Quick test of Ultima Paint Guard Wash Shampoo

[cdodkin]

Took the chance to try the Ultima shampoo today, washing the new batch of bugs off of the black 911 after the trip back from AZ.

Here's the before:





As you can see - a decent collection of bug guts - baked in the desert at 100+

Put the Ultima Paint Guard Shampoo into my suds gun, and left the water/shampoo mix setting the same as for the previous NXT shampoo...



Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!





As you can see, suds a go-go

Really think long lasting suds, excellent for suspending the crud as you wash the car.

Even kept on going when they hit brake dust



Results:







Bugs came off with no issues - nice clean feel under the suds after rinsing - no streaking.

Probbaly will try dialing down my suds mix on the suds gun, as it's just so much more sudsy than NXT, and they last a long long time on the car.

So first quick test gets a

[getright]

What kind of LSP('s) were on the car?

[cdodkin]

Originally Posted by getright

What kind of LSP('s) were on the car?

Polished with Ultima Paint Prep Plus then LSP is a single coat of Ultima Paint Guard Plus.

[blkZ28Conv]

Gotta love how sealants allow such easy clean-up!!!!

What's on the tires?

Are you going to lay another layer of Ultima or QD it?

[cdodkin]

Originally Posted by blkZ28Conv

Gotta love how sealants allow such easy clean-up!!!!

What's on the tires?

Are you going to lay another layer of Ultima or QD it?

Tires and wheels have had a single cost of Ultima Tire & Trim Guard Plus - I'll probably go back and do the tires with 2 more coats as per David's latest recommendations.

The TTGP does make the wheels easy to keep clean, and they bead water when I hose them down - crazy stuff!

I'll definitely do additional Utlima coats - in fact I've been testing additional coats on the 986 with great results.

But not today - this was a quick wash to get to the bug guts in case they ate through the Ultima, which they hadn't after 4 days, so that's good!

Don't feel the need for QD so much these days, as the car attracts less dust with the Ultima finish than with previous LSPs - not sure why, but I'm happy

[DavidB]

Chis, I have not tried Ultima Paint Guard Wash in a foam gun. How much product did you put in the canister?

[cdodkin]

Originally Posted by DavidB

Chis, I have not tried Ultima Paint Guard Wash in a foam gun. How much product did you put in the canister?

My gun just loads raw shampoo in the hopper, and then you set a mix ratio on the spray head.

There's no doubt that the Ultima shampoo provides more suds at the same setting as say NXT shampoo

From previous use, an inch of shampoo in my hopper lasts for many many washes, due to the mix ratio being mostly water from the hose.

The suds gun idea does appeal to me, as I feel the suds lube the dirt removal really well, and you're laying them on the car without any mitt contact that could initially mark the finish.

[e5150]

I'm thinking of getting a foam gun.Now do I can I use any car wash soap with it?

[cdodkin]

Originally Posted by e5150

I'm thinking of getting a foam gun.Now do I can I use any car wash soap with it?

Yep - you can use any car wash soap you like with it.

Based on experience to date the PGWS product has the thickest and longest lasting suds.

[Accumulator]

Originally Posted by cdodkin

My gun just loads raw shampoo in the hopper, and then you set a mix ratio on the spray head..

Hmm...that's one *strong* mix, interesting that it doesn't compromise the LSP. Guess the Ultima products are well-matched.

In mine, I mix ~4-6 oz shampoo to a gallon of water, and fill the gun from that. And I *still* do most washing with the weakest setting

But then it sounds like our wash methods might differ...

[DavidB]

Originally Posted by Accumulator

Hmm...that's one *strong* mix, interesting that it doesn't compromise the LSP. Guess the Ultima products are well-matched.

I’d like to point out that Ultima Paint Guard Wash is a true “shampoo”, not a detergent. What’s the difference? Allow me to explain.

Oil (petroleum) detergent
Most detergents are an oil-based product. The most common detergent (surfactants) is alkyl benzene sulfonates. Oil-based detergents, which are still used as dish soap and laundry soap, are good for removing dirt and grease. However, they also remove other oil-based products (waxes and sealants).

Higher alcohol detergents
This type of detergent (surfactant) was developed to avoid the disadvantage of oil detergents. “Higher” means the alcohol molecule has more than 8 carbons. For example, higher alcohol detergents made from palm oil usually have between 12 and 18 carbons. Many so called car wash “shampoos” are made with palm oil or coconut oil extracts. While these detergents are not has harsh as oil-based detergents mentioned above, they are still too harsh for most waxes and other LSPs.

The true difference between a car shampoo and detergent
These are the properties which a true car shampoo should have:

• Proper detergency without degreasing
• Ability to form delicate and rich bubbling
• Easy rinsing
• Good finish after washing
• Minimal skin irritation for the user
• No damage to wax/LSP
• Low toxicity
• Good biodegradability

Shampoo surfactants are chosen based on these factors. In many current car wash products, the higher alcohol type–anion surfactant provides the proper detergency and forms rich bubbles, and a non-ion surfactant is added as coadjuvant. The reason why more than one kind of surfactant is employed in a wash shampoo is to make better bubbling and to have a more beautiful finish for the car.

I never had any thought of using Ultima Paint Guard Wash in a foam gun because I thought it would foam way too much and because it is not a detergent. It requires agitation to do its job. It won't clean or degrease by contact alone. That's a good thing for any LSP.

[Setec Astronomy]

Originally Posted by Accumulator

In mine, I mix ~4-6 oz shampoo to a gallon of water, and fill the gun from that. And I *still* do most washing with the weakest setting

I guess we've been through this before, but by my calculation you are using less than a tenth of the amount of shampoo recommended by Griot's...am I understanding that right? (weakest setting injects 1oz/gal of cup mixture; cup mixture at nominal 5oz/gal, 5/128 = ~.04 oz/gal on the car, vs. Griot's recommended .5 oz/gal)