is expensive soap really worth it ?

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WhyMe

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i have been using turtle wax in my foam cannon . its diluted 2 oz to 32oz water. makes ok suds. i get it at walmart for about $5 a gallon. i have never tried any of the fancy soap in my cannon as they seem expensive for soap. $20 to $40 for a gallon is seems to be the going rate for these soaps.

So am i missing anything by not using these fancy soaps? i am not a pro detailer, but i do try to take care of my vehicles
 
I don't know this for a fact but, I think the other soaps that are actually designed for the Cannon have better dirt lifting factors(if I said that right). However, if you are happy with the results you're getting then stay with the soap that you are using. And you may not be missing a thing.
smile.gif
 
Meguiars Hyper Wash works great in a foam cannon and the cost per use is peanuts.
 
Or are they designed for the folks who assume that if they don't use the most expensive product it means they really do not care about their prized auto?
 
Originally Posted by The Critic
Meguiars Hyper Wash works great in a foam cannon and the cost per use is peanuts.


Beat me to it! I bought a brand new gallon the beginning of last year and still have over half of it. The initial cost might seem steep, but only having to use an ounce or so per 5 gallons the savings add up.
 
If it only snows where you live once every three or four years, yes it is reasonable to believe that cleaning the car completely after driving in snow is something that can and should be done.

It is a much different thing if where you live it snows three or four times in a single week.
 
Meguiars gold class from Walmart is a long time favorite on the car detailing forums. Nice and slippery to reduce the need to scrub hard and make scratches.

I've never used a foam cannon even though one came with my pressure washer. If you're just imitating the pay car wash scene and foaming the car up then pressure washing the dirt off, you will need a more aggressive soap. I've never had good luck with pressure washers getting the film off he paint. Only a good soft wash mit will do that.
 
Meguiar's Gold Class is awesome but it doesn't really build the Instagram-famous "snow foam" layer. It is slippery as heck and very versatile. It can be gentle, it can strip wax, and it makes my favorite clay lube.

Meguiar's Ultimate Wash and Wax is awesome for a normal two bucket wash - the water sheets right off when you rinse.
 
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
Meguiar's Gold Class is awesome but it doesn't really build the Instagram-famous "snow foam" layer. It is slippery as heck and very versatile. It can be gentle, it can strip wax, and it makes my favorite clay lube.


Megs says the opposite:

Meguiar's® Gold Class™ Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner is a rich and luxurious product designed to both wash and condition paint in one easy step. The premium formula gently foams away tough dirt, road grime and contaminants without compromising wax protection.
 
Originally Posted by SeaJay
If it only snows where you live once every three or four years, yes it is reasonable to believe that cleaning the car completely after driving in snow is something that can and should be done.

It is a much different thing if where you live it snows three or four times in a single week.
It's the exact same thing. You don't need to wash "snow residue" off of your car, snow is frozen water. Cars rust where they salt the roads, not where it snows once every four years.
 
When you consider how many uses you're going to get out of a gallon of car wash concentrate, going from $5 for a jug of the Turtle Wax stuff to even $20 for a gallon of the 'fancy stuff' is not really expensive.

I agree, Gold Class is some excellent stuff, but even it appears to be going for around $22 for a gallon on Amazon, which is roughly the same price as the Chemical Guys stuff, like their Maxi Suds II, which I really like, and it takes me well over a year to go through a gallon jug of that.. dang near 2 years.

I've also found that, at least in my observation, the more expensive stuff tends to work better in my foam cannon, and leaves less .. stuff .. behind compared to the cheaper ones.
 
Originally Posted by WhyMe
i have been using turtle wax in my foam cannon . its diluted 2 oz to 32oz water. makes ok suds. i get it at walmart for about $5 a gallon. i have never tried any of the fancy soap in my cannon as they seem expensive for soap. $20 to $40 for a gallon is seems to be the going rate for these soaps.

So am i missing anything by not using these fancy soaps? i am not a pro detailer, but i do try to take care of my vehicles


Isn't the whole point of using a foam cannon to make a lot of suds, not "ok suds"?

Maybe try the fancy stuff, from the smaller bottles (higher unit price) until you find something you like.
 
The suds are one aspect of a car wash shampoo but lubricity is very important. That is what envelopes the dirt particles and keeps them from scratching the clear coat as you wash. While a foam cannon has its good points you will still need to hand wash. A good chenille microfiber mitt or pad is the best.
 
I don't know......I'd say that the question is: what is the cheapest price for an acceptable car shampoo? Given that these are made of industrial, commodity chemicals, I'm betting that there are perfectly acceptable $5-$7 gallon jugs out there.

On the other hand, I notice that Duragloss (and many others) sell the stuff for $30 a gallon. So that would be the top end of what I would ever pay.
 
I've tried Autoglym, Mothers, Nu-Finish, Turtle wax, armourall and even Castrol truck wash. However now I only use Dish soap for penny's on the $$. (Or truck wash if I get given it.)

Yes it lifts of wax and strips the paint bare. THAT'S THE POINT.
People will tell you it damages paint or causes rust... Those same people will also try to sell you expensive soaps.

Use a soft wash mit (whatever is your choice) and go to town, top to bottom.

Once done, give a quick once over wipe with a microfibre cloth using at 05/50 ethanol/water (methylated spirits = ethanol) mix, sprayed from a squigy bottle. This will completely finish lifting any old wax / sealant leaving you with a dry clean surface. Don't waste cash on expensive isopropyl alcohol (at least in Australia it's stupidly expensive vs. methylated spirits) as metho works exactly the same.

Now your paint surface is read to havey a fresh cost of your favored Last stage protection (wax or sealant.)

Whole process can take as little as 45 minutes from start to glam shots. As you've prepped the surface so well, you've given the LSP product the best chance to do it's job and bond strongly to the raw paint surface.

Regards
Jordan
 
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