HD C ar Care Free Waterless C ar Wash Lotion Review

**ctrent86** · 09-17-2009, 02:10 PM

I received my first bottle (first of many now

) of HD Car Care Free Waterless Car Wash Lotion.

To give a little bit of background, I have been detailing about 6 years and as a side business for 3 years. I have tried a wide range of products as I am always up for trying items. I was turned on to ONR about a year ago. I had been reading on it for a while, but I had to get over my fear of the product. I have since been a strong champion of the product. So needless to say, HD Free had a high mark to hit if I was going to use it.

Impressions:

1) The product is very professional in looks, accompanying instructions are appreciated, and packed/shipped really well. (Pictures to come soon)

2) Odd to note but smells very good, almost cologneish

3) The sprayer and container that it comes in is good quality. Flow and pickup is good with the sprayer.

4) The product works, but even better works well. One thing I have always wish ONR had, is a little bit better cleaning ability with tar and tougher road grime. I feel sometimes I have to re go over areas with this a couple times, or rely on the microfiber to take the rest away with a little scrubbing. Just as a point here I always pre-soak these areas with ONR QD ratio before washing. However, with HD Free (with no pre-soak) had no problems with these areas. In fact, I really didnt have to do any scrubbing at all with any tough areaÃ`s. HD Free did a great job powering though grime, salt deposits (I work on the ocean), little bug spots, and light bird dropping with ease.

5) Also, HD Free left a really slick, clean, and smooth surface. That was another one of my concerns is this product can obviously clean, but what will the surface look like? Happily, I can report that it was on par with ONR in gloss and shine.

6) Since, I just cleaned it today I cannot report on water beading yet, but will update when I get the chance to observe.

7) HD Free is a great window cleaner as well. It takes a tad more work to get the product off the windows compared to a product like SIG, but that is probably because I like in FL and the humidy is ridiculous today. Again, if your windows need some cleaning, this product wiped away the grime with ease.

So the million dollar question, is it better than ONR?

Honestly, I need to see how it does beading a protection wise, but I would say absolutely YES. The main reasons being that it does a better job at cleaning, and leaves a surface that is just as good in appearance as ONR. I would encourage everyone to give it a try and chime in with thoughts.

Link to product: HD FREE

Also, right now Dave is running a special every order gets a free refill that ships.

Lastly, if you have any questions feel free to ask, and I will do my best to respond based on my experience with the product.

**agpatel** · 09-17-2009, 02:16 PM

Nice review, I have my eye on this product. How much did you use on your car and what was it?

**ctrent86** · 09-17-2009, 02:21 PM

I used about 1/3 of a bottle, but the car was pretty dirty.

Car: Subaru WRX

Here is a picture of the beading. Most of the beading is going to be the HD Car Care Free because the sealant and glaze is getting to the end of lifespan. Sealant (UPGP) applied 4-5 months ago and DWG about 1.5 months old.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

**Bobby G** · 09-17-2009, 02:28 PM

How much wiping did you have to do to have a finish that was clean and glossy?

**ctrent86** · 09-17-2009, 02:33 PM

Product removal was easier than ONR typically is, just because it is less overall moisture (but just as much protection) on the surface. Removal was more on par with, or a tad more than a QD, but with better cleaning ability.

**Pats300zx** · 09-17-2009, 05:30 PM

I love this stuff. I used it to clean up my 350Z before putting the cover on. Granted the car was not dirty and didn`t need a ONR type ish wash. This product was on par with Spray and Wipe and ONR.

IMO it left the finish as slick as ONR. :xyxthumbs

**imported_agentf1** · 09-17-2009, 05:58 PM

IS HD more like ONE or is it like ONR or QEW?

**JeffM** · 09-17-2009, 06:01 PM

Seems like a lot of product would be used because it isnt diluted. How many cars will one bottle wash?

**ctrent86** · 09-17-2009, 06:25 PM

Product amount is going to vary on soil rate. I washed a Subaru WRX and used about 1/4-1/3 so I would say one bottle will equal 3-4 cars. Maybe three trucks, however I will say I was a little liberal with the product. I would rather use too much than too little and mar the surface.

**ctrent86** · 09-17-2009, 06:40 PM

Originally Posted by z06meister

IS HD more like ONE or is it like ONR or QEW?

I have never used ONE so cannot compare to that. But I put the product between ONR and QD. Ease to remove like the QD in the way of moisture, but cleans, protects, and shines as well as ONR.

**offcenter** · 10-09-2009, 05:49 PM

I just tried HD Free on my wife`s Civic. It is different from ONR, ONR acts/feels like water with a lubricant and cleaner in it, HD Free is a lotion and is thicker and appears to have wax in it. The aroma might appeal to women but I thought it was too perfumey for me. Comparing it to Poorboy`s Spray and Wipe, Spray and Wipe is more watery than lotion and tends to drip down the panels more than HD Free. After wiping with a microfiber and buffing with a clean microfiber, the end result is really nice, looks and feels like a coat of wax was applied compared to ONR and Spray and Wipe which clean and shine the surface but don`t have that waxy feel/feel to them. Overall, I like HD Free and I would put it in a different class than ONR or Spray and Wipe. For sure, HD Free is not a "me-too" product. I will continue to use HD Free unless the car is really dirty.

**ctrent86** · 10-10-2009, 12:28 PM

Yea I would echo these thoughts after using it a couple times. I really like the product and will use it more one the pro line comes out with bigger sizes. For now it isnt the most economical wash system, but will be fixed soon apparently.

What did you mean by a "me too" product?

**offcenter** · 10-10-2009, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by ctrent86

Yea I would echo these thoughts after using it a couple times. I really like the product and will use it more one the pro line comes out with bigger sizes. For now it isnt the most economical wash system, but will be fixed soon apparently.

What did you mean by a "me too" product?

ctrent86,

What I meant is that HD Free is not a copy of ONR or Spray and Wipe, it is a totally different formulation.