As others have said. Buy a gallon of Meguiar's wash concentrate (I use D111). I used to buy fancy wash concentrate but for how quickly you tend to go through it, it's not worth the extra money when the Meg's pro stuff is formulated very well (thank you The Critic). Spend your money on a good quality LSP, that's where the value behind the spend will be more apparent.
is expensive soap really worth it ?
- Thread starter WhyMe
- Start date
- Status
Originally Posted by JFAllen
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 $$. (Or truck wash if I get given it.)
Yes it lifts of wax and strips the paint bare. THAT'S THE POINT.
People will tell you it damages paint or causes rust... Those same people will also try to sell you expensive soaps.
Use a soft wash mit (whatever is your choice) and go to town, top to bottom.
Once done, give a quick once over wipe with a microfibre cloth using at 05/50 ethanol/water (methylated spirits = ethanol) mix, sprayed from a squigy bottle. This will completely finish lifting any old wax / sealant leaving you with a dry clean surface. Don't waste cash on expensive isopropyl alcohol (at least in Australia it's stupidly expensive vs. methylated spirits) as metho works exactly the same.
Now your paint surface is read to havey a fresh cost of your favored Last stage protection (wax or sealant.)
Whole process can take as little as 45 minutes from start to glam shots. As you've prepped the surface so well, you've given the LSP product the best chance to do it's job and bond strongly to the raw paint surface.
Regards
Jordan
My God, this is bad advice.. Removing the wax/protection every time you wash your car is not only counter-productive, it's also a waste of good wax as well as time and effort. You might be saving money vs the specialized products by using dish soap "for pennies on the $$" but then you're spending more on wax/sealant by forcing yourself to re-apply after EVERY wash. Never mind the extra time involved in reapplication. I guess your time is not worth anything?
Modern car wash products are designed to lift dirt and other contaminants off the paint without disturbing the wax underneath. Going this way, you can easily go a dozen (or more) washes with the same LSP.
And then you recommend using ethanol on the paint after EVERY wash? .. By the way, Methylated spirits = Methanol, not Ethanol.. and trust me, you don't want Methanol around your paint.
How is it your car's finish is not completely ruined by now?
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 $$. (Or truck wash if I get given it.)
Yes it lifts of wax and strips the paint bare. THAT'S THE POINT.
People will tell you it damages paint or causes rust... Those same people will also try to sell you expensive soaps.
Use a soft wash mit (whatever is your choice) and go to town, top to bottom.
Once done, give a quick once over wipe with a microfibre cloth using at 05/50 ethanol/water (methylated spirits = ethanol) mix, sprayed from a squigy bottle. This will completely finish lifting any old wax / sealant leaving you with a dry clean surface. Don't waste cash on expensive isopropyl alcohol (at least in Australia it's stupidly expensive vs. methylated spirits) as metho works exactly the same.
Now your paint surface is read to havey a fresh cost of your favored Last stage protection (wax or sealant.)
Whole process can take as little as 45 minutes from start to glam shots. As you've prepped the surface so well, you've given the LSP product the best chance to do it's job and bond strongly to the raw paint surface.
Regards
Jordan
My God, this is bad advice.. Removing the wax/protection every time you wash your car is not only counter-productive, it's also a waste of good wax as well as time and effort. You might be saving money vs the specialized products by using dish soap "for pennies on the $$" but then you're spending more on wax/sealant by forcing yourself to re-apply after EVERY wash. Never mind the extra time involved in reapplication. I guess your time is not worth anything?
Modern car wash products are designed to lift dirt and other contaminants off the paint without disturbing the wax underneath. Going this way, you can easily go a dozen (or more) washes with the same LSP.
And then you recommend using ethanol on the paint after EVERY wash? .. By the way, Methylated spirits = Methanol, not Ethanol.. and trust me, you don't want Methanol around your paint.
How is it your car's finish is not completely ruined by now?
