Desertnate
Well-known member
- Aug 5, 2013
- 6,239
- 294
I was one of the award winners in the DP Power Wash and Blackfire Tire and Trim Sealant contest. I realize this review is long over due, but I wanted to do the review right since Nick and Autogeek were generous enough to give me a full bottle of product to review. Thank you Nick for selecting me. This was a lot of fun.
Lets get started...
Until recently I've never been one to pay much attention to car wash shampoo. I used Meg's Gold Class for years and liked it. It works well and is readily available everywhere for low cost. After using a sample of Poorboys Super Slick my eyes were open to other possibilities. Then this beauty showed up on my front porch...
I'm sure this is standard DP packaging, a nice heavy duty, durable plastic bottle. The bottle says it's highly concentrated and they were not kidding. The stuff is really thick! Thicker than laundry detergent and I'd almost say it has the same viscosity or honey! It's that thick. I was a little worried when I put a cap full in my wash bucket that it was not going to dissolve properly, but that was not a problem at all.
The product built up a good head of suds. It was no where near as thick and lathery as the Poorboys product nor did they last as long. In fact I couldn't get them to last very long at all. However, a quick blast with the hose and they came right back. For those wondering, that's my bug sponge floating on top...not what I wash with.
The test subject is my GTI. Over the last week, my city decided to put down oil and chipping over EVERY access road to my neighborhood. White powdery dust is everywhere right now. My car was a mess.
Once you start using this product it's an interesting experience. First off I noticed that it cleaned really well. The path behind my mitt was instantly clean. There was no need to go over the surface twice, despite the heavy level of dirt and dust. Lubricity in the DP Power Wash is very good as well; my mitt would glide over the surface very easily. The gloss provided by the wax in the product is visible immediately, even before you rinse. Another interesting behavior is it seems to be repelling itself while washing. On a well maintained car like mine, the water and soap on the mitt look like they are sheeting themselves away while you wash. The picture below was a rather unsuccessful attempt to capture this in action.
Rinsing is also an interesting experience. The 845 and Megs UQW on my car typically provide good sheeting action, but the wax in the product made the sheeting occur much faster. In fact, I muttered, "Holy Crap!" when I rinsed my fist section. It's also worth noting that despite the good cleaning action and the wax in the product, it rinses off very easily with no soapy residue to worry about, more so than either the Gold Class or Poorboys I've used in the past.
Once done, I stood back and was amazed at the results. The car always looks good after washing, but after a few weeks since it's last wash, I'll hit it with UQW. Not this time. These pictures are just as it sat as soon as I dried it off. Of course, just my luck, it started to lightly rain...as I was drying...
This profession/hobby is based on a lot of intangibles. The only difference between products in many cases is the opinion of the user. To wrap this all up, here are my final thoughts:
- This is a very "light" product once dissolved. It works very well, but doesn't leave the wash water feeling thick and soapy and it rinses off very easily
- I couldn't get the sudsing action that Meghan and Nick demonstrated in their product unveiling, but there are too many variables. Regardless, the product cleaned very well which is the important part. Suds junkies be warned
- While it has carnauba wax in the solution, I don't think I'd use this product with any intentions of providing protection. The wax seems to be more of a cosmetic bonus, which is just fine on a well protected vehicle. When you're done washing the surface isn't as slick as when using a QD or spray wax after a wash.
- Since it has carnauba wax in the solution, I don't know how well it would work for those of us who like to spray wax after a wash. It might not play well with your favorite product. The rain didn't give me a chance to find out, but honestly it looked so good I didn't mind.
- Using a five gallon bucket will get you 16 washes for $20. My wash buckets are a bit smaller, so mileage may vary.
CONCLUSION: I like this product. It works really well and removed my apprehension in using wash with wax products. Is it enough to drive me into the world of more premium car washes? I don't know, since I'm cheap...but it's pushing me in that direction. This product worked really well and delivered on it's claims. I'll use the rest of this bottle on my vehicles I don't typically hit with a post-wash spray wax and enjoy the glossy, clean shine. I give it :dblthumb2:
This is now my second DP product, the first being the bug scrubber seen in the picture of my wash bucket. Both products deliver and I'll be sure to look at their other options as I cross-shop across the AG store.
