Spray wax vs detailers recommendations

I've been having a lot of fun using Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Wax this past summer. It hasn't rained here in quite a while, 10 consecutive days in fact (our Nov weather so far has been INCREDIBLE, soon to end though), so I've actually been layering the stuff. Not sure if it actually layers or not, maybe someone can confirm, but it keeps feeling slicker to me!
 
You’ve got some good recommendations here, but we all have our personal favorites. Your weather conditions will also play a role in what works best.

For relatively quick and easy winter protection (to get you through it at least) I like the following mentioned earlier in this thread…

1. Griots 3-in-1 Ceramic Wax

Easy to apply (car must be dry), works on paint, trim, chrome, basically everything but glass. Excellent durability. Two coats is best as mentioned previously but needs to be 24 hours apart which might be difficult if you’re only working outside. Maintain with their Ceramic Speed Shine as a drying aid and you’ll be fine.

2. Hybrid Solutions Ceramic+Graphene Paste Wax

Not quite as easy to apply as Griots, but not difficult. Durability and gloss are crazy good with this one. Had it on my wife’s car last winter and it went through our harsh Wisconsin winter like a champ. Don’t be fooled by the name, there is some secret sauce in this stuff that makes it very durable.

Whatever you choose you’ll be fine. SOME type of protection on your car is better than what most cars on the road get. Good luck .
 
RippyD said:
Most spray sealants will last a month. Some will go 2 months or longer. Given that you can apply them to an entire car in ~10 mins or so it's not a big deal every 4-8 weeks. For sealants that need to be applied every few weeks I prefer the ones that can go on wet because it saves me time. I can apply them while I'm drying the car. Duragloss Aquawax (mentioned above), Dodo Future Armour, CarPro Reload and a few others are made to go on wet paint. I can dig up the names of the others if you're interested.
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Ordinarily I agree with you that it’s not a big deal to reapply your protection every 4-8 weeks.

The trouble though comes when it’s winter in Michigan and the temperature doesn’t get above 20-30°F for months at a time… keeping in mind the rule of thumb that it should/needs to be 50°F+ for most (all?) products. Without access to a heated garage you’re pretty much out of luck and can’t apply anything.

If I could figure out how to make a spray detailer and spray sealant/wax that performed in sub-freezing temps I bet I’d make a killing!


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BlackCarBlues said:
Ordinarily I agree with you that it’s not a big deal to reapply your protection every 4-8 weeks.

The trouble though comes when it’s winter in Michigan and the temperature doesn’t get above 20-30°F for months at a time… keeping in mind the rule of thumb that it should/needs to be 50°F+ for most (all?) products. Without access to a heated garage you’re pretty much out of luck and can’t apply anything.

If I could figure out how to make a spray detailer and spray sealant/wax that performed in sub-freezing temps I bet I’d make a killing!


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Agreed. Even cooler temps well above freezing are a problem. I applied a few a couple of weeks ago for testing in a ~55 degree garage. They stayed inside for 10 hours before going out into colder weather. They are not performing as expected. The lower the temp, the longer these need to cure. I don't know what they curve looks like, but 10 hours a 55 degrees isn't good enough.

The only way I get through winter is to apply something I know will sheet water for 6 months.
 
BlackCarBlues said:
What do you use for this 6 month protection?
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The longest lasting sealants I've used are Collinite 845 (11 months), and Collinite 915, FK 1000P, DG 104 (8-9 months). Those are all paste waxes, which some people don't like. The product cost per application for these is ridiculously low.

Other sealants that last 6-7 months on my car:

Wipe on/wipe off:
  • Jescar Bead-it
  • Sonax PNS
  • A Nanoskin sealant not sold here
Need some cure time:
  • 303 Graphene
  • Duragloss 111
  • Duragloss Track Claw
  • Sonus SFX-4
(Edited the opinion below to be less conflicting and confusing.)
My go-to has been PNS and it's on the wife's car for the winter. I just finished testing Jescar Bead-it and it's also excellent. I prefer the wipe on/wipe of products by just a little due to ease of use. Those that need cure time are also excellent. Not a big deal, but does take some additional time and care to ensure they aren't removed too soon.