Originally Posted by SirTanon
Originally Posted by JFAllen
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 $$. (Or truck wash if I get given it.)
Yes it lifts of wax and strips the paint bare. THAT'S THE POINT.
People will tell you it damages paint or causes rust... Those same people will also try to sell you expensive soaps.
Use a soft wash mit (whatever is your choice) and go to town, top to bottom.
Once done, give a quick once over wipe with a microfibre cloth using at 05/50 ethanol/water (methylated spirits = ethanol) mix, sprayed from a squigy bottle. This will completely finish lifting any old wax / sealant leaving you with a dry clean surface. Don't waste cash on expensive isopropyl alcohol (at least in Australia it's stupidly expensive vs. methylated spirits) as metho works exactly the same.
Now your paint surface is read to havey a fresh cost of your favored Last stage protection (wax or sealant.)
Whole process can take as little as 45 minutes from start to glam shots. As you've prepped the surface so well, you've given the LSP product the best chance to do it's job and bond strongly to the raw paint surface.
Regards
Jordan
My God, this is bad advice.. Removing the wax/protection every time you wash your car is not only counter-productive, it's also a waste of good wax as well as time and effort. You might be saving money vs the specialized products by using dish soap "for pennies on the $$" but then you're spending more on wax/sealant by forcing yourself to re-apply after EVERY wash. Never mind the extra time involved in reapplication. I guess your time is not worth anything?
Modern car wash products are designed to lift dirt and other contaminants off the paint without disturbing the wax underneath. Going this way, you can easily go a dozen (or more) washes with the same LSP.
And then you recommend using ethanol on the paint after EVERY wash? .. By the way, Methylated spirits = Methanol, not Ethanol.. and trust me, you don't want Methanol around your paint.
How is it your car's finish is not completely ruined by now?
Yep. Dish soap is for dishes. It does not have the lubricity that a quality car soap will have. The clearcoat would be damaged by continued use of dish soap.
Originally Posted by JFAllen
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 $$. (Or truck wash if I get given it.)
Yes it lifts of wax and strips the paint bare. THAT'S THE POINT.
People will tell you it damages paint or causes rust... Those same people will also try to sell you expensive soaps.
Use a soft wash mit (whatever is your choice) and go to town, top to bottom.
Once done, give a quick once over wipe with a microfibre cloth using at 05/50 ethanol/water (methylated spirits = ethanol) mix, sprayed from a squigy bottle. This will completely finish lifting any old wax / sealant leaving you with a dry clean surface. Don't waste cash on expensive isopropyl alcohol (at least in Australia it's stupidly expensive vs. methylated spirits) as metho works exactly the same.
Now your paint surface is read to havey a fresh cost of your favored Last stage protection (wax or sealant.)
Whole process can take as little as 45 minutes from start to glam shots. As you've prepped the surface so well, you've given the LSP product the best chance to do it's job and bond strongly to the raw paint surface.
Regards
Jordan
My God, this is bad advice.. Removing the wax/protection every time you wash your car is not only counter-productive, it's also a waste of good wax as well as time and effort. You might be saving money vs the specialized products by using dish soap "for pennies on the $$" but then you're spending more on wax/sealant by forcing yourself to re-apply after EVERY wash. Never mind the extra time involved in reapplication. I guess your time is not worth anything?
Modern car wash products are designed to lift dirt and other contaminants off the paint without disturbing the wax underneath. Going this way, you can easily go a dozen (or more) washes with the same LSP.
And then you recommend using ethanol on the paint after EVERY wash? .. By the way, Methylated spirits = Methanol, not Ethanol.. and trust me, you don't want Methanol around your paint.
How is it your car's finish is not completely ruined by now?
Yep. Dish soap is for dishes. It does not have the lubricity that a quality car soap will have. The clearcoat would be damaged by continued use of dish soap.
Yeah no kidding.. with the poor lubricity of dish soap, and the lack of any appreciable wax.. I can only imagine the kind of spider webs and other marring going on with his paint.