Lets get started...
Until recently I've never been one to pay much attention to car wash shampoo. I used Meg's Gold Class for years and liked it. It works well and is readily available everywhere for low cost. After using a sample of Poorboys Super Slick my eyes were open to other possibilities. Then this beauty showed up on my front porch...
I'm sure this is standard DP packaging, a nice heavy duty, durable plastic bottle. The bottle says it's highly concentrated and they were not kidding. The stuff is really thick! Thicker than laundry detergent and I'd almost say it has the same viscosity or honey! It's that thick. I was a little worried when I put a cap full in my wash bucket that it was not going to dissolve properly, but that was not a problem at all.
The product built up a good head of suds. It was no where near as thick and lathery as the Poorboys product nor did they last as long. In fact I couldn't get them to last very long at all. However, a quick blast with the hose and they came right back. For those wondering, that's my bug sponge floating on top...not what I wash with.
The test subject is my GTI. Over the last week, my city decided to put down oil and chipping over EVERY access road to my neighborhood. White powdery dust is everywhere right now. My car was a mess.
Once you start using this product it's an interesting experience. First off I noticed that it cleaned really well. The path behind my mitt was instantly clean. There was no need to go over the surface twice, despite the heavy level of dirt and dust. Lubricity in the DP Power Wash is very good as well; my mitt would glide over the surface very easily. The gloss provided by the wax in the product is visible immediately, even before you rinse. Another interesting behavior is it seems to be repelling itself while washing. On a well maintained car like mine, the water and soap on the mitt look like they are sheeting themselves away while you wash. The picture below was a rather unsuccessful attempt to capture this in action.
Rinsing is also an interesting experience. The 845 and Megs UQW on my car typically provide good sheeting action, but the wax in the product made the sheeting occur much faster. In fact, I muttered, "Holy Crap!" when I rinsed my fist section. It's also worth noting that despite the good cleaning action and the wax in the product, it rinses off very easily with no soapy residue to worry about, more so than either the Gold Class or Poorboys I've used in the past.
Once done, I stood back and was amazed at the results. The car always looks good after washing, but after a few weeks since it's last wash, I'll hit it with UQW. Not this time. These pictures are just as it sat as soon as I dried it off. Of course, just my luck, it started to lightly rain...as I was drying...
This profession/hobby is based on a lot of intangibles. The only difference between products in many cases is the opinion of the user. To wrap this all up, here are my final thoughts:
- This is a very "light" product once dissolved. It works very well, but doesn't leave the wash water feeling thick and soapy and it rinses off very easily
- I couldn't get the sudsing action that Meghan and Nick demonstrated in their product unveiling, but there are too many variables. Regardless, the product cleaned very well which is the important part. Suds junkies be warned
- While it has carnauba wax in the solution, I don't think I'd use this product with any intentions of providing protection. The wax seems to be more of a cosmetic bonus, which is just fine on a well protected vehicle. When you're done washing the surface isn't as slick as when using a QD or spray wax after a wash.
- Since it has carnauba wax in the solution, I don't know how well it would work for those of us who like to spray wax after a wash. It might not play well with your favorite product. The rain didn't give me a chance to find out, but honestly it looked so good I didn't mind.
- Using a five gallon bucket will get you 16 washes for $20. My wash buckets are a bit smaller, so mileage may vary.
CONCLUSION: I like this product. It works really well and removed my apprehension in using wash with wax products. Is it enough to drive me into the world of more premium car washes? I don't know, since I'm cheap...but it's pushing me in that direction. This product worked really well and delivered on it's claims. I'll use the rest of this bottle on my vehicles I don't typically hit with a post-wash spray wax and enjoy the glossy, clean shine. I give it :dblthumb2:
This is now my second DP product, the first being the bug scrubber seen in the picture of my wash bucket. Both products deliver and I'll be sure to look at their other options as I cross-shop across the AG store.
