Optimum Car Wash - Review

[Mad Wax]

For me, it's not about the suds...it's the ease of rinse. I don't want something that is very difficult to rinse off the car. That foam booster will take forever to rinse off...plus it's nearly impossible to rinse it out of the bucket when your finished.

 

[Eldorado2k]

For me, it's not about the suds...it's the ease of rinse. I don't want something that is very difficult to rinse off the car. That foam booster will take forever to rinse off...plus it's nearly impossible to rinse it out of the bucket when your finished.

Sounds promising... I once tried rinsing out an empty small bottle of Carpro Reset because I wanted to reuse the bottle but gave up after about 5 tries because it seemed like the foam was never going to end.

What are some soaps that you guys would consider to be hard to rinse? I’ve never experienced a soap that I’d deem hard to rinse. Even way back 20+ yrs. ago I don’t recall dish soap being hard to rinse off. Also, does using a power washer play a factor in regards to a soaps ease of rinsing?

 

[Eldorado2k]

Interesting observation: The Blackfire Foam Booster doesn’t stay mixed with the soap inside the bottle.. After being left to sit for a day you can see the Foam Booster has settled at the bottom of the bottle.

After turning the bottle upside down, back and forth many times it’s now properly mixed with the rest of the soap.

20min. later: It’s still mixed in with the soap...

But you can see it’s already starting to separate to the bottom.

 

[Markymapo1]

More than likely need a certain % of water to make the foam booster miscible. Just give it a good shake and add immediately to your wash bucket. The two solutions are not miscible as is

 

[Eldorado2k]

More than likely need a certain % of water to make the foam booster miscible. Just give it a good shake and add immediately to your wash bucket. The two solutions are not miscible as is

I’m guessing that’s a necessary thing in order for it to not foam up inside the bottle.

 

[Eldorado2k]

Update: Ok I did the 1st bucket wash this morning since adding the 2oz. of Blackfire Foam Booster to the 32oz. bottle of Optimum Car Wash.

Here’s the bottle ready to go.

12 mitts in the bucket, and I add water 1st just like I always do.

Add water till I get about 70% full.

Then I add the soap in the corner. Always try to add it to the water and not on the mitts. Btw the dilution ratio on this soap is a bit oddball and therefore annoying and hard to pinpoint when adding/pouring straight from the bottle... I mean who the heck adds soap by the half oz? I might be nitpicking, but who can eyeball in .5oz. increments? I probably added more than recommended, because my brain is wired to pouring full ounces at a time...

There does appear to be an increase in foam.

I put the lid on the bucket and proceed to quikly clean my wheels & tires.. Then I give the bucket a quik spray and begin washing with the mitts.

The Blackfire Foam Booster has made a dramatic difference giving this Optimum Car Wash respectable foam but even more impressive is the added lubricity it’s given it. The increased slickness is very noticeable!

Rinses clean just like every car soap I’ve even used... And doesn’t affect post wash beading at all.

So there you have it. Blackfire Foam Booster. More than just suds... The added lubricity worth mentioning.

 

[Sports Fan]

Almost seems to kind of defeat the purpose if you have to purchase a separate product to use in conjunction with a car soap to get it to do what you want it to do in the first place.

 

[Kappy]

Then I add the soap in the corner. Always try to add it to the water and not on the mitts. Btw the dilution ratio on this soap is a bit oddball and therefore annoying and hard to pinpoint when adding/pouring straight from the bottle... I mean who the heck adds soap by the half oz? I might be nitpicking, but who can eyeball in .5oz. increments? I probably added more than recommended, because my brain is wired to pouring full ounces at a time...

You could use the cap on the bottle for measuring. It's equal to .5 oz.

 

[Coatingsarecrack]

What’s funny is I agree with the suds issue. What impressed me was the lubricity. Have to try it with the foam booster


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[Finick]

I mean who the heck adds soap by the half oz? I might be nitpicking, but who can eyeball in .5oz. increments? I probably added more than recommended, because my brain is wired to pouring full ounces at a time...

I’ve just used small measuring cups for awhile now for stuff like car soap.

I think mike Phillips has an article somewhere where he talks about making the simple and mundane things as easy and repeatable as possible. I read that years ago, and I think he just marked a red solo cup with a line for whatever measurement he needed.

Think I grabbed my cap off an old bottle of NyQuil, and it’s been handy to have around ever sense.


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[PaulMys]

I might get lambasted over this, but quibbling over one half of an ounce of product is nuts.

If it calls for 2.79 ounces per gallon (just an example), 3 ounces it is.

Done. Stop with the minutia.

 

[Eldorado2k]

You could use the cap on the bottle for measuring. It's equal to .5 oz.

