PDA

View Full Version : Review: Optimum Opti Clean



Pages : [1] 2

imported_nihoole
01-09-2002, 04:17 PM
Picked my son up from school today with his rolling book bag and as he was puting it in the dirty wheels hit the truck.The scratches are about 1/4 inch wide x 4inches I am going to use 3M SWR to see if I can get them out.the scratch is barely deep enough to feel and not to the primer.My question is what direction should I try to rub it out up and down- side to side- in circles heres a pick of the direction of the scratches.

BradE
01-09-2002, 04:21 PM
If you can feel them at all with your fingernail abrasives ain`t gonna fix it. They might make the problem better, but they will not solve it.



If you feel it with your fingernail a little bit chances are they will still need to be filled and leveled.

Jngrbrdman
01-09-2002, 04:24 PM
You want to apply scratch remover in the direction of the scratch. Those are the directions you will find on most scratch removing products. I`ve had good luck with GS27 on scratches like that. That and Mequiar`s ScratchX might work for you.

CEE DOG
09-18-2010, 06:44 PM
Review: Optimum Opti Clean

Product Description:
Optimum Opti? Clean is the ultimate one-step product. It cleans and protects all automotive surfaces in one step. Use Optimum Opti? Clean on paint, vinyl, rubber, metals, plastics, and even glass! You`ll save time, effort, and money while achieving a clean, well-protected vehicle. Optimum Opti? Clean does it all!

Initial Product Observations:
1.- Packaging: Not Available
2.- Directions: Simple to follow
3.- Consistency: A thin liquid with a fluidity just barely thicker then water
4.- Color: White
5.- Scent: Very similar to the old formula of ONR
6.- Size: 32 oz.
7.- Current Price: 15.99
8.- Price Per oz: $0.50 (based on 32 oz. bottle)
9.- Price Per oz after diluting:$0.13 (based on 32 oz. bottle)
10.- Additional sizes: 128 oz. (39.99 or $0.31 per oz)
11.- Ready-to-use size: 8 oz. ($8.99)
12.- Manufacturer: Optimum Polymer Technologies, Inc.
13.- Made in: USA

Additional products used for prep, during application, or removal:
1.- MF towel
2.- Spray bottle

Introduction:
I just became aware of this product a few weeks ago and found it very interesting. I have a sense of trust in the products Dr. G sells that have anything to do with paint care so having not tried any products marketed as this one is thus far I was looking forward to purchasing it at some point in the future. Probably would have been a couple months from now. Anyway, Jim (Old Tiger) contacted me a little over a week ago and told me he?d like to see a review on a few particular products. He also offered to send me samples of all the products he would like to see reviewed. Well, I had to take him up on it obviously! Fast forward to this week. I received a big box that contained healthy portions of some great products including this one... Enough Opti Clean to make 32 oz in fact! Thank you Jim for your generous gift! More on the other products in their respective reviews?
I had to get out of work a few minutes early Thursday night to stay ahead of an incoming thunderstorm (Sky was with me). Anyway since I got home early I decided I had enough time to start checking out this product. My first victim would be my green Saturn, which is overdue for a real car wash. This car is out 24/7 and is my DD. It wouldn?t be receiving a bath until Saturday and was certainly overdue. As such it was dirtier then what should probably be attempted with this type of product but I figured I?d jump in with both feet. I wanted to test its limits and my DD is always willing to sacrifice in the name of science.

Method of Preparation:
I mixed 8 oz. of product with 24 oz. of water.

Method of Application, and noted Observations:

