HD Touch vs Meguiar`s Waterless

[imported_Quenga]

Meguiar’s Waterless Wash & Wax vs HD Touch



Pricing:



Retail:

HD Touch

16oz - $12.99 ($0.82/oz)

32oz - $14.99 ($0.47/oz)

Gallon - $29.99 ($0.24/oz)



Meguiar’s

26oz - $17.99 ($0.69/oz) (suggested)

26oz - $10.97 ($0.43/oz) (@ Walmart)



Waterless washes get a lot of flak for not being effective cleaners or dangerous for your paint (as far as wash marring goes). After washing cars personally for over 3 years with rinseless/waterless products and 2 years as a “professional�, I can tell you they save time, money, water and do less harm than not washing your car or any rock that flies up and nicks your paint. So, if used properly within the guidelines for their intended purpose – they are an invaluable asset both for the DIY’er and professional.



This evening I compared HD Touch (made by 3D Products) and Meguiar`s Waterless Wash & Wax. My car was just washed, but we went hiking this morning and I got a light amount of dust all over the car from the dirt parking lot; the PERFECT scenario for waterless washing. I would NEVER use these products as a regular maintenance wash. I only use them when I need something with a little more kick than a quick detailer. I shot a video, but with a GoPro Hero3; my computer is slow and it takes forever to process HD videos, so hopefully I`ll get it up this week. But, you know what spraying stuff onto a car and wiping it off looks like, right?



OK, so my opinions:



Bottling:

Meguiar’s – It`s larger, has a more comfortable sprayer and I prefer the clear bottles.

HD Touch – looks cool, I like the 16 oz size better, but it has it`s flaws. The nozzle always comes loose and I constantly have to retighten it. When it`s really tight, it`s freaking AIR TIGHT. So air tight, the bottle will collapse on itself! It`s kind of annoying.



Cleaning Power:

Eh, the same. I tested a few bee turds and will be carrying both bottles in my car with the remaining product to test bird bombs for a later review (I work by the beach, so I get bombed by a seagull at least once a week! To be honest I`m not too worried about which product is the better cleaner, because I only use these between regular washes anyway. I usually just use a quick detailer, but in a few cases, I think Waterless washes have their place.



Working Time:

Meguiar’s easily won this battle. All waterless washes dry pretty fast and can leave streaking, but Meg`s definitely has a longer work time and is easier to buff off.

HD Touch dries quickly and cannot be used in the sun whatsoever. I first tested it outside after I got back from picking it up and it kept drying too fast.



I did a similar full sun test with Meg’s and while both shouldn’t be used in full sun, it was easier to work with. However, in a garage on a cool surface, the results were the same. HD Touch left streaking pretty easily if not buffed off immediately. Some will say I did too large of an area, some will say I sprayed too much or too little. Either way, w/o trying to get it just right…Meg’s is the user-friendly winner.



Slickness and Gloss:

Meg’s is super slick and glossy. I definitely like the look afterwards.

HD Touch feels like a regular car wash (as in, not QD slick, but freshly washed slick…). I will say though, I think HD Touch looks a little better.



Meg`s is slicker, HD Touch looks better (I think anyways).



Cost:

Meguiar’s - only comes in one size. If I pick it up at Walmart, Meguiar`s is cheaper except when...

HD Touch - pick up a gallon and it`s cheaper. Unless you add shipping - which is dependent on where it`s shipped and with what else it`s shipped with, so actual "retail" to retail pricing, Meguiar`s wins in smaller sizes.



Smell:

Meguiar`s smells great!

HD Touch smells like a cleaner. Not sure what it is, but I think of cleaning my house/bathroom when I smell it.



Smell doesn`t really matter unless it`s just awful, but it does make working with any product a little more enjoyable.





In conclusion, I would use both products without hesitation, but prefer Meguiar`s Wash and Wax because it smells better, has better packaging, can be conveniently purchased all over the place and I think the slickness it adds to the paint as well as how easy it is to work with in the sun makes a huge difference.



HD Touch is a good product, but in my opinion, Meg`s wins this battle.

[umi000]

Nice comparison. Just some added info - Meguiar`s recently released D115 (Rinse Free Express Wash & Wax), which, despite the name, is actually the gallon concentrate version of UWWA. Price is 64.99, so when diluted at the recommended ratio of 1:4, cost comes out to $0.10/oz.

[dervdave]

HD Touch diluted with some distilled water helps with the `drying too quickly`

[Dan]

Great review. One thing that IMO shouldn`t be dismissed is the grease/tar dissolving power of a waterless wash. This is really where Opticlean leads the way with Touch following closely. I haven`t tried the Megs product, but as much as I love UWW+ it is dismal at the task of removing freshly deposited road tar.