Buying products in bulk and shelf life?

[imported_NHBFAN]

I recently purchased a pint of VM and it cost me $12 + $8 shipping (ouch!).



So I`m looking into buying my "staples" in bulk whenever possible.



I`m specifically interested in:



1. AIO which I can purchase in 1 or 3 liters.



2. VM - Does anyone know if you can special order a larger size than a pint?

If not, I`ll buy a few pints at once to lessen the shipping whammy



3. FD - 5 gallons



I`m not a pro, but I do maintain more vehicles than my own, eg. friend, relatives



Does anyone see a problem with shelf lifes of any of these products?

[Accumulator]

NHBFAN- I hardly EVER have a problem with shelf-life. Just don`t let stuff freeze (or leave the top off/open).



My AIO has never gone bad. Some people have had SG get a bit stinky, but as I recall, it still WORKED ok.



I don`t believe VM is available in larger sizes. It DOES separate, so be sure to shake it up from time to time.



I haven`t tried FD yet, but I HAVE had some FI and Griot`s Speed Shine go bad after a LONG time (maybe five or more years) in a *VERY* HOT/COLD warehouse. Two or three years won`t be a problem, plenty of my products are much older than that and they`re fine.



Some leather-care products (especially those containing lanolin) don`t always age well. Maybe refrigeration is called for.



I`ve recently used some polishes and waxes that are over TEN years old, they worked just fine. But note that having a LOT of empty air space in the container is NOT good.

[Bill D]

If you use Lexol, I asked them about shelf life and they said it is indefinite

[ccreamer]

I asked ClearKote if VM was available in any sizes larger than a pint and the response I got was



"The Vanilla Wax Hand Glaze comes in pints only.



Everett"



I love this stuff though.

Cory

[Spilchy]

I have a BOAT LOAD of products.



Since they sit for a while and there is air space in the bottle, every so often I just give a good shake and make sure the cap is on tight. This way things get mixed up.



I am investing in a cheap vacuum sealer, so I can seal up my paste waxes that come in the jars you need a screw driver to open since a lot of air can get in and dry up.

[imported_NHBFAN]

Originally posted by ccreamer

I asked ClearKote if VM was available in any sizes larger than a pint and the response I got was



"The Vanilla Wax Hand Glaze comes in pints only.



Everett"



I love this stuff though.

Cory



Rats!!!



I love it too. Wished I could buy a gallon of VM.

[Bill D]

I better not worry about shelf life either, just look at my signature.:D

[Scottwax]

Originally posted by NHBFAN

Rats!!!



I love it too. Wished I could buy a gallon of VM.



Maybe if there is enough demand he will. Or at least in quart sizes. I know he has the bottles because I have a quart of regular Moose Wax.





I go through most of my bulk products (like DACP and Swirl Free) in about 6 months, although it takes me a good year to go through a gallon of Hand Polish and I haven`t noticed any loss of product performance.

[C-MDX]

Not sure if I`m right here but I heard somewhere that a clay bar can last for 3 years :confused:???

[Accumulator]

Originally posted by C-MDX

Not sure if I`m right here but I heard somewhere that a clay bar can last for 3 years :confused:???



If you`re keeping it in a fairly airtight container, I`d be VERY surprised if it didn`t last a lot longer than that. I`ve used some Griot`s clay that I`d misplaced for several years and it worked just fine.

[Spilchy]

Originally posted by C-MDX

Not sure if I`m right here but I heard somewhere that a clay bar can last for 3 years :confused:???



Like I mentioned in a previous post in this thread, I have a Black and decker $39 vcuum sealer from Wal Mart that I vacuum seal my clay in. I also vacuum seal my wax cans like Blitz, 3M, Collinite etc... for storage not only during the winter when they dont get used, but year round because I can re-seal the bag!



If you are anal about your supplies and want to preserve them from drying or cracking over the years, invest in a cheap vacuum sealer.

[imported_NHBFAN]

Originally posted by Scottwax

Maybe if there is enough demand he will. Or at least in quart sizes. I know he has the bottles because I have a quart of regular Moose Wax.



How do you contact Clearkote/Everett? Every time I try to link through "contact us" on Clearkote`s site my message comes back undeliverable.

[C-MDX]

Originally posted by Spilchy

Like I mentioned in a previous post in this thread, I have a Black and decker $39 vcuum sealer from Wal Mart that I vacuum seal my clay in. I also vacuum seal my wax cans like Blitz, 3M, Collinite etc... for storage not only during the winter when they dont get used, but year round because I can re-seal the bag!



If you are anal about your supplies and want to preserve them from drying or cracking over the years, invest in a cheap vacuum sealer.



What if you just put it in the box that the clay bar previded when you bought it (e,g Z18, autopia clay kit)???

[Scottwax]

Originally posted by NHBFAN

How do you contact Clearkote/Everett? Every time I try to link through "contact us" on Clearkote`s site my message comes back undeliverable.



Here is his new e-mail address:



ck@crosstel.net



I guess the move to Oklahoma and a computer virus he got really messed him up.