To all the ney sayers:
1: Methylated spirits contains NO-Methanol. Years ago it did, but because Bum's and school kids drink it (because it doesn't attract booze tax, thus cheap and +95% Alcohol) and methanol makes you go blind, it no longer does. Now Methylated Spirits contains Denatonium as a bittering agent to make it unpalatable, but not poisonous. (You know, because public safety)
As for Why I strip wax each wash, because it take's 15 minutes to:
and when applied with 6" orbital polisher and a very soft foam pad. You use so little wax, the coverage is so even, the curing time is less and removal is a breeze. I might use 30-40mL of liquid wax do do a full sized estate. A little goes a long way, and it's only the excess residue that you buff off after curing.
As for the nasty spider webs:
Here are 3 of my cars: The N14-GTiR (yellow) and RT40 (turquoise) are both single stage paints, the Saab 9-5 (grey) is a dual stage. If I ever see some spider webs creeping in. A quick blast with the orbital polisher knocks them flat in no time at all. Car paint is like a kitchen knife. It can be hard to get it looking sharp (both the GTiR had sat for 4 and half years out in the sun, unprotected and the ss paint was like chalk,) but once you do. Keeping that edge isn't too difficult at all. I love the single stage paint and how it feels, almost like silk with freshly bonded coat of Mother Pure Carrnuba paste wax.
Regards
Jordan
P.S: of course I chose glam shots
but these were all washed and continue to be washed with dish soap. The water beading shot was even with turtle wax on a dew'y morning where I went out to my car to go to the shops and that's how it looked (was blown away
)
1: Methylated spirits contains NO-Methanol. Years ago it did, but because Bum's and school kids drink it (because it doesn't attract booze tax, thus cheap and +95% Alcohol) and methanol makes you go blind, it no longer does. Now Methylated Spirits contains Denatonium as a bittering agent to make it unpalatable, but not poisonous. (You know, because public safety)
As for Why I strip wax each wash, because it take's 15 minutes to:
- apply
cure
remove
and when applied with 6" orbital polisher and a very soft foam pad. You use so little wax, the coverage is so even, the curing time is less and removal is a breeze. I might use 30-40mL of liquid wax do do a full sized estate. A little goes a long way, and it's only the excess residue that you buff off after curing.
As for the nasty spider webs:
Here are 3 of my cars: The N14-GTiR (yellow) and RT40 (turquoise) are both single stage paints, the Saab 9-5 (grey) is a dual stage. If I ever see some spider webs creeping in. A quick blast with the orbital polisher knocks them flat in no time at all. Car paint is like a kitchen knife. It can be hard to get it looking sharp (both the GTiR had sat for 4 and half years out in the sun, unprotected and the ss paint was like chalk,) but once you do. Keeping that edge isn't too difficult at all. I love the single stage paint and how it feels, almost like silk with freshly bonded coat of Mother Pure Carrnuba paste wax.
Regards
Jordan
P.S: of course I chose glam shots
Last edited:
I'm happy with Megs Deep Crystal car wash. A car can only be so shiny.
absolutely worth it to spend a little more. More suds, more lubricity, better cleaning ability, sheets water as it dries, less spotting. Gold class and Mother's california gold are both awesome and easily found. The DUB soap was great in my experience too.
Originally Posted by SirTanon
you don't want Methanol around your paint.
Methanol is found in windshield washer fluid. It is used to lower the freezing point.
So imagine all the damaged paint on cars where it is used in cold climates.
you don't want Methanol around your paint.
Methanol is found in windshield washer fluid. It is used to lower the freezing point.
So imagine all the damaged paint on cars where it is used in cold climates.
I'll fallback on Gold Class or Duragloss wash, or even whatever Walmart has on sale. But for a foam cannon, I've been happy with Chemical Guys. I might want to try the Detailer's series from Meguiar's next.
- Status
