wasted money. rant

**Driven Auto Detail** · 07-13-2009, 10:04 AM

^^^ Now, I`m not sure who you quoted there, but that was painful to read....lol!

**duke4ever** · 07-13-2009, 03:40 PM

Some food for thought. I think part of the problem here with so many different cleaners for everything is that; materials used in cars are so poorly understood that people see various products marketed for various purposes and think they need them. In your house if you have something plastic to clean you know you can grab your household APC and use it. There`s nothing in the stores marketed as "toy plastic cleaner" "cabinet plastic handle cleaner" etc... However in your car there always some material that think feels funny and aren`t so sure what it is, especially these new composites etc... This makes you think "how can you clean that" because no 1 ever mentioned "you clean it just like plastic" it has no special properties that require only a very special cleaner. But no 1 makes you aware of these things. Then they assume that nothing in the store that isn`t labeled SPECIFICALLY for your car-dash-left-stick must not be good to use on it.

Just a rant but I think it`s heading in the direction explaining the marketing exploitation goes on here.

**Junebug** · 07-13-2009, 07:10 PM

Sorry for the late reply - CG - I like their car wash - the citrus wash and the wash & gloss, also like DG car wash too!

Megs Detailer line is pretty good too, just tried the leather cleaner/conditioner and was fairly impressed, now if the leather is REALLY dirty - woolite 8:1 and then Megs.

**GoudyL** · 07-13-2009, 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by duke4ever

Some food for thought. I think part of the problem here with so many different cleaners for everything is that; materials used in cars are so poorly understood that people see various products marketed for various purposes and think they need them. In your house if you have something plastic to clean you know you can grab your household APC and use it. There`s nothing in the stores marketed as "toy plastic cleaner" "cabinet plastic handle cleaner" etc... However in your car there always some material that think feels funny and aren`t so sure what it is, especially these new composites etc.

Household cleaners are usually formulated to be very strong (with surfactants) because they will be used on much filthier surfaces than encountered in a typical car.

Something like Formula 409/Fantastik will easily strip wax, and leach plasticizers out of soft rubbers. Most housesold surfaces that will be cleaned with houshold cleaners (Formica,appliance enamel etc) are not softened with plasticisers.

This makes you think "how can you clean that" because no 1 ever mentioned "you clean it just like plastic" it has no special properties that require only a very special cleaner. But no 1 makes you aware of these things. Then they assume that nothing in the store that isn`t labeled SPECIFICALLY for your car-dash-left-stick must not be good to use on it.

If in doubt I use glass cleaner, or interior protectant.

**duke4ever** · 07-13-2009, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by GoudyL

Household cleaners are usually formulated to be very strong (with surfactants) because they will be used on much filthier surfaces than encountered in a typical car.

Something like Formula 409/Fantastik will easily strip wax, and leach plasticizers out of soft rubbers. Most housesold surfaces that will be cleaned with houshold cleaners (Formica,appliance enamel etc) are not softened with plasticisers.

If in doubt I use glass cleaner, or interior protectant.

Thanks! I was having a hard time conveying the difference between "hard" and "soft" so I didn`t write it in my post, I couldn`t think of a way to articulate it

.

**Jeff. AutoKraft** · 07-14-2009, 05:39 AM

Right said BufferBarry, I use one degreaser for all undercarriage/enginebay/doorjams etc & the only difference`s i have is the dilution with each. I end up with the same great result time & time again. But all these products did get me questioning whether im doing the right thing, So i pulled out my Tricorder & tested the Ph levels of the wheelwell after a degrease/wash. Guess what? The product seems to be functioning well within it`s precified parametres!! :2thumbs:

**nrengle** · 07-14-2009, 08:58 PM

Ok, so what would you use with a car wash soap to help strip old LSP off? I`m leary of using Simple Green for it, just cause of all the rumors and such you hear. I`ve used it for the last year diluted 3:1 for my wheels and wheel wells (have destroyed 5 sprays though with it), and 10:1 for interior cleaning on the grandfathers farm trucks, and 30:1 to for interior on the DD`s. In looking at my gallon it recommends 30:1 but I`m not sure I`d want to make that jump yet. I do have a detail I need to strip the LSP and it`s Single Stage paint, would it hurt it?

Also would you mix it with your car wash soap for a foam gun, if so what amounts would you add to say a Gilmour FQ75 that`s adjustable.

As with others I`ve been using ONR for a while for lots of things, wash, QD, Clay Lube, jambs, deck lids, under the bonnet.

I do have one more question too in regards to APC`s. What would you suggest would be comparable to Amazing Roll Off? I love the stuff for cleaning old dressings off of tires and wheel wells.

And kudo`s on the thread, very provocative and informative!

**Marc Hufnagel** · 07-14-2009, 09:01 PM

Originally Posted by bufferbarry

lmao! thanks grungy. gee`s jake now your calling me a ramblin lunatic. lmao im serious ine person uses x product and says its good the whole forum uses it. maybe we should have a thread on what truthfully to buy without getting ripped off! lmao

yea a thread like that is sorely needed, but it would be SQUASHED in a heartbeat. Taken out back and dealt with.

`Cause of the :rules:

**duke4ever** · 07-14-2009, 09:04 PM

Interesting you mention that, why hasn`t it be squashed yet??

**kevpotts** · 07-15-2009, 11:28 AM

Does anyone use APCs to strip wax? Wouldnt megs apc+ diluted at a 10:1ish ratio work well at removing lsps? Or is that a bad idea...

**aixab** · 07-15-2009, 11:56 AM

Very good points across the board here.

Since we`re stealing MF towels from the kitchen section or our wives/girlfriends, I would suggest Scrubbing Bubbles for tires and Sprayway for glass. Both produce great results!

Bayes stainless steel cleaner is also a good product on wheels. It SEEMS to leave a nice protective coating? I have only used this on a clean wheel. More testing to follow.

HMM... how else can we save money with products of diverse applications?

**AppliedColors** · 07-15-2009, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by bufferbarry

its not that polished and wax what it is is that i see so many people on here using on thing for tires and one thing for wheel wells and something different for jams and something different for in teriors and so on. the truth is properly diluting degreaser will do everything practiclly, next i see people buying these crazy 200- 500 dollars waxes yet its not the wax its whats underneath it and so on. i think we are victems to some serious marketing.

So true.

Companies have profited greatly from the ignorance of enthusiasts.

**jackson** · 07-16-2009, 09:53 AM

hi. i am new here. this is my first post.

the topic and the replies (went through all 10 pages) was too near to my heart for me not to reply.

being a newbie to detailing, i lay my hands and wallet on any product that says it can do this or that... i guess you could say i am the ideal sucker for snakeskin oil...

but if i had just given a little restraint and invested on the net a bit more, researching about this devil of a hobby (if it can be called that); i would have saved money and time in looking and getting stuff.

great thread and hope it doesnt get deleted or removed.

**nrengle** · 07-16-2009, 12:14 PM

So I tried some Simple Green with my DP Extreme Foam wash in a Foam Gun. Used 2 oz of the soap, and only a teaspoon of the Simple Green. It definitely did the trick to remove old wax, but it does require a a follow up of a AIO or a Polish to remove some of the streaking that it induces, even after flooding the the car clean (don`t worry did it to my own, no customers or family), it still had a bit of streaking, but nothing that KAIO couldn`t handle.

**SuperBee364** · 07-16-2009, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by jackson

hi. i am new here. this is my first post.

the topic and the replies (went through all 10 pages) was too near to my heart for me not to reply.

being a newbie to detailing, i lay my hands and wallet on any product that says it can do this or that... i guess you could say i am the ideal sucker for snakeskin oil...

but if i had just given a little restraint and invested on the net a bit more, researching about this devil of a hobby (if it can be called that); i would have saved money and time in looking and getting stuff.

great thread and hope it doesnt get deleted or removed.

That`s OK, man.. that`s ok.. There`s a lot of us around here that do that, too. Or at least, that`s what I *hear*.