Review: Dodo Juice Born to be Mild Shampoo

[CEE DOG]

Review: Dodo Juice Born to be Mild Shampoo

Introduction:
Last weekend I had the chance to review this product. Unfortunately the vehicle I was working on was silver, which doesn’t show the dirt as much as one would like. Regardless I’m sure we will all live. While it was in my care I completed some additional work (before and after washing the vehicle) so after the final summary please feel free to take a look.

Thanks to Jim for sending this sample to me!

Product Description (from AG website):
Dodo Juice Born to be Mild Shampoo is a pH-neutral maintenance shampoo with good cleaning and foaming properties - plus high lubricity to help prevent wash-induced swirls. Born to be Mild contains no wax or gloss enhancers so you can use it on glass without streaking. Dodo Juice Born to be Mild Shampoo preserves existing wax to keep your vehicle looking its best.

Details:
01.- Packaging: N/A
02.- Directions: 800:1 dilution (1/2 oz. to 3.1 gallons)
03.- Consistency: Thick
04.- Color: Purple
05.- Scent: Raspberry?
06.- Size/Price (at time of Review): $13.99 – 8.5oz. (250ml)
07.- Size/Price (at time of Review): $19.99 – 17oz. (250ml)
08.- Regular Price $17 & $25
09.- 3+/- Gallons of Mixed Solution (at time of review): $0.78 / $0.59
10.- 3+/- Gallons of Mixed Solution (Regular Price): $0.94 / $0.74
11.- Manufacturer: Dodo Juice
12.- Made in: United Kingdom

Additional products used for prep, during application, or removal:
1.- (1) bucket with Grit Guard
2.- MF Chenille Wash Mitt (Cobra)
3.- Pinnacle Bug and Tar Sponge
4.- Various Brushes
5.- Metro Master Blaster

A couple pictures before I got started - more to come in the before and after section.

BEFORE:

Conditions:

01

Preparation:

Interior and doorjambs were cleaned before beginning the exterior wash.
I started by washing the wheels and tires with Amazing Roll off and various brushes. This would have been a good application for Sonax but I don’t have much left and decided to stick with ARO. In hindsight I should have used the Sonax in spots to finish it off. During the washing of the wheels the brushes were kept in a 3-gallon bucket with about 1 gallon of water to 0.37 oz. of BTBM mixed. The faces of the wheels were washed with an Armorall mf wash mitt soaked in BTBM with ARO as a motivator. After each wheel was completed I used my Master Blaster to dry it before moving to the next. This was a tip from my friend Jim to avoid rust dust from the brake pads. With the MB this only take a few seconds and although the upcoming wash of the remaining vehicle will get the wheels wet again not a lot of it gets on the pads.


11-Before

12-After

13-Before

14-After

15-Before

16-After

17-Before

18-After

19-Before

20-After

1/2 Ounce of Product:

 

[CEE DOG]

After washing the wheels and thoroughly rinsing the vehicle I mixed about 0.6 oz. of BTBM into about 2.7 gallons of water. Then I mixed the solution together with my arm and dropped the Grit Guard in. Finally, I circulated it a little more with a quick jet of water to reach a little over 3 gallons of water total.

Video: Mixing Solution

The media I used was the mf wash mitt shown in the picture below. Beyond that the bug and tar sponge was used for the bugs on the front of the vehicle.

Ready to Roll:

Application:

First the fabric top was washed with 303 fabric top cleaner. (Video presented after the review)

My process for the painted portions and glass of the vehicle were as follows:
As usual I clean my mitt with the hose after each section. I thoroughly spray out the mitt after each section and wring the water from it, so as not to further dilute the auto bathe. Then I dip the wash media back in the wash solution and repeat.

As I was saying: The hood and then the windows were washed and rinsed before moving on to the verticals. To aid in cleaning around badges and in tight areas this brush was used.

After completing the verticals I moved on to the front bumper. After washing the front bumper with first the mitt and then the bug sponge I moved on. I saved the rear lid and rear vertical for last because as usual it was hanging out in the sun.

Guess what’s next. It’s Master Blaster time!! Before anything else I was sure to hit the ceiling of the shade canopy with the MB so it wouldn’t later drip on a soon to be dry vehicle.

The fabric top was blown dry first. The top would be receiving 303 HTFG later so I was particularly thorough in drying it. Still, it is best to be safe and allow it to completely air dry as well before applying protectant. Moving on…The rear was dried first followed by the driver side, front, and then passenger side.


