Recommendation for Maintenance Wash Car Soap with 2-Bucket Method

[Lonnie]

I am asking my fellow Autopians what they use/prefer for car wash soap wit a 2-bucket method.


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I am currently using Optimum`s Car Wash soap and it`s O.K.` If the car is real dirty or has a lot of bugs on the front and windshield, I will add as small amount of Optimum`s Power Wash to the mix.


I have used Meguiar`s Professional Carwash`Shampoo and Conditioner No. 62 in the past, which I think is a great soap for maintenance washes.


I do not use a foaming lance, so the soap-and-water is in a bucket, along with the other bucket of rinse water for my wash medium (hence the 2-bucket method I learned about within this forum).


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Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated and reasons why you like the soap/detergent you use. If you use`wash-and-gloss`or wash-and-wax soaps, let me know about them and why as well.


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[tom p.]

Lonnie, what LSP is on the vehicle now?` Are you looking for a boutique product or something cheap in industrial sizes??

[Lonnie]

tom p.:


The cars I own/wash have Collinite 885 Fleet-Wax on them as an LSP. I may re-wax them`during the summer with S100 after about 5-6 washes because it`s such an easy wax to use (wax-on-wax-off).


I am open to`ANY soap suggestions, but, if some soap is available in gallon sizes, I am more prone to use/buy it because of "economy of scale". I am washing 2 vehicles (and occasionally some of the neighbors) weekly from about April to mid-November (it`s outside and`above freezing temperatures in Northeast Wisconsin), whether they need it or not. (Remember I am an obsessive-compulsive detailer)


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If you have suggestions for soaps for car polishing-prep work, you can add your comments about that. I KNOW Accumulator and Ron Ketcham are big advocates of ValuGard`s (Automotive International) 3-step de-contamination wash chemicals.

[House of Wax]

I`ve been using Chemical Guys Citrus wash and gloss lately and like it quite a bit. `Washes well, good suds, and is pretty concentrated so a little bit goes a long way:


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http://www.chemicalguys.com/Chemical_Guys_CWS_301_Citrus_Wash_Gloss_Concen_p/cws_301.htm (`http://www.chemicalguys.com/Chemical_Guys_CWS_301_Citrus_Wash_Gloss_Concen_p/cws_301.htm`) ` `On sale right now for $20 for a gallon

[Dan]

IMO it`s hard to beat Meg`s gold class. It`s better than most boutique stuff and is on sale all the time. I keep meaning to try hyperwash but keep finding deals on GC. Target gives the stuff away in Sept.

[tom p.]

Lonnie, much of this can be reduced down to personal taste/preference.` I think the Optimum soap is very good, for example.


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The two`conventional soaps at the top of my list today are:


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<ul> Ultima`Paint Guard`Wash`(expensive)
Chem Guys` Mr.Pink (cheap)
[/list]

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I could see myself picking one of these shampoos for washing a sealant like the Collinite or FK`s 1000p` and getting a great result, year-round.` I wash 52wks/yr and find the Ultima, with its tremendous lubricity, to be a real benefit during the worst months when the cars are covered with the horrible filth they throw on`our roads.

[E-Jag]

Duragloss 901 is just about all I use.` It isn`t super foamy, which works for me, it just leaves the car looking really good.` Don`t know if it`s available in gallon size or not - one of those things I keep meaning to check but never do.` The NAPA store near me stocks it, along with a lot of other DG products.`

[Accumulator]

I`m not a big fan of foam, even when using my foamguns.` To me it`s just a lot of air mixed in with the shampoo and I don`t see the upside to that.` But then I`m all about that "dislodge and flush" approach and maybe that gives me a different viewpoint.


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Lonnie- The Optimum oughta be pretty good and the Duragloss should be swell for an OTC.


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I usually recommend Griot`s, but recently I`ve been using a mix of Griot`s and 3D (or is it "HD"? I can`t keep `em straight...) Pink and that`s working OK too.` The straight GG was easier on the LSP but the mix cleans a little better (I think...hard to tell).


