Slickest Traditional Bucket Wash and "Wax" Car Wash Soap

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yakky

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I'm on the search for a traditional wash soap that leaves my paint really slick.

I'd like to reduce the amount of steps I take during a regular maintenance wash. While I love Uber Rinseless and DG Rinseless, I find myself doing a traditional wash more often than a rinseless. For me it takes about the same time to do either, but traditional knocks out dirt in a lot of places that a rinseless wash does not. I also can (and do) use a drying aid when doing a traditional wash (current fav is Hyperwash with TW Hybrid Wet Wax or Tec 582). However it would be fantastic to do a traditional wash and get that amazing slickness that a rinseless leaves. Does such a product exist? I've used a few wash and wax products like Ice Wash and Jay Leno's SiO2 wash but have been underwhelmed. Honestly the TW ICE wash left the paint a little slick, Jay's was a big letdown.

Does what I'm looking for exist? I keep reading reviews and they are really mixed. The reason I went with Jay's was a lot of people said it left a slick finish.
 
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What about Spray & Rinse type sealants? CarPro Hydro02 series, McKee's Hydro Blue, Armour Detail Supply Beads, etc. All these are a quick step to be done with a final rinse.

I've never found the "infused" soaps to be better than the spray sealants in my experience.

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Check the below thread, in particular posts 140, 141 and 167 where I've reviewed various wash 'n' wax type soaps.

DFB

Post in thread 'DFB's Soapy Notes'

WASH AND WAX SERIES

I’ve never really been a fan of these soap. In my earlier years, a product like this would have been quite useful in topping up my Mothers California Gold Carnauba Wax I was using at the time. But, in recent times, more durable forms of protection have, in theory, made wash-n-wax soaps redundant. This is especially important on ceramic coatings due to the potential to cause streaking or smeary results. I‘ve also found the use of a spray sealant as drying aid has eliminated the need for adding protection via the wash soap.

But, as coatings have become the norm...
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Of the ones I've tested, P&S Inspiration Radiance, Ethos Ceramic Shampoo and Koch Chemie Ceramic Effect Shampoo were my favorites, the Koch Chemie for slickness in particular.

I'd avoid Carpro Hydr02 Foam, and I didn't like the Shine Supply Shine Soap either.
 
Thanks guys, I've heard good stuff about the Koch Chemie, I'll add it to the list to consider. As to spray and rinse, I'm not opposed to that but at that point I think I'm doing the same amount of work as using a drying aid, at least time wise.
 
TWHS slick and slide is one fantastic soap. Just glides over the paint. I can really feel it when I do my washes. I also follow it up with wet wax.
 
I think many car soaps are naturally slick when using. If one tries to find a soap that is slick and leaves good protection behind then they are setting themselves up for disappointment. Think you will find a lot of products that don't clean well and don't protect well.

The spray on products are so easy to use most are probably better off using a dedicated car soap and then a dedicated protection product.

If you are looking to shave time off of a shampoo contact wash then try foaming the vehicle ( by sections) then foaming the wash mitt and proceed with the contact wash. No bucket of car soap/shampoo needed. Just a rinse bucket with scrub wall to clean the mitt after using it on each section.
 
BLM said:
I think many car soaps are naturally slick when using. If one tries to find a soap that is slick and leaves good protection behind then they are setting themselves up for disappointment. Think you will find a lot of products that don't clean well and don't protect well.

The spray on products are so easy to use most are probably better off using a dedicated car soap and then a dedicated protection product.

If you are looking to shave time off of a shampoo contact wash then try foaming the vehicle ( by sections) then foaming the wash mitt and proceed with the contact wash. No bucket of car soap/shampoo needed. Just a rinse bucket with scrub wall to clean the mitt after using it on each section.
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I realize I'm pushing the bounds of what is currently available. But then again I was doing the unthinkable 10 years ago using a spray wax (OCW) and nothing else. Oh, and I better come clean, I only use one bucket, so no time savings going to a foaming gun, already tried that.
 
yakky said:
I realize I'm pushing the bounds of what is currently available. But then again I was doing the unthinkable 10 years ago using a spray wax (OCW) and nothing else. Oh, and I better come clean, I only use one bucket, so no time savings going to a foaming gun, already tried that.
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If you are using a foam cannon or gun, the two-bucket method is virtually redundant.

As for this type of soap, they are a compromise. However, every product is a compromise. Sticking with soaps, a pH neutral soap will be super gentle to preserve a wax, but then doesn't have good cleaning ability for when the vehicle is ultra dirty. Or perhaps a strong cleaning soap that will degrades your rubber trim with continual/prolonged use.

With that in mind, a wash-n-wax type of soap has its positives and negatives like any other. And also like other soaps, you need to pick your mark, as in don't go expecting a wash-n-wax to strip heavy road film or mud, or don't use a highly alkaline soap if the car is merely dusty.

Positives -
- Usually quite gentle
- Provides a short-term boost to gloss and slickness afterwards
- Great for well-maintained vehicles
- Can add some hydrophobic qualities to unprotected paint

Negatives -
- This will sound counter intuitive, but I find them less slick than a normal soap, almost with a hint of stickiness
- Lower cleaning ability
- Usually a low suds formula, the main compromise from having a wax/sealant present
- I find they don't really foam either, some are better than others though (Radiance or Ethos for example)
 
DFB said:
- This will sound counter intuitive, but I find them less slick than a normal soap, almost with a hint of stickiness
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I agree, but there are a few that stand outs, Jay's is pretty slick for washing, I'd say about equal to most consumer washes, maybe not quite as slick as Gold Class, but maybe along the lines of Hyperwash. OTOH, TW Ice Wash is as slick as pig snot. It is one of the slickest wash soaps I have ever used (at least the budget soaps, I don't buy stuff that costs $5 a use). And it leaves behind just a little slickness and adds a touch of darkening to trim. Unfortunately it is discontinued.
 