I thought about that, but then I figured you’d lose the proper measurement due to how much soap is still on the cap after pouring it each time... Dunking it in the water would mess with the way I activate the suds with the jet nozzle. Yes, I’m a bit anal when it comes to this.lol.

I might get lambasted over this, but quibbling over one half of an ounce of product is nuts.

If it calls for 2.79 ounces per gallon (just an example), 3 ounces it is.

Done. Stop with the minutia.

I agree, I just don’t like how it throws me off. For example, I read .5 per gallon and I wind up using about 3oz. Instead of 1.5, which is pretty much what I did here.

I can pour 1oz. But 1.5oz? Impossible! Lol.

 

[Mad Wax]

Sounds promising... I once tried rinsing out an empty small bottle of Carpro Reset because I wanted to reuse the bottle but gave up after about 5 tries because it seemed like the foam was never going to end.

What are some soaps that you guys would consider to be hard to rinse? I’ve never experienced a soap that I’d deem hard to rinse. Even way back 20+ yrs. ago I don’t recall dish soap being hard to rinse off. Also, does using a power washer play a factor in regards to a soaps ease of rinsing?

Megs Hyper Wash although much slicker and sudsier, is much harder to rinse off than Optimum Car Soap...in my opinion.

 

[dlc95]

Eldo, great review!

Is it possible those mitts had any rinseless wash residue in them?

 

[Coatingsarecrack]

Yeah not sure abouthyperwash. I’m sure it’s not worse and maybe better than OCW. Looking at McKee’s sio2 and the black fire product not really better value than reset. Price is less but uses more product. May just go 4L Reset and call it a day. Optimum has good lubricity but I did feel it was more like a rinseless.


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[Eldorado2k]

Eldo, great review!

Is it possible those mitts had any rinseless wash residue in them?

Thanks.

And no, I’ve never used these mitts for rinseless wash, so there’s never been rinseless wash solution on them.

 

[Markymapo1]

You can really get crazy about exact measurements. Humor: At work we determine the density of the soap concentrate and then weigh it in the beaker to which the water is added. In a wash bucket case just do the best you can n keep it consistent once you figure what works best

 

[spazzz]

Megs Hyper Wash although much slicker and sudsier, is much harder to rinse off than Optimum Car Soap...in my opinion.

This is what I needed to know.
I had entertained the idea of buying HyperWash but I can not fight with the rinse.
Reset doesnt bubble any better than OCW in my opinion.
Honestly they both feel the same when sliding over the paint. Reset has a thin consistency and OCW is like syrup out of the bottle


Good deal, I saved over $30.00 today
But the itch no doubt will have me buy Hyperwash by the end of summer.

 

[Finick]

This is what I needed to know.
I had entertained the idea of buying HyperWash but I can not fight with the rinse.
Reset doesnt bubble any better than OCW in my opinion.
Honestly they both feel the same when sliding over the paint. Reset has a thin consistency and OCW is like syrup out of the bottle


Good deal, I saved over $30.00 today
But the itch no doubt will have me buy Hyperwash by the end of summer.

For what it’s worth I don’t ever feel like I’m fighting hyper wash during the rinse.

It rinses and leaves no residue behind, so it’s pretty easygoing during the final rinse unlike something like gold class that’s loaded with gloss enhancers that never feels like the residue is rinsing off.

I bounce between OCW and HW and I really haven’t noticed a difference during the final rinse for either of them.

I might wash my car later today, I’ll use OCW and post pictures of the bubbles here.


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[Myriad]

I’m not sure if you’ve tried Carpro Reset, but when it comes to car soaps and there being any significant difference that sets any of them apart from the rest it’s probably the only 1 I’d actually put in that category.
It checks every box.
Lubricity [completely blows this soap out of the water]
Suds [again, it’s almost like comparing a rinseless to an actual car shampoo] Even when compared to car soaps with great suds, Reset manages to have even better suds.
Scent [good enough to be considered great scent]
Dilution ratio [1oz per wash bucket]
It’s clear [if that matters. I’m sure there’s people out there who like the fact that it’s colorless]
If you haven’t tried it yet I’ll go out on a limb and guarantee you won’t be disappointed with it.

Before Reset I used OCW and liked it against the soaps I had used prior. Once I coated my first car, I purchased Reset based on the recommendations on this site. I LOVE reset for all of the points you made above, and not just for coated cars:

Great cleaning action
Versatile (works in foamer or in bucket)
Great lubricity
Dilution takes it a long way.

Since all of my vehicles are coated I pretty much default to Reset, and use other soaps because I get bored or receive them in a Mystery Box, LOL.
I recently got bored and purchased Gyeon Bathe Essence on a whim. It did not measure up to Reset and has now been relegated to foam cannon use. I'll probably detail more on that in a separate review.