Paint:
After taping a line down the center of the hood I shook the mixed product and applied it liberally to the drivers side of the hood. Next I wiped my MF towel gently across the hood one time. Then I flipped the towel and repeated on another dirty area. After getting the initial grime off the car I sprayed it down again and with a fresh side I wiped it down again a little more forcefully this time. Finally with a little less product, I wiped it down one more time and buffed it off with a clean dry side. In contrast to the way ONR beads on the surface when sprayed, Opti Clean seems to lay flatter across the surface. Initially I thought it lay flat because the car was so dirty but after the subsequent applications on the clean surface it continued to lay flat when applied.
With one side of the hood clean and dry I turned on my LED light to look for any scratches I may have caused from this test. While I did have a little shedding from my towel there did not appear to be any marring caused by the Opti clean. With the car as dirty as it was I was impressed with the results. The paint was left clean, fairly slick, and glossy. There was also no streaking in any of the lighting I subjected the paint to. Friday I would inspect again in the mid-day sun. I would expect a product that doesn?t mar the finish and does leave some protection to be somewhat oily but OOC is not at all oily. In fact OID is much more oily then OOC. The question for me is if I could get the same results using the same method while using ONR-QD as a substitute for the OOC.
Friday, after my morning jog I pulled out some ONR, OID, OOC, and IPA for some further testing. I took some ONR-QD (old formula) and cleaned a small area on the dirty side of the hood using the same method as I had with the OOC. As with the OOC when using the ONR method there was no streaking and no induced marring that I could tell. Granted I did only test a small round spot with the ONR. The difference I did see which I did not expect was that the OOC side was slightly glossier then the ONR test spot. I took some OID and sprayed the ONR test spot to see OID would equal or rival the gloss of OOC. It looked about equal to me.
The next test would be to identify if there was indeed some protection left by Opti Clean. The only way to observe this I thought would be to test the sheeting/beading of Opti Clean compared to a clean surface. I taped off 2 areas on the side of the hood I had already cleaned with Opti Clean. I then cleaned both of these taped areas with IPA to remove the Opti clean and wax beneath it. Next I applied Opti Clean to half of that area and buffed it dry. Then I got a bottle of pure water and sprayed, then poured water over the 2 test areas to see how the water would react to the OOC. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Om4ZXVXGwA Pouring water over the area did indeed show a difference and the water sheeted off the OOC side better. Afterwards I wiped the ipa area with OOC to add some very temporary protection.
The next morning after washing the entire car with a regular car wash I made one more video to see if you could still see a sign of protection from the Opti Clean side. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Om4ZXVXGwA
When you watch the video you will see that it sheets differently and if you look for the circular test area on the passenger side (most visible around 0:55) where I used ONR and OID you will see it sheets similarly to the OOC (drivers side). So the Opti clean did leave something behind that the bucket wash did not remove. The ONR/OID test spot did also. What exactly did each product leave behind? I?ll be asking Dr. G exactly that and report back during the week.

Glass:
For my glass test I sprayed a couple times on half of the windshield and wiped it clean. There did appear to be streaking but after a quick flip and one swipe with the dry side of the towel it was clean and streak free.

Interior:
I cleaned one side of a dash with straight water and the other with OOC to see if it left gloss. It surprisingly does not leave much gloss at all on vinyl. In fact I found the dash to be a little dry. I think this has to do with the age of the dash. In other words, OOC cleaned the dash nicely but didn?t really add any color or gloss. That may be good or bad depending on your preference. This dash had seen a lack of protection for over 10 years until the past year and a half. A well cared for dash would have come out with a nice matte finish. The reason I make that statement is the following. On the rest of the interior, (which hasn?t seen the same UV damage as the dash) the finish came out just fine with a clean almost matte finish. Throughout the interior I found OOC to work nicely removing some grime from the insides of the doors and other places without much effort. It left absolutely no streaking and I?m not sure I could have made it streak if I tried. I did not have the opportunity to use it on leather since there was none on this interior.

Door Jambs:
I tried out the OOC on doorjambs and sills as well. Normally with filthy doorjambs and sills, I put the hose setting on cone and hold it real close to the rubber gaskets to spray out behind them. Between that, a mitt and some brushes the jambs come out nice. I tried the OOC on some pretty bad jambs and it worked great on the rubber as well as the painted areas. It saved a lot of time and there was no streaking on any of the surfaces. For doorjambs OOC is a great solution!

Please see the pictures and rejoin me afterwards to see the listed Pros, Cons, and Summary.

01.- Before

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/01_BEFORE.JPG


02.- Application

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/02_APPLICATION.JPG


03.- Application

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/03_APPLICATION.JPG


04.- After

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/04_AFTER.JPG


05.- Before

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/05_BEFORE1.JPG


06.- After

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/06_AFTER.JPG


07.- 50/50

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/07_50-50.JPG


08.- 50/50

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/08_50-50.JPG

09.- 50/50

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/09_50-50.JPG


10.- 50/50

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/10_50-50.JPG


11.- 50/50

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/11_50-50.JPG


12.- Dew 50/50

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/12_DEW_50-50.JPG


13.- Dew Opti Clean side

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/13_Opti_Dew.JPG


14.- Products

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/14_Products.JPG


15.- Optimum Opti Clean

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/15_OOC.JPG


16.- Optimum No Rinse

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/16_ONR.JPG


17.- Optimum Instant Detailer

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/17_OID.JPG


18- Dash 50/50

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/18_Dash_50-50.JPG


19- Dash 50/50

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/19_Dash_50-50.JPG


20- Dash 50/50

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/20_Dash_50-50.JPG


21- Interior 50/50

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/21_Interior_50-50.JPG


22- Interior 50/50

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/22_Interior_50-50.JPG


23- Interior 50/50

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/23_Interior_50-50.JPG


24.- Door Jamb (Before)

