I never used the old formula, but I did recently use the new formula of Optimum Car Wash for the first time. BTW, there is a gold sticker on the bottle which reads "new formula." So that's how you know if you got the old or new formula.
Anyway, I've tried pretty much every OTC car wash and a number of boutique washes and to me there is one "gold standard" for car wash and that is Poorboy's Super Slick & Suds. At least, that was my opinion until I tried the new formula of Optimum Car Wash.
I was VERY impressed with OCW. I used 1 oz. per gallon of water as the label indicates and that is WAY more soap than necessary. The foam was never ending and lasted forever. The foam head in the bucket stayed the whole time which is quite unusual and the foam stayed on the paint for a long time as well. It was a hot day too and the wash solution seemed to resist drying a little better than other soaps. Plus, this soap provides very good lubricity. It's not quite the same as Poorboy's though. The PB's soap feels super slippery and the OCW feels more like the mitt is riding on a cushion of air. The best part though is that it leaves the car looking "just waxed" similar to what you get when you wash with the Optimum NRWS.
As far as price goes, I'm very happy in that category as well. It's much cheaper than the PB's soap which I feel is of equal quality. I've got a couple other soaps on the list to try, but my guess is there's a gallon size container of OCW in my future.
