I tried a new car wash soap

[Eldorado2k]

It’s been just over 3 weeks since I did a full detail on my car [clay/polish/seal] and it was time to give it the 1st wash this weekend.

I usually use Meguairs Hyper Wash, but recently I had seen a few videos on the Armor All Shield Ceramic Car Wash that seemed kind of interesting. At 1st I didn’t really give it much thought but I did find the beading it produced pretty impressive for being just a car wash shampoo.

It wasn’t until I remembered that I already had a base layer of Armor All Extreme Shield Wax that I should be the perfect candidate for that particular soap because you know, “synergy”. [not to mention I love beading]

So I went to the local auto parts store and picked up a bottle to try it out.

The directions on the label say to add 2oz. to your wash bucket, but I’ve seen some guys in the videos that add 5-6oz. into their wash buckets. I chose to go with 3oz. for this 1st wash.

A little different setup than I usually do, as this time I actually did a 3 bucket wash.
-1st bucket held my clean mitts.
-2nd bucket for the used mitts.
-3rd bucket for the soapy water only.

After adding 3oz. of soap into a 3 gallon bucket and creating the suds I began the wash by dunking a mitt and washing 1/2 of the roof/rear window/side windows/windshield, then another mitt for the other half of the car.

Per the directions, it says to rinse each section immediately after agitating with a mitt. Here’s what it looked like after that 1st rinse. Nothing new, it was looking like this before the car wash but I still took pics.

Now here’s where things got a bit weird. When I came back to the soap bucket about halfways though the wash, the suds had gone completely flat. This was a major turnoff.

I ended up having to re start the suds with the hose nozzle everytime I needed fresh mitts [I use 2 at a time]

Other than the lack of suds, it seemed to do just fine.

Results were great as expected.

Conclusion/initial thoughts:

I’ll have to try it @6oz. per wash bucket because the lack of suds were an absolute buzzkill. Or maybe I’ll have to try Hyper Wash in a bucket without mitts and see if it does the same thing.

I can’t speak on whether it’s really capable of producing beading on its own until I try it on a vehicle with bare paint.

There’s alot of people in the youtube comments who complain about this soap leaving near impossible to remove streaks on their paint after using it… Those people are idiots who don’t know how to follow directions.

It clearly states on the directions to rinse immediately after agitating and not allow it to dry on your paint.

Has anyone else tried this soap yet?

 

[Rsurfer]

They are probably using too much soap, thinking more will give them more cleaning power and suds.

 

[MisterSnoop]

Haven't used this buy have used Griot's ceramic wash & coat, which is a similar product. That also has very minimal suds. The cleaning power is pretty meh so I've gone to using it as a post wash step. Normal bucket wash and then just a quick wipe on with the mitt. Since the car is clean at that point, I'm not worried about rinsing the mitt off or anything in a rinse bucket. Since you don't have to do any cleaning, you can quickly do multiple panels and then rinse off.

 

[Rsurfer]

Haven't used this buy have used Griot's ceramic wash & coat, which is a similar product. That also has very minimal suds. The cleaning power is pretty meh so I've gone to using it as a post wash step. Normal bucket wash and then just a quick wipe on with the mitt. Since the car is clean at that point, I'm not worried about rinsing the mitt off or anything in a rinse bucket. Since you don't have to do any cleaning, you can quickly do multiple panels and then rinse off.

Seems redundant..I would try something else.

 

[briarpatch]

Never tried that one....but recently got some Gtechniq Ceramic Wash. My truck has MOHS EVO on it, and was not very dirty, so I figured I'd try it. Similar to other ceramic shampoos, it produced very little suds. I do believe the truck was a little more glossy when done.

 

[PaulMys]

I read the thread title, then looked over to see who started it.

When I saw it was you Ric, I immediately said to myself "Well, it ain't HyperWash." :laughing:



Optimum Car Wash did the same thing to me (suds die quickly). But I still liked it for it's cleaning ability. Smelled good too.

But, I would never buy more of it. Like you, I like to have plenty of suds.

I can finish washing my truck, dry the whole thing, and apply a coat of spray wax before the suds in my bucket of HyperWash completely die off. :righton:

 

[MisterSnoop]

Seems redundant..I would try something else.

time wise, it's on par with using a ceramic detailer after washing and it makes drying faster. not my usual method, which is rinseless.

