don't even have a small engine, but I'm happy to compromise where it makes sense.



In 2026, Stihl celebrates 100 years in business, and they've been running several promotions to mark it. The most visible is the Centennial Edition MS 500i chainsaw — a special edition with bespoke finishes, unique graphics and limited availability. To get one, you had to enter a ballot and be prepared to fork out $3,500 for a chainsaw you'd realistically never cut wood with (the fact it comes with a custom display stand says it all). I want one.









Stihl also ran a promotion called Australia's Biggest STIHL Fan:

"We're looking for Australia's biggest STIHL fan on INSTAGRAM! Think you're STIHL's #1 supporter? Now's your chance to prove it. Share your STIHL story, your favourite tool, your tattoos, or show us your STIHL collection for a chance to be featured as part of our 100-year celebrations."

I'm decent at telling a story and run a reasonable Instagram account, so I threw my hat in the ring. First prize was the Centennial MS 500i, second was a bundle of AP pro-grade battery tools, third a selection of AK battery tools, and fourth an assortment of AS battery tools. The global prize was a trip to Germany (thanks, but no thanks).









Knowing my level of Stihl obsession is modest compared to some, I entered the competition with zero expectations. I had actually forgotten about it. Then last Friday, I spotted on Instagram that I'd won 4th place! Not the Centennial chainsaw I had been hoping for, but I’m not complaining.

The fourth prize was called the Camping & Home Bundle, which included the BGA 30 Blower (kit), PS1 Power Bank, RCA 20 Pressure Washer (skin), KOA 20 inflator (kit), and SEA 20 vacuum (skin). All up, $1015 worth of tools.






To quote a successful businessman – “support the businesses that helps support yours”. I buy tools out of both need and want. I buy Stihl because they make great products that have helped build my business and allowed me to make an income from it. Over the years, I would plug the brand on social media, recommend their products to others, gave them plenty of free advertising. I never asked nor expected anything out of that. So, as much as anything, I’m just happy to have caught Stihl’s attention.

Collection of the prize is being organized by my local Stihl dealer, which I have a great relationship with. I’ll be sure to do my usual thing with these new toys tools.
 
I don't know the exact moment, but since I was a kid, I've been obsessed with small engines. Lawn mowers, leaf blowers, grass trimmers, chainsaws — if it's got a small engine, I'm in. Pinpointing my Stihl obsession is easier: I used to watch in awe as our neighbour cut firewood with his Stihl chainsaw, and ever since, I wanted one of my own.

As fate would have it, I eventually inherited that chainsaw..............two weeks after I had bought my first "real" chainsaw.



I started my own lawn mowing business at 15. My parents bought me a lawnmower and trimmer for consecutive birthdays. My dad bought me a leaf blower, which I worked off by mowing the lawns at his office — that leaf blower was my first Stihl product, and I still have it.

As the business grew, so did my collection of Stihl tools, out of necessity, but if I'm honest, buying tools was a dream come true. Apart from a couple of deviations, I've stayed a Stihl customer ever since: blowers, hedge trimmers, multi-tools, grass trimmers, shears, pole saws, and best of all, my own Stihl chainsaws — four of them, actually. Some don't even have a small engine, but I'm happy to compromise where it makes sense.



In 2026, Stihl celebrates 100 years in business, and they've been running several promotions to mark it. The most visible is the Centennial Edition MS 500i chainsaw — a special edition with bespoke finishes, unique graphics and limited availability. To get one, you had to enter a ballot and be prepared to fork out $3,500 for a chainsaw you'd realistically never cut wood with (the fact it comes with a custom display stand says it all). I want one.









Stihl also ran a promotion called Australia's Biggest STIHL Fan:

"We're looking for Australia's biggest STIHL fan on INSTAGRAM! Think you're STIHL's #1 supporter? Now's your chance to prove it. Share your STIHL story, your favourite tool, your tattoos, or show us your STIHL collection for a chance to be featured as part of our 100-year celebrations."