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/24_Before.JPG


25.- Door Jamb (After)

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/25_After1.JPG


26.- Door Sill (Before)

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/26_Door_Sil_Before.JPG


27.- Door Sill (After)

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/27_Door_Sill_After.JPG


28.- Door Sill (After)

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/28_Door_Sill_After.JPG


29.- Sky After

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/29_Sky_After.JPG


30.- Sky After

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/30_Sky_After.JPG


Pros:
1.- Versatile (Use on paint, vinyl, rubber, metal, plastic, and glass)
2.- Great pricing (as always with Optimum products)
3.- Time saver (Cleans and protects mar free in very little time)

Cons:
1.- Have got to do something about these names

???:
1.- I was surprised to see how thin the Opti Clean is. I expected something thicker but it actually seems thinner then Optimum Instant Detailer.
2.- Another interesting thing is it smells very similar to the old ONR formula. Meanwhile the new ONR formula smells much different. So OOC smells like ONR and ONR smells like something tasty now. So why can?t this smell tasty?

Final Observations and Summary:

Can you forget about a bunch of other products and let this replace them? Yes you can. Will you? Depends on who you are. What I mean is: To the enthusiast that likes using different things, you will probably continue using other products. However I think this product will earn a place on your shelf and will be taken off that shelf for use often. Personally this will now be my go to product for removing fresh bugs after a drive, doing doorjambs, and I will use it to wipe down a car that?s not too dirty. For detailers that make money by saving time and spending less on products this may indeed replace some of your other products.

imported_Bunky
09-18-2010, 07:07 PM
Nice review. Have you used other rinseless products?

bmw5541
09-18-2010, 07:54 PM
Cory,
I have seen your reviews on another forum, and always thought that you did the most concise and detailed reviews. This was no different. Great review!!!:hurray::thumbup:

Dr. G keeps coming up with some of the best and most versatile products. When will this be available to the public? I can`t wait to try it out.

Tuck91
09-18-2010, 08:02 PM
Nice review.

imported_wendell jarvis
09-18-2010, 08:38 PM
Great review Cee...........I also have seen this on another forum, but for those who haven`t it`s certainly a great review full of great info and pics also.....Great Job !!

CEE DOG
09-18-2010, 09:20 PM
Nice review. Have you used other rinseless products?

Thanks Al, I have never used another waterless product like this one.

I have used a rinsless product before (ONR). I will be reviewing another rinseless wash in the next couple weeks


Cory,
I have seen your reviews on another forum, and always thought that you did the most concise and detailed reviews. This was no different. Great review!!!:hurray::thumbup:

Dr. G keeps coming up with some of the best and most versatile products. When will this be available to the public? I can`t wait to try it out.

Barry, Thank you so much for the kind words. It means a lot!

I think I read on another thread like a week ago that PAC would have it for sale any day now.



Nice review.

Thank you


Great review Cee...........I also have seen this on another forum, but for those who haven`t it`s certainly a great review full of great info and pics also.....Great Job !!

Thanks for the kind words wendell. Yes, as you know I have been posting my reviews for some time on another site. In the past 3-4 weeks I`ve spent a little more time over here and since PAC sells Optimum products I figured I would go ahead and post it here as well.

Thanks again!

imported_Bunky
09-19-2010, 05:56 AM
Thanks Al, I have never used another waterless product like this one.

I have used a rinsless product before (ONR). I will be reviewing another rinseless wash in the next couple weeks


I have used Adam`s, DP, and PB`s in addition to ONR QD. I like the fact that rinseless typically do not change sheen but PB`s does leave the surface slicker.

I am trying to do a side by side experiment on some to judge lubricity (safeness) and cleaning ability but have not figured out how best to do it. Any thoughts?

drdetail
09-19-2010, 12:40 PM
those 50/50s are so clear. STuff gets things done. Need to add it to my detailing accessories:)

grungy
09-19-2010, 01:02 PM
Yes, it is all confusing with the naming from Dr. G.