 

[Eldorado2k]

They are probably using too much soap, thinking more will give them more cleaning power and suds.

Haven't used this buy have used Griot's ceramic wash & coat, which is a similar product. That also has very minimal suds.

The weird thing is, in all of the videos they’re all amazed at how much foam this soap produces and the label actually gives a set of directions for foam cannon use @6-8oz which has lead to people making the videos.

The bucket wash videos have adopted that same ratio of about 6oz. per bucket wash based on the fact that the label vaguely recommends 2oz. per bucket instead of specifically saying 2oz. per gallon the way most people are used to… Therefore everyone seems to agree that it’s more like 2oz. X 3 per 3 gallons of water = 6oz. per bucket wash. Lol.

I didn’t necessarily need the self produced beading so I tested @3oz. per bucket but didn’t expect the weak suds.

I’ll link a couple of interesting videos.

 

[Eldorado2k]

Here’s a bucket wash video demonstration.

NEW ARMORALL CERAMIC CAR WASH SOAP REVIEW | SURPRISING RESULTS - YouTube

 

[Eldorado2k]

Here’s a foam cannon video demonstration.

Armor All Ceramic Car Wash Review Amazing Results! - YouTube

 

[sixsix]

I read the thread title, then looked over to see who started it.

When I saw it was you Ric, I immediately said to myself "Well, it ain't HyperWash." :laughing:



Optimum Car Wash did the same thing to me (suds die quickly). But I still liked it for it's cleaning ability. Smelled good too.

But, I would never buy more of it. Like you, I like to have plenty of suds.

I can finish washing my truck, dry the whole thing, and apply a coat of spray wax before the suds in my bucket of HyperWash completely die off. :righton:

You don't wash the car with the suds so why does it matter?

 

[Desertnate]

How is the cleaning ability with the Armour All? The one thing that consistently makes Hyperwash stand out for me is it's ability to clean. The only soap I've tried which comes close is Carpro Reset and it is supposedly stronger and it's way more expensive. I just opened a jug of 3D Pink based on all the rave reviews from people, and after a couple uses I'm seeing it too might be a step behind Hyperwash. I'll use it up, but may run down to Harbor Freight to pick up another jug of Hyperwash to keep in the rotation.

Funny the discussion on the suds. With both the Optimum and the Hyperwash, I'd get suds for hours with 3oz per bucket. In fact after I washed the last time with hyperwash, there were suds hanging out on my driveway while I was putting everything away. Long after the washing and drying was done. Suds don't do anything for me, but I just happen to notice them when I've got little pockets of sudsy fluff on the drive way or a big gust of wind blows the suds all over me or the car.

 

[Eldorado2k]

How is the cleaning ability with the Armour All?

My car wasn’t too dirty, so I can’t really say yet until I test it on a really dirty vehicle. It felt adequate enough in regards to slickness but then again it should since my protection on the paint was strong.

You don't wash the car with the suds so why does it matter?

If a soap lacks suds, it feels like you’re washing with plain water. And usually if a soap lacks suds it also tends to lack lubricity. I can’t think of a soap that’s extraordinary slick yet low sudsing unless it’s a rinseless wash.

 

[MisterSnoop]

Funny the discussion on the suds. With both the Optimum and the Hyperwash, I'd get suds for hours with 3oz per bucket. In fact after I washed the last time with hyperwash, there were suds hanging out on my driveway while I was putting everything away. Long after the washing and drying was done. Suds don't do anything for me, but I just happen to notice them when I've got little pockets of sudsy fluff on the drive way or a big gust of wind blows the suds all over me or the car.

Hyperwash bottle says 1 oz per 5 gal. At that concentration, i have to add the soap close to the end of filling or my bucket is all foam. I can't imagine tripling it.

 

[Eldorado2k]

Hyperwash bottle says 1 oz per 5 gal. At that concentration, i have to add the soap close to the end of filling or my bucket is all foam. I can't imagine tripling it.

That’s true, I hadn’t noticed that. 3oz. of Hyperwash seems like way too much. Might prematurely strip lsp at that dilution.

