I know I'm probably gonna catch some flack for this, but the best car wash solution I've used to date is Turtle Wax Zip Wax. I've used many of the others, but none of them seem to suds like the Zip Wax, and none seem to leave the high level of shine the Zip Wax leaves. It almost seems like the Zip Wax adds to the current layer protectant that's already on the paint rather than working to remove it. I put a good coat of Zaino on my car about a month ago, and washing with the ZW keeps that high gloss shine. Just for the record, I typically don't like Turtle Wax products.
Car wash
- Thread starter bottgers
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The way I look at it is, if this or any other product works for you, use it. A couple of years ago, I visited my Mother and decided to wash her car. In her storage room I found a jug of Turtle Wax Zip Wax Car Wash. Well, it was either that or drive 15 miles each way to W-Mart to get something a bit better. So I used it. It did a fine job. However, I was not as impressed with the life of the suds. I had to mix up another bucket before I finished. But, her water might have been harder than I'm use to.
Anyway, I'm sure it is better than a lot of soaps out there. However, I've always felt products that combine 2 or more otherwise separate products into one, have to compromise in some way.
Actually i use only plain old water and no detergents to wash the car at the self service car wash ounce a week.If you have enough wax on the car [i wax ounce a month]the dirt comes off easily with no detergents.The body shops around here say wax ounce a month due to the burning sun and heavy rains.The wax lasts alot longer without using detergents.
Now if you live in the snow belt thats a different story but here in the jungle plain old water works as long as the car isn't super dirty and has some wax on it.
Now if you live in the snow belt thats a different story but here in the jungle plain old water works as long as the car isn't super dirty and has some wax on it.
I like the zip wax wash.
I made the mistake of buying the supertech car wash, it makes no foam, and is as thin as water.
I made the mistake of buying the supertech car wash, it makes no foam, and is as thin as water.
You can't tell how effective a car soap is by suds alone and maybe not at all! Some of the best high end soaps do not suds a lot such as 1Z Perls and Griots but they provide fantastic lubrication. Better than any Turtle wax soaps.
I didn't form my opinion of the Zip Wax based on suds alone. It's also based on how my vehicle looks when I'm done using it, which is very nice BTW. Some people will bash a product (and I'm not saying you are at all) simply because it's made my Turtle Wax. Though as a general rule I don't care for the vast majority of their products, I wouldn't knock their car wash until you've tried it.
I really like Meguiars Gold Class shampoo & conditioner.
You can buy it in 1-gallon jugs at Target for around $10-$12 bucks I think (it's been a year since I bought it). Much cheaper than some of the really expensive brands I've tried and it works just as well. Great suds, great lubrication and it smells great too.
Zip wax was what my dad always used. It worked well, but I think there are better products out there.
You can buy it in 1-gallon jugs at Target for around $10-$12 bucks I think (it's been a year since I bought it). Much cheaper than some of the really expensive brands I've tried and it works just as well. Great suds, great lubrication and it smells great too.
Zip wax was what my dad always used. It worked well, but I think there are better products out there.
i've used zip wax, meg's, mother's, blue coral, eagleone, whatever.
they all seem to work about the same to me. my car rarely gets too dirty, so it's hard to judge.
bugs and road tar are the biggies. no matter what i use i typically have to wash the front end and the low surfaces twice if they have bug or tar on them.
use what smells good, or what's cheap, or whatever. i go for smell these days.
they all seem to work about the same to me. my car rarely gets too dirty, so it's hard to judge.
bugs and road tar are the biggies. no matter what i use i typically have to wash the front end and the low surfaces twice if they have bug or tar on them.
use what smells good, or what's cheap, or whatever. i go for smell these days.
Negative the reason for using car soap is becuase it saftly lifts and removes dirt grime and the like. By using just water and what ever tool you use (sheep skin wool mitt/mf towels/or even a spong) all your doing is draging **** across your paint causing scratches/marring.
Check out some detailing boards (Autopia.org, MeguiarsOnline.com, etc.). You'll see that NOT using some sort of car wash soap is not good. You need the lubricity that car wash soap provides to safely remove the dirt from the surface. Doesn't matter how much wax you have on there, washing with water only isn't good.
mshu7,
It may be that washing without a car wash solution is not optimal (I agree), but those two detailing boards do have wares for sale so they aren't going to tell you not to use a car wash solution even if it was the best. I believe that using water only was recommended by Ferrari and the likes before car wash solutions were developed/sold/mass produced. Water alone was better than the **** way back then.
It may be that washing without a car wash solution is not optimal (I agree), but those two detailing boards do have wares for sale so they aren't going to tell you not to use a car wash solution even if it was the best. I believe that using water only was recommended by Ferrari and the likes before car wash solutions were developed/sold/mass produced. Water alone was better than the **** way back then.
Not really sure what you mean by "wares" but I don't really agree with that statement. People on the boards are there to learn. I've never seen anybody that works for Autopia pushing the products they sell on the board, if that's what you are trying to get at. Meg's on the other hand, they mostly talk about Meg's products b/c they have their own line. That's understandable IMO. There's a handful of detailing message boards I hit quite frequently so I disagree with your statement. The only site that might be like that is Meg's but I've never felt like like pushed information just to increase sales.
Regardless, we both agree that water only isn't the best method.
Hermann
Site Donor 2023
I like zip wash/wax also. I have had the same jug since may of 2000.. It only takes about 3 capfuls to get a decent amount of suds.. It also easy on my wax.
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