I'm decent at telling a story and run a reasonable Instagram account, so I threw my hat in the ring. First prize was the Centennial MS 500i, second was a bundle of AP pro-grade battery tools, third a selection of AK battery tools, and fourth an assortment of AS battery tools. The global prize was a trip to Germany (thanks, but no thanks).









Knowing my level of Stihl obsession is modest compared to some, I entered the competition with zero expectations. I had actually forgotten about it. Then last Friday, I spotted on Instagram that I'd won 4th place! Not the Centennial chainsaw I had been hoping for, but I’m not complaining.

The fourth prize was called the Camping & Home Bundle, which included the BGA 30 Blower (kit), PS1 Power Bank, RCA 20 Pressure Washer (skin), KOA 20 inflator (kit), and SEA 20 vacuum (skin). All up, $1015 worth of tools.






To quote a successful businessman – “support the businesses that helps support yours”. I buy tools out of both need and want. I buy Stihl because they make great products that have helped build my business and allowed me to make an income from it. Over the years, I would plug the brand on social media, recommend their products to others, gave them plenty of free advertising. I never asked nor expected anything out of that. So, as much as anything, I’m just happy to have caught Stihl’s attention.

Collection of the prize is being organized by my local Stihl dealer, which I have a great relationship with. I’ll be sure to do my usual thing with these new toys tools.
Congratulations Deyon, that's great news, well deserved too.
 
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I don't know the exact moment, but since I was a kid, I've been obsessed with small engines. Lawn mowers, leaf blowers, grass trimmers, chainsaws — if it's got a small engine, I'm in. Pinpointing my Stihl obsession is easier: I used to watch in awe as our neighbour cut firewood with his Stihl chainsaw, and ever since, I wanted one of my own.

As fate would have it, I eventually inherited that chainsaw..............two weeks after I had bought my first "real" chainsaw.



I started my own lawn mowing business at 15. My parents bought me a lawnmower and trimmer for consecutive birthdays. My dad bought me a leaf blower, which I worked off by mowing the lawns at his office — that leaf blower was my first Stihl product, and I still have it.

As the business grew, so did my collection of Stihl tools, out of necessity, but if I'm honest, buying tools was a dream come true. Apart from a couple of deviations, I've stayed a Stihl customer ever since: blowers, hedge trimmers, multi-tools, grass trimmers, shears, pole saws, and best of all, my own Stihl chainsaws — four of them, actually. Some don't even have a small engine, but I'm happy to compromise where it makes sense.



In 2026, Stihl celebrates 100 years in business, and they've been running several promotions to mark it. The most visible is the Centennial Edition MS 500i chainsaw — a special edition with bespoke finishes, unique graphics and limited availability. To get one, you had to enter a ballot and be prepared to fork out $3,500 for a chainsaw you'd realistically never cut wood with (the fact it comes with a custom display stand says it all). I want one.









Stihl also ran a promotion called Australia's Biggest STIHL Fan:

"We're looking for Australia's biggest STIHL fan on INSTAGRAM! Think you're STIHL's #1 supporter? Now's your chance to prove it. Share your STIHL story, your favourite tool, your tattoos, or show us your STIHL collection for a chance to be featured as part of our 100-year celebrations."

I'm decent at telling a story and run a reasonable Instagram account, so I threw my hat in the ring. First prize was the Centennial MS 500i, second was a bundle of AP pro-grade battery tools, third a selection of AK battery tools, and fourth an assortment of AS battery tools. The global prize was a trip to Germany (thanks, but no thanks).









Knowing my level of Stihl obsession is modest compared to some, I entered the competition with zero expectations. I had actually forgotten about it. Then last Friday, I spotted on Instagram that I'd won 4th place! Not the Centennial chainsaw I had been hoping for, but I’m not complaining.

The fourth prize was called the Camping & Home Bundle, which included the BGA 30 Blower (kit), PS1 Power Bank, RCA 20 Pressure Washer (skin), KOA 20 inflator (kit), and SEA 20 vacuum (skin). All up, $1015 worth of tools.