DFB said:
Check the below thread, in particular posts 140, 141 and 167 where I've reviewed various wash 'n' wax type soaps.

DFB

Post in thread 'DFB's Soapy Notes'

WASH AND WAX SERIES

I’ve never really been a fan of these soap. In my earlier years, a product like this would have been quite useful in topping up my Mothers California Gold Carnauba Wax I was using at the time. But, in recent times, more durable forms of protection have, in theory, made wash-n-wax soaps redundant. This is especially important on ceramic coatings due to the potential to cause streaking or smeary results. I‘ve also found the use of a spray sealant as drying aid has eliminated the need for adding protection via the wash soap.

But, as coatings have become the norm...
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Of the ones I've tested, P&S Inspiration Radiance, Ethos Ceramic Shampoo and Koch Chemie Ceramic Effect Shampoo were my favorites, the Koch Chemie for slickness in particular.

I'd avoid Carpro Hydr02 Foam, and I didn't like the Shine Supply Shine Soap either.
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Why don’t you like Hydr02 Foam?
 
Griots Ceramic Wash and coat. I personally just will use a slick drying aid.

Other option is a hybrid wash. Foam cannon some soap. Clean grimy areas. Let dwell. Rinse and then do a rinseless.


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Optimus Grime said:
Why don’t you like Hydr02 Foam?
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Out of the soaps like that I tested, Hydr02 Foam made the most marked improvement to hydrophobics. However, if a company is going to put "FOAM" on the label, it kinda needs to do that. In my testing, it just didn't foam. This is most likely due to how the it instantly transforms the surface it lands on, causing the suds to simply run off. So, its a catch 22, more suds/foam and less improvement, or low suds/foam and a marked improvement.

From that review -

Carpro Hydr02 Lite – Carpro were one of the pioneers of spray and rinse type sealants with their Hydr02 line. In addition to Hydr02 (concentrate) and Hydr02 Lite (RTU), Carpro also created Hydr02 Foam. As the name suggests, this takes the water delivered Si02 sealant and pairs it with a pH neutral soap. In addition the “significant UV protection”, Carpro say Hydr02 Foam is resistant to acids, alkaline chemicals and solvents. They also suggest it produces “amazing rich foam”. Um………………..

Like Reset, Hydr02 Foam is a clear, runny liquid that makes it easy to pour. Unlike Reset and despite the name and claims, Hydr02 Foam DOES NOT foam. It’s seems to be even worse than the others, the below shot was taken seconds after application, the foam generated is super thin and simply does not cling to the surface of the vehicle. In its defence, Hydr02 Foam(ish) is said to last up to 3-months and seemed to provide the most obvious before and after by improving gloss, slickness and hydrophobics after use.

Overall, I just couldn't get past the lack of foam on the surfaces I was cleaning. I think I will reserve this soap for neglected customer cars as a final step instead of maintenance washing my own coated vehicles.

Lubrication – 6/10
Cleaning Ability – 6/10
Scent – Not scented, smells the same as other Hydr02 variants
PH Level – 7.5 (claimed)
Consistency – Runny
Overall Rating – 3/10
 
DFB said:
Overall, I just couldn't get past the lack of foam on the surfaces I was cleaning. I think I will reserve this soap for neglected customer cars as a final step instead of maintenance washing my own coated vehicles.

Lubrication – 6/10
Cleaning Ability – 6/10
Scent – Not scented, smells the same as other Hydr02 variants
PH Level – 7.5 (claimed)
Consistency – Runny
Overall Rating – 3/10
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Agree 100%. I’ve now reserved it for adding protection after I detail my engine or for adding hydrophobicity to cars with no protection. Never once used it as a soap and don’t plan on it.
 
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Well I think I stumbled onto something pretty good....

Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wash & Wax​

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What got me interested is it clearly says "Leaves Paint Slick" - And Meguiar's is pretty good about being honest. This would be too bold of a claim to not deliver. Still suspect, I checked out some reviews, I saw one where a guy said he was done with QD'ing after washing because of the slick feel. Good sign!

So I got some dropped off yesterday afternoon (yay WMT+). Currently on sale for under $12 for 48oz. I mixed up 3.5 oz with about 2.5 gallons of pretty hard water. The yellow bottle is a sham, the stuff is actually clear, but it does smell nice and fresh, its almost like Gold Class wash's cousin. The wash foamed up really well at first, but the foam dies down really quick. The wash solution is slick as it gets, WOW. I felt like I was washing with a QD. Bug gut removal was not good, tar came off ok. This is not a strong wash, but just a maintenance wash product for sure.

Immediately I noticed much stronger beading while rinsing, not that it was bad before, but wow. And for the final rinse, sheeting works really, really well, I was able to dry a small suv with a single waffle weave towel. But was the paint more slick?

Well.... its not as slick as a dedicated slick QD, but the effect is similar to a true paint coating. The paint feels velvety smooth. And the looks, wow, how can I wash product change the looks so much??? I went downstairs twice to look it again because I thought I was imagining it. I also washed my outside AC unit with the leftover wash water, as a control. Same poppin looks and very smooth feel.

I'm just in awe a wash product can do this. Wow.
 
Adams Graphene is slick and you can get it locally at the big box parts store.
 
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