(I had Stoner Bead Max on the list, but it's apparently discontinued.)
 
Griots 3 in 1 looks good, and that looks like an excellent comparison test.

Keep in mind that one person getting year from a product is relative. That doesn't mean the rest of us will get a year. Weather, how much driving, garaged or not, washing frequency and method are all factors in longevity.

The results I publish should be considered relative, not absolute. However, most of my tests are done on a car that is outside 24x7, is driven in rain ~5 months out of the year, and gets washed with a sponge and strong car wash. So I hope my numbers are conservative and that most people would see similar results.
 
RippyD said:
Griots 3 in 1 looks good, and that looks like an excellent comparison test.

Keep in mind that one person getting year from a product is relative. That doesn't mean the rest of us will get a year. Weather, how much driving, garaged or not, washing frequency and method are all factors in longevity.

The results I publish should be considered relative, not absolute. However, most of my tests are done on a car that is outside 24x7, is driven in rain ~5 months out of the year, and gets washed with a sponge and strong car wash. So I hope my numbers are conservative and that most people would see similar results.
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Understood. I provided the link for reference. In my own experience, using the product on customer cars, which are daily drivers and see very little in the way of maintenance by their owners, I've seen 6-9 months protection. For an inexpensive, DIY product, Griots 3 in 1 is tough to beat.
 
briarpatch said:
Understood. I provided the link for reference. In my own experience, using the product on customer cars, which are daily drivers and see very little in the way of maintenance by their owners, I've seen 6-9 months protection. For an inexpensive, DIY product, Griots 3 in 1 is tough to beat.
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so is griots 3 in 1 a ceramic sealer some what same as the turtle wax hybrid solution they have that’s graphene ? So if I go with griots I apply it today, that’s the base protections, so what can I use after my wash which is like every 2-3 weeks? More as needed.. do I just use a spray way after each wash like carpet reload?
 
I had terrible results with TW graphene series...40 days and all was lost (Hydrophobic's)...max wax as well as flex wax as a topper

You can top Griot's 3 in 1 with Griot's Ceramic speed shine...
 
queens guy said:
so is griots 3 in 1 a ceramic sealer some what same as the turtle wax hybrid solution they have that’s graphene ? So if I go with griots I apply it today, that’s the base protections, so what can I use after my wash which is like every 2-3 weeks? More as needed.. do I just use a spray way after each wash like carpet reload?
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You could use 3-1 as a drying aid but i think using 1-2 times a month is too much.

I’d use Griots Ceramic speed shine. A QD with a little protection.

If you have Meg’s Hybrid Ceramic Detailer or CarPro Ech20, those would work as well.


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Griots 3 in 1 is a great product but you could see some streaking especially on black paint. A little goes a long way and the type of towel that you use can also make a difference. The Griots Edgeless Plush towels seem to work very well.
 
I went to my parents garage where I have all my detailing stuff and I found some products which are about 5-6 years old. Should I just toss them in garbage or can I still put them to use?

i have some Mothers reflection top coat and car wax.. also have some Menzerna SF 4000
 
queens guy said:
I went to my parents garage where I have all my detailing stuff and I found some products which are about 5-6 years old. Should I just toss them in garbage or can I still put them to use?

i have some Mothers reflection top coat and car wax.. also have some Menzerna SF 4000
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Ha, I've got the same thing going on. Parents gave me boxes of stuff long ago and those still had detailing stuff. Everything in it was used on what I consider low risk areas but some Meguiar's Scratch X was used, wheel cleaner, etc and all seems fine. I even had some Zaino CS in it. I admit if I was looking for strong protection and trying to get by with 15yr old Zaino I'd be worried but I get the sense many products last well beyond their dates.

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