21- BEFORE

22- AFTER

23- BEFORE

24- AFTER

25- BEFORE

26- AFTER

27- BEFORE

28- AFTER

29- BEFORE

30- AFTER

31- BEFORE

32- AFTER

33- BEFORE

34- AFTER

A FEW EXTRA AFTER SHOTS

50-55

Pros:
1.- Lubricity
2.- Cleaning Ability
3.- Rinses easily
4.- It felt like the water was softer

???
1.- High concentrate formulas can be more difficult to fully remove from the measuring cup
2.- Does not have gloss enhancers (Pro or Con – That’s up to you)

Cons:
1.-Price - You could pick up Ultima for less than $0.48 per bucket compared to $0.74 per bucket for BTBM. If you grab BTBM while its still on sale the price for the 16 oz. comes out to $0.59 pb.

Final Observations and Summary:
Born to Be Mild is now one of my favorite shampoos when it comes to quality. It’s really an excellent product. However I still have not found anything to unseat UPGW in either performance or price. I believe that in most categories BTBM is on the same level as my favorite shampoos. Lubricity I would rank at the top with the best of them. It also makes the wash water actually feel a bit softer in my opinion. If you are about to purchase a Dodo Juice wash I would recommend Born to be Mild as it ranks above the other DJ washes I have used in every category. It does not include any gloss enhancers. If you are looking for that function Sour Power is available (as are others).

Thanks for viewing. Comments & questions are appreciated
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Flannigan]

Great review my friend! I am a huge fan of this product, so I'm glad that you enjoyed it too! Now we just need to find something to get you off your Ultima kick! lol j/k

 

[CEE DOG]

Please enjoy the following as well.

Additional Detailing Unrelated to Review:

Interior & Door Jambs:
Before washing the exterior I started with a complimentary interior cleansing. First I removed all of the belongings from the vehicle including the ashtray and floor mats. After vacuuming the seats I cleansed all interior surfaces (except for fabric and glass) with Optimum Power Clean 3:1. After cleaning each section with OPC 3:1 I followed it with Ultima Waterless Wash. Next I setup my Shop Vac and did my best to remove all dirt, dog fur, cheetos, and other unsavory items from every corner of the interior. The floor mats were thoroughly vacuumed and later blown out with the Metro Master Blaster.

The interior was later sealed with Ultima Interior Guard Plus. This was an error on the seats, which I later decided 303 AP would have provided greater benefit (in this particular situation).

BEFORE:

The interior glass had a thick film throughout so I attacked it with alcohol and paper towels before finishing with my mf glass towel and Stoners Invisible glass.

AFTER:

The doorjambs, sills, etc, were also cleaned with OPC 3:1 followed by UWWP.

 

[CEE DOG]

How about a little more gloss and protection for that paint?:
After washing and drying the remainder of the vehicle I decided to give the majority of the vehicle a gloss enhancement. This was achieved with the Flex 3401 assisted by a 6 1/2" Crimson HT pad and Optimum Poli-Seal. Areas that did not receive OPS received Optimum Car Wax accept for the rear of the Z4 which was fully exposed to the sun. On this area I applied Poorboys Natty’s Blue Paste Wax and buffed off an hour later. Final pictures follow after the remainder of the story.

Trim:
Here I used Ultima Trim and Tire Guard to restore, darken, and protect the window seals, cowl, front fins, and rear view mirrors.

81.- FINS BEFORE

82.- FINS AFTER

83.-FINS AFTER

84.- COWEL BEFORE

85.- COWEL AFTER

86.-MIRRORS BEFORE

87.-MIRRORS AFTER

Tires:
I had blown the top dry some time ago but because I would be sealing it I wanted to park it in the sun for a bit as well before I applied the 303 HTFG. Therefore before the tires and fabric top protection step I pulled the vehicle into the sun. While the fabric top got a little sun I made my way around the vehicle with DP Tire Gel and a quarter piece of a delaminated foam polishing pad, which served as the tire applicator. As always Nitrile gloves accompanied my hands during this step. Final pictures follow after the remainder of the story.

Fabric Convertible Top:

Products used:

The fabric top was cleansed as shown here:

Video: Cleansing Fabric Tops

Sometimes you don’t have the luxury of working inside and covering/masking the vehicle.
The fabric top was protected as shown below

Video: IN A PINCH - Sealing Fabric Tops - NOT THE PREFERRED METHOD-

FINAL PICTURES:

 

[Dubbin1]

Dog does it again with another award winning review.