To quote a successful businessman – “support the businesses that helps support yours”. I buy tools out of both need and want. I buy Stihl because they make great products that have helped build my business and allowed me to make an income from it. Over the years, I would plug the brand on social media, recommend their products to others, gave them plenty of free advertising. I never asked nor expected anything out of that. So, as much as anything, I’m just happy to have caught Stihl’s attention.

Collection of the prize is being organized by my local Stihl dealer, which I have a great relationship with. I’ll be sure to do my usual thing with these new toys tools.
Congratulations! Well-deserved.

What is the "skin" ?
 
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Congrats on winning 4th place. I'm guessing the grand prize also came with not only the special edition saw but the wooden "100" display shown in the pic. That's a sizeable display. Hope whomever won that has room to display it. If not maybe it will be for sale wherever the Stihl geeks hang out.
 
Congrats on winning 4th place. I'm guessing the grand prize also came with not only the special edition saw but the wooden "100" display shown in the pic. That's a sizeable display. Hope whomever won that has room to display it. If not maybe it will be for sale wherever the Stihl geeks hang out.

I know the winner of the saw, he has a Youtube channel.


And yes, it comes with a display stand, although not the elaborate one shown above. I doubt any of these will ever get used, they are a shelf sitter, costing $1500 more than the standard 500i and limited to chosen customers (ballot system).

 
Congratulations! Well-deserved.

What is the "skin" ?

Skin just means the tool without a battery and charger. In this case, the RCA 20 handheld pressure washer. Looks to be a nice little piece of kit, although only 350 psi. Would be great for cleaning windows, outdoor furniture ect.




 
Congratulations! I have a few Stihl products myself. I won't buy anything else after using the other brands. They work like they're supposed to when they are supposed to.
 
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Congratulations! I have a few Stihl products myself. I won't buy anything else after using the other brands. They work like they supposed to when they are supposed to.

While it would be easy to assume I'm a fanboy over certain brands, it generally comes after considering a wider picture. In this case, I started off with Stihl and Victa, but I have bought other brands when it made sense.

The first example of that would be the lawn mower I use on 90% of my jobs for the last 12-years. Rover was the only one who made a self-propelled lawn mower without the gearbox taking up space in the catcher chute, so in 2014 I switched from Victa to Rover. If they still made the ProCut, I would have replaced that original machine many times over. However, the brand has been on life support for many years due to poor management. To replace the original meant buying a lightly used second hand one.



I've had 4 Stihl BG55 / BG86 gas powered leaf blowers over the years, each of them worked hard. In recent years, I've tried battery blowers, but they tend to drain the battery much faster than any other tool. That's not a brand specific thing, even the best (EGO) do that. For my work, I need the sustained long-range power that battery just can't cope with. I also tried to switch it up and bought a Husqvarna 525BX, but was left disappointed in terms of performance, and it was extremely temperamental in warm weather. I ended up selling the Husky and bought another Stihl. So, the best handheld gas leaf blower is, and has been since it came out in 2001, the Stihl BG series. But, unless I tried other things, how would I know if it WAS actually the best?



On the flipside, I couldn't be happier with my Husqvarna 522L trimmer. For this purchase, I wanted something lightweight. Because of how you hold these, the heavier the machine, the harder it is on your back during prolonged use. I looked all of the top brands; Stihl, Husqvarna, ECHO, Shindaiwa. In the end, I went for the Husqvarna because of it being the lightest straight shaft trimmer on the market. This put an end to 3 consecutive Stihl trimmers. Not only was it light, the Husky has an anti-vibration handle which NO Stihl comes with. Before this, I was getting nasty pins and needles in my hands due to all the vibration. A lot of people dismiss this Husky because it isn't the most powerful, but you just don't need a big engine to trim edges. And it's been reliable, I think since I got it in 2018, I've replaced the air filter a couple of times, a plug or two, fuel filters, and greased the gearbox regularity. I recommend and would buy another in a heartbeat, the BEST trimmer I've ever had and its not my golden Stihl brand.



So yes, Stihl are my go-to brand, but not always.
 
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