 

[Desertnate]

My car wasn’t too dirty, so I can’t really say yet until I test it on a really dirty vehicle. It felt adequate enough in regards to slickness but then again it should since my protection on the paint was strong.

I typically notice cleaning power when it comes to bugs. I can't drive from my house to the closest main road without getting bug splatters some times, so my car may be fairly clean, but there are always a bug mess to remove. When it's light messes, I notice a good soap will knock them off with no issues. Those with less cleaning ability I have to pull out the bug remover much more often just to clean up a light amount of splatter.

If a soap lacks suds, it feels like you’re washing with plain water. And usually if a soap lacks suds it also tends to lack lubricity. I can’t think of a soap that’s extraordinary slick yet low sudsing unless it’s a rinseless wash.

Most of the soaps I've used felt pretty slick and made for a pretty slick solution even without giving them a blast of the hose at the end to build up the suds. That's one other thing I've noticed with 3D Pink, it isn't as slick as Optimum or Hyperwash.

Hyperwash bottle says 1 oz per 5 gal. At that concentration, i have to add the soap close to the end of filling or my bucket is all foam. I can't imagine tripling it.

Interesting. Oops. When I did the math a couple years ago and a little reading on it when I bought my first jug, I thought it worked out to 2.5oz per 5 gallon bucket. With my pump, it's 2oz per push, so I normally give it one pump and a touch of a second one. Next time around I'll cut way back.

That’s true, I hadn’t noticed that. 3oz. of Hyperwash seems like way too much. Might prematurely strip lsp at that dilution.

I normally use coatings on almost everything, so it won't put a dent in them at all. I have noticed it keeps them fresh like they are newly applied. No need to do a decon wash. Maybe now I know why! Even the few times I've used Wolfgang's SiO2 Paint Sealant I didn't notice any premature degradation of the sealant. It still held up for seven months, so I don't think the soap concentration had much effect there either. I've had other sealants give out faster when using much milder soaps...at their correct ratios....

 

[Eldorado2k]

I normally use coatings on almost everything, so it won't put a dent in them at all. I have noticed it keeps them fresh like they are newly applied. No need to do a decon wash. Maybe now I know why! Even the few times I've used Wolfgang's SiO2 Paint Sealant I didn't notice any premature degradation of the sealant. It still held up for seven months, so I don't think the soap concentration had much effect there either. I've had other sealants give out faster when using much milder soaps...at their correct ratios....

Right on. I’ve never actually tested to see if it makes a difference, and even though I don’t measure since it comes out of an HD Speed cap on my bottle, I try to eyeball it to just less than an ounce when I wash my car with Hyperwash. When I’m detailing other people’s vehicles I don’t have to worry and use a little more. At the end of the day, I still go through a gallon of Hyperwash fairly quick. Lol.

 

[Eldorado2k]

Haven't used this buy have used Griot's ceramic wash & coat, which is a similar product. That also has very minimal suds.

I watched a couple of videos on that Griots Ceramic Wash and yea, they even state that it’s a low sudsing soap and that it’s sort of inherent with those types of soaps, but that foam cannon video that I linked shows some pretty impressive foam from the Armor All. I’m going to test it @6oz. next time.

 

[MisterSnoop]

Interesting. Oops. When I did the math a couple years ago and a little reading on it when I bought my first jug, I thought it worked out to 2.5oz per 5 gallon bucket. With my pump, it's 2oz per push, so I normally give it one pump and a touch of a second one. Next time around I'll cut way back.

The bottle directions are inconsistent. It says 400:1 dilution which is about an ounce per 3 gal and also says an ounce per 5 gal (640:1). Don't think anyone would actually fill a bucket with 5 gal of water tho as there would be no room for suds.

 

[Eldorado2k]

The bottle directions are inconsistent. It says 400:1 dilution which is about an ounce per 3 gal and also says an ounce per 5 gal (640:1). Don't think anyone would actually fill a bucket with 5 gal of water tho as there would be no room for suds.

The reason the directions are wonky like that is because Hyper Wash was initially intended for use in metering systems aka commercial car wash industry. Older bottles of Hyper Wash didn’t even mention dilution ratios for bucket washing.