 

[IID]

Excellent review Corey,Thank You for sharing.
Beautiful job done on the BMW rops:

 

[maximus20895]

I was wondering when this review was coming!

Awesome review again!

I think I'm going to buy some Ultima Car wash..wonder if you can get it in bigger sizes.

 

[bk2nrml]

man, that was some nasty ass interior !
great job

 

[Ted S.]

Great thread Corey.:bowdown: Love the BTBM review, I've got BTBM on the way.:dblthumb2:

How did you like the 303 Convertable Top Cleaner? I'm sure you know it's basically a prediluted mixture of the 303 Cleaner.

 

[Rayaz]

Corey, awesome job, awesome write up. A smoker's car is a deal breaker for me but you held your nose and made it look like new! Oh well, at least you can tell you've been there (from 100 meters).

AG should just give you stuff because I have based several of my purchases on your reviews. I'm sure I am not the only one. Sincere thanks for all the work you put into these reviews.

 

[Rei86]

Great review as always Corey...and Nasty NASTY interior. I didn't wash my car for about three years but my interior sure as hell didn't look like that. Dog hair, cig butts, thick layers of dirt...nasty.

 

[roguish-desires]

Another great review Cory! You are the master!

 

[Dr Oldz]

It's no secret that BTBM is my favorite! No Bella sightings?????? Very nice job on the entire car buddy! A possible suggestion for the 303 HTFG that I like to use is a standard paint brush with the bristles cut off. The foam brushes are not very sturdy and a bit of a pain to work with IMO. Looked like Gremlins had the top down in the rain. Nice save.

 

[CEE DOG]

Thanks to all for your comments! I truly appreciate each one of them and thank you for your kind words

I think I'm going to buy some Ultima Car wash..wonder if you can get it in bigger sizes.

You can not get it in bigger sizes at this time. I usually buy 4 bottles every time the UPGW is on BOGO. It's already such a great price per wash once on bogo it's probably cheaper per wash than even the worst of soaps.

How did you like the 303 Convertable Top Cleaner? I'm sure you know it's basically a prediluted mixture of the 303 Cleaner.

Thanks for the info Ted-
.
It's OK. I think it could have done a little better job of cleaning the top. I should have used ARO in this case probably (something I don't think I could bring myself to do with my Sky) I knew it was weaker than the other fabric cleaner they offered but did not know it is the exact same chemical further diluted. Is that verified information or assumption?

It's no secret that BTBM is my favorite! No Bella sightings?????? Very nice job on the entire car buddy! A possible suggestion for the 303 HTFG that I like to use is a standard paint brush with the bristles cut off. The foam brushes are not very sturdy and a bit of a pain to work with IMO. Looked like Gremlins had the top down in the rain. Nice save.

Thanks again for the sample Jim! Oh!! I forgot to let Bella star in the show! She's not going to be happy. :nomore:

I actually started with the regular paint brush shown in that one picture but it was moving way too slow. I did not however cut the bristles off. When I coat my sky with my preferred method I use that regular brush to very very lightly brush the second of my 3 coats after it's sprayed on.

I'll have to try the cut bristles method.

LOL! yeah, the top was beat up pretty bad

 

[Ted S.]

Thanks for the info Ted-
.
It's OK. I think it could have done a little better job of cleaning the top. I should have used ARO in this case probably (something I don't think I could bring myself to do with my Sky) I knew it was weaker than the other fabric cleaner they offered but did not know it is the exact same chemical further diluted. Is that verified information or assumption?

I thought I saw that it was a prediluted mixture of the 303 Cleaner here on the forum somewhere. I tried to find the thread but coud not, so I guess this is just an assumption.

Here is a similar thread:

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/product-reviews/33311-303-cleaner-vs-303-cleaner.html

The descriptions are eerily similar, though:

The 303 Fabric and Vinyl Convertible Cleaner removes stains and soiling from your vinyl or fabric top through a unique colloidal action.

303 Aerospace Cleaner, aerospace Cleaner, oil cleaner, multipurpose cleaner,aerospace industrial strength cleaner

 

[CEE DOG]

Ted, I'm pretty sure you are correct that it is a pre-dilluted of the same product. If you read the concentrate description about diluting for fabric tops it would only make sense. I make the same assumption as you.

A couple years ago I had some of the concentrated product and have always been curious about the differences.