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What I`m *really* liking is doing a rinseless wash with IUDJ after I`ve finished my conventional washing.` If the vehicle wasn`t too bad to start with I move right from my BHB/foamgun passes to the IUDJ, otherwise I still do the mitt/foamgun step.` Adding the IUDJ makes a difference;` maybe it`s just from the polymer stuff that it leaves behind (but I don`t think so because I`d usually use a QD anyhow when drying and I also notice the diff if I rewax after the wash), but whatever`s going on, I like it.


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I found Gold Class to be decidedly mediocre, not enough lubricity for me.` If you gotta use Meguiuar`s I prefer their M62.


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Heh heh, you already know my preference for pre-correction cleanups!

[Bill D]

<strong class=`bbc`>Duragloss 901 is just about all I use. It isn`t super foamy, which works for me, it just leaves the car looking really good. Don`t know if it`s available in gallon size or not - one of those things I keep meaning to check but never do. The NAPA store near me stocks it, along with a lot of other DG products. [/b]


You can get a gallon online. Its known as 902 in the gallon.



It`s one of my go to soaps that works very well

[Lonnie]

Thanks for the responses, fellow Autopians:


When a true OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Detailer) considers a car was soap/detergent , there are a number of things to consider:


1) How does it clean?


2) Does it provide adequate lubrication to prevent marring with a wash medium?


3) Does it rinse off well?


4) Does it last through a whole wash or does the cleaning and lubrication break down quickly after being in water for any length of time?


4a) Does it soften the water if you have hard-water issues? (Durability and`rinsing issues are compounded by hard water)


5) Is it economical to use? (Well, to some`price`may be`no object)


6) Is it available over-the-counter OR do I need to buy it off the internet, (which may add to cost with shipping)?


If you`re using a foam gun/lance you could add:


7) Does it foam/suds up adequately?


8) How much do I have to use with an application? (leading back to the economic-use question).


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I am not big on wax/gloss agents within a wash, as I feel the-left-behind chemicals make it more difficult to dry and cause streaks. Maybe it`s based on old-school products and experiences, so a newer wash-n-gloss, like Chemical Guys Citrus Wash-and- Gloss, would be a good product for me to try.


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I really like Megs Professional Car Wash and Conditioner No. 62 and the only reason I switched to Optimum`s Car Wash was because the internet place I bought my car-care products from did not carry it, so I went with what I thought would be similar.` OCW is O.K., but` for me, Meg`s No.62 just cleans better and doesn`t leave a film behind that I notice on windows with OCW after drying. Maybe is subjective (my personal feeling) rather than objective (based on actual empirical data and experience), but what car-care chemical isn`t subject to that judgment by any detailer? Like someone here within this forum says, " If you like it, use it, and use it often."

[Accumulator]

Lonnie- NIce to see the M62 getting some appreciation!` I was all about that stuff until I switched to Griot`s and IMO`it`s *very* good by any measure.` Never gets any real attention for some reason...maybe it`s pricey?` I haven`t bought it for so long that I can`t remember...

[BigAl3]

`if you want a nice mild soap (great for maintenance) that cleans well and smells good, give the 3D Pink Soap a try. works well in the foam gun and foam cannon too. did i mention it`s under $15 a gallon?

[Lonnie]

Accumulator:


Yes, Megs Wash No.62 is pricey; about $30.00 Gallon direct from Meg`s. I think it`s about $35.00 from a local car-parts shop with their mark-up.


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IF I remember correctly, Meg`s used to offer a 16 oz bottle called Tech Wash designed for use as lubricant to be added to water for wet-sanding. I know some of the Autopians who did wet-sanding`say they miss it. Days gone by.......

[Accumulator]

Lonnie- I thought the Meguiar`s shampoo for wetsanding was the (now discontinued, IIRC) M00.` Lemme check my old Meguiuar`s catalog....yeah, Tech Wash was M00.` Man, it`s kinda scary that I remember such stuff!


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At $30/gallon for the M62, guess I won`t be revisiting the scent after I use up my last stockpiled jug of it.` Yeah, days gone by indeed, the scent of certain shampoos can sure trigger my Wayback Machine.

[tom p.]

Let`s see, Kevin Brown may still have some of the Meg`s #00.` I bought a bunch of bottles from him last year.