I do have the power clean bottle that I won (thanks to PAC!!) and have used it once or twice on my own cars. Battle I am fighting now has nothing to do with this post - highlighter on a karate uniform ~X(~X(~X(~X(

bmw5541
09-19-2010, 01:11 PM
Yes, it is all confusing with the naming from Dr. G.

I do have the power clean bottle that I won (thanks to PAC!!) and have used it once or twice on my own cars. Battle I am fighting now has nothing to do with this post - highlighter on a karate uniform ~X(~X(~X(~X(

Well, now that`s a whole new topic Hary:wizard:

CEE DOG
09-20-2010, 05:23 PM
Below is a response from Dr. David Ghodoussi of Optimum. He gave some very thorough responses which I really appreciated. Black print shows my questions and blue print shows Dr. G`s answers

Hi Corey,
Thank you for joining the Optimum forum and for using the Optimum Car Care products. I do remember our conversation about No Rinse at Detailfest and I appreciate that you decided to try it out since then. I appreciate also your thorough review of Opti-Clean and I will try to do the same in answering your questions below.

1. - For what reason would someone not just use ONR in the place of OOC for the purpose of cleaning paint. What I mean is: When a car is at the stage where OOC would be a good solution for cleaning, why not use ONR in a spray bottle and MF towels to achieve the same result?

No Rinse used as a quick detailer works fine for a car with light dust while Opti-Clean can be used on a car with several days of build up. The reason is that Opti-Clean contains the same polymers in No Rinse that encapsulate dirt but at a much higher concentration than No Rinse QD as well as other polymers not used in No rinse that offer more lubricity and gloss.

2A.- Will Opti Clean have any negative affects on looks, durability, or protection if a sealant or wax is applied directly after using it? Context: Someone has washed their car at night and decided to come back to it in the morning to seal. Because of the condensation on their vehicle they decide to wipe it down with Opti Clean before sealing.
2B.- Same question for ONR
2C.- Same question for OID

Based on the chemistry of these products (Opti-Clean, No rinse, Instant Detailer), there should be no bonding issues or affects on the longevity of waxes or sealants when you use these products before or after application of waxes or sealants. The protective film these products leave behind is dissolved and removed by the chemical solvents and abrasives used in waxes or sealants. None of these products contain detergents or solvents to remove waxes or sealants and therefore they only add protection not remove them.

3A. - What are the finer points of reasoning on the ONR directions stating to use a MF towel rather then a wash mitt or other media? I prefer using an MF towel but would like to know the reasoning behind that being specifically stated.

The reason we recommend Microfiber towels is that there are anywhere from 50,000 pores per square inch for an average microfiber to 200,000 pores per square inch for a very plush Microfiber towel. These pores are active sites to trap dirt and remove it from the surface. Therefore you get a much greater cleaning and protecting effect from a microfiber towel than a wool mitt, etc. The towels we offer are on the upper end of the range I mentioned. The only draw back when using a Microfiber towel as the wash media is that it is hard to remove the dirt that is trapped by No Rinse from the towel unless you use a strong detergent like Power Clean.
Another great wash media is a soft sponge (minimum 80 PPI) that works great for washing with No Rinse. The advantages of sponge over Microfiber is that dirt particles can get adsorbed into the sponge and away from the surface. We are working with a foam manufacturer to develop a mitt that not only is safe and gentle for the automotive paint but also has good cleaning and dirt release properties. Once we complete all the testing and development, we will make this new foam mitt available to help make the wash process with Optimum No Rinse easier.

4. - What is the main difference in OOC and ONR? What I mean is: Is their something interesting you can point to that wouldn`t require us to be chemists to understand? Such as: Do they have a much different PH? Does one contain much more protective polymers then the other? Which has a stronger cleaning ability if used in the same way?

While both of these products are pH neutral, Opti-Clean contains much higher levels of polymers than No Rinse as well as some new polymers that we developed for this type of application. The added polymers are necessary to compensate for using a fraction of the water as compared to a regular No Rinse wash.

5.- Do the polymers in OOC have any level of UV protection in them?

You do get some level of UV protection from the reflection effects as well as some sacrificial UV protection (the polymers breaking down rather than the paint). But for UV protection, you need specific compounds designed to block UV light. The main product we offer for exterior application that provides the most UV protection is Optimum Car Wax which contains these specific chemicals to block UV light.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. Thanks again.
Best Regards,
David,

bmw5541
09-20-2010, 05:40 PM
This is great information Corey.

Dr. G is an amazing guy. He is so very hands on, and is always willing to talk in great detail with his customers.

Thanks for sharing this with us.:clap: