How does the heat affect detailing products?

**C5-Deb** · 06-10-2005, 10:50 AM

I live in Arizona and we are on our way to 110 degree temps. I keep my detailing products organized in a plastic container in the garage. How bad is the heat for these products - which includes waxes, sealants, polishes, swirl removers, etc. Does the heat break down these products to where they won`t be as effective? I unfortunately don`t have the room in my apartment to store everything. Any information on this would be appreciated!

Thank you!

**Bill D** · 06-10-2005, 11:06 AM

I`m not a chemist but I can imagine that high temperatures can evaporate water, alcohols, and specialized solvents in such products. Perhaps heat may also catalyze other ingredients making them ineffective or perhaps even deterimental to use.

I`m sure others will chime in with more specifics.

I`m certain trying to totally avoid the sun and consequently the high heat can be a uphill battle there. Maybe storing them in a container inside another cotainer perhaps wrapped in cloths might help? That is unless you have a cooler.

I store paste wax in my fridge and it performs well. I can`t say how this might effect sealants or polishes though :nixweiss

**TXredEDGE** · 06-10-2005, 11:42 AM

Great question. I keep all my stuff in the garage as well. It gets pretty warm in there in the summer, and very cold in the winter.

This has been on my mind now that I`m starting to "collect" more products and spend more money!

Thanks

**chml17l** · 06-10-2005, 11:45 AM

Originally posted by Bill D

I`m not a chemist but I can imagine that high temperatures can evaporate water, alcohols, and specialized solvents in such products. Perhaps heat may also catalyze other ingredients making them ineffective or perhaps even deterimental to use.

I`m sure others will chime in with more specifics.

I`m certain trying to totally avoid the sun and consequently the high heat can be a uphill battle there. Maybe storing them in a container inside another cotainer perhaps wrapped in cloths might help? That is unless you have a cooler. I store paste wax in my fridge and it performs well. I can`t say how this might effect sealants or polishes though :nixweiss

Well, I am a chemist, but I believe Bill pretty much nailed it. Prolonged exposure to heat will degrade most things to some degree. Will it be a catastrophic failure of the product to work?:nixweiss

Probably not, but it could lead to diminished performance of products over time. Considering the cost of many of our detailing chemical "toys", it would be wise to keep them away from extreme light, heat, and humidity.

Bottles that are not well sealed could allow oxygen sensitive ingredients to air oxidize.

Freezing temperatures could also cause products to chemically separate and some may not "remix" upon thawing and still work as effectively or as intended.

I believe a good rule of thumb for detailing chemical storage would be-- if it`s hotter/colder or more humid than your indoor climate you will get a shorter shelf-life out of a product and you may notice a decrease in product performance over time, too.

**TXredEDGE** · 06-10-2005, 04:27 PM

Originally posted by chml17l

Well, I am a chemist, but I believe Bill pretty much nailed it. Prolonged exposure to heat will degrade most things to some degree. Will it be a catastrophic failure of the product to work?:nixweiss

Probably not, but it could lead to diminished performance of products over time. Considering the cost of many of our detailing chemical "toys", it would be wise to keep them away from extreme light, heat, and humidity.

Just great. Now I have to tell my wife that I have to bring all my "car stuff" inside to store it :argue

Thanks for the great info.

Brian

**Mochamanz1** · 06-10-2005, 04:56 PM

Just a wild guess, but an "Igloo" type cooler might help keep the temperature range down a bit. Kept in a shaded area, given the fluctuations in ambient temps, the median temp might be maintained at a range between the extremes. The insulation might keep the temperature from moving rapidly up or down. By the time the heat starts to rise, the ambient night temperature should be decreasing. Humidity would not be a factor. I know the desert climate is dynamic, so, in mid-range, you might have an acceptable temperature for storage. Just a wild stab at it...:xyxthumbs

**chml17l** · 06-10-2005, 05:42 PM

I would recommend trying mochamanz`s idea first.

You don`t need to put everything inside. I would skip car soaps (unless freezing weather) or anything in a pressurized can.

Depending on how much detail stuff you do have, you might also try one of those small dorm-sized refrigerators in the garage. It doesn`t need to be too cold, just around room temperature (~75 F). You might be able to run it on a really low setting to achieve a big temperature reduction vs. high outside temps.