PB's SS&S review

wifehatescar

wifehatescar

My L5-S1 is killing me!
Well, got my bottle from Bob The Man from Danase at the Xceed bbq.
I have decided is smells lightly like peaches :drool of course I asked my wife to confirm this and she just did this=:rolleyes:

1. Packaging & Labeling. Is it well packaged? Are the labels durable?
Typical PB's, no frills but functional.

2. Helpful instructions on label?
yup.

3. Does product do what the manufacturer claims it does?
Suds blow up immediatly, good lubricity, rinses clean and doesn't seem to leave anything on the paint (good)

4. Value. Is the product a good buy? If a liquid product, how much per ounce? Does a little go a long way?
mmmm, maybe not. It costs $24 more than a comparable amount of NXT wash, my usual favorite. I use about the same amount of each.

5. Easy to use? Hard to use? Did you read the directions and use as directed?
I used as directed.

6. If known, what is the pH of the product? Is it safe for enthusiasts or should it be for professional use only?
7ph, it's safe for enthusiats :D although had to keep smacking my dog away from drinking it off the ground :(

7. Describe the product smell, viscosity and other physical traits if any.
peaches, very light smell though, very thick orange color

Overall, of the washes I've tried, here's my personal preferences, best to worst based on all attributes:
BEST: NXT
PB's SS&S
Z-7
Meg's generic wash somethingorother (pink)
WORST: EO wash (terrible IMO)

All in all, I liked SS&S but because it's made in small amounts, it's pricy. I expect it would cost me ~$50/year more to use it over NXT on all cars I wash, personal and customers (128oz used per year)...it would cost about $25 more per year to use just on my cars. NXT seems to be every bit as good as SS&S but may leave just a bit more residue. NXT also smells stronger than SS&S which personally I like. Might buy SS&S again, but only for use on *my* car.
 
Very good review. I personally haven't been able to achieve such success with the PB wash :( but most other on DC have liked it a lot.
 
TheSopranos16 said:
Very good review. I personally haven't been able to achieve such success with the PB wash :( but most other on DC have liked it a lot.
Click to expand...

What sort of problems are you having with it?
 
TheSopranos16 said:
Very good review. I personally haven't been able to achieve such success with the PB wash :( but most other on DC have liked it a lot.
Click to expand...

I don't know Charles..it's the same one you liked at the Detailing Day:dunno

are you using too much:confused:
 
Steve, good point, I did like it at the detail day. I don't "not like" it now, I've just had limited success with it. I find that if I use a high concentration, I get good lubricity but its a little difficult to rinse, it tends to leave residue. Now, that residue is easily removed with S&W, but I'd rather not have it exist at all. After getting those results, I tried to use a much more mild concentration, but then I fould lubricity was too low and I introduced too much micromaring in the surface because there just wasn't enough soap in the water. So, it could just be that I havn't found the right amount to put, I'm not sure. I've gotten my best results with SS&S by using aprox. 1oz of soap per gallon of water. Its enough soap to avoid micromarring, but its a little bit more difficult to rinse than other soaps. Unfortunately, I still haven't gotten the results that others are raving about. :dunno
 
Charles do you put the soap in the bucket first or do you put the water in and then add the soap?
 
Poorboy said:
Charles do you put the soap in the bucket first or do you put the water in and then add the soap?
Click to expand...

Steve what is the correct way, I always add soap just before bucket is full then use a strong stream of water to mix it.
 
Super Slick and Suds works best if you put it in the bucket first then add water....
 
Charles - Do you use the same water source for all your washing (e.g. your home garden hose), or do you use many different sources (e.g. customers' homes in different communities)? How about well water vs public utility water? I'm just curious as to whether or not you may be dealing with exceptionally hard water, and if you experience the same issues with different water supplies.

I saw in another thread that your regular shampoo is Meg's Gold Class. I like that shampoo too. For dilution ratios, I use about 1 ounce per gallon of water for Gold Class. For SS&S, I reduce that to about half an ounce per gallon of water. Using these concentrations, and my home's public water supply, I find the SS&S to have more lubricity than GC.

What do you use for your washing implement? I use a cotton chenille mitt.
 
Marj, the water supply is the same, my garden hose. I don't have particularly hard water where I live, I would say its average or "normal." I use a microfiber wash mitt and I was using a little less than 1 oz per gallon. Perhaps I should give it a try with 1/2 oz per gallon and see if I get better results...

Am I the only one with less than perfect results with SS&S? I feel like I'm crazy because everyone is having such sucess :(
 
Maybe it's the mitt that requires much lube to avoid marring. Try wool or chenille with the rec. amount.
 
TheSopranos16 said:
Marj, the water supply is the same, my garden hose. I don't have particularly hard water where I live, I would say its average or "normal." I use a microfiber wash mitt and I was using a little less than 1 oz per gallon. Perhaps I should give it a try with 1/2 oz per gallon and see if I get better results...

Am I the only one with less than perfect results with SS&S? I feel like I'm crazy because everyone is having such sucess :(
Click to expand...
You're not crazy Charles! There must be a logical reason for your disappointing results. It's just a matter of figuring out all the variables.

When I used a microfiber wash mitt, I noticed that there was more "drag" on the paint than when using a cotton mitt. For a very light and gentle wash, the MF mitt worked fine. For even moderately dirty vehicles, the MF mitts became overwhelmed and started rubbing rather than gliding on the paint. It was like it was trying to suction out the dirt rather than letting the shampoo solution carry the dirt away. During Poorboy's Detailing Day, Steve provided some very thick cotton chenille mitts. They were bigger than any other mitts I've ever come across, and they really retained a lot of wash solution.

Has anyone else tried using the new SS&S with a MF mitt? Next time I wash, I'll give that method a try.
 
awd,

What kind of mf mitt do you use? The pinnacle one? I was thinking of going completely microfiber for my biz, but if y'all aren't recommending it, I'll reconsider. MF just lasts longer, but what do other's recommend/use?

Carl
 
zainoshine said:
awd,

What kind of mf mitt do you use? The pinnacle one? I was thinking of going completely microfiber for my biz, but if y'all aren't recommending it, I'll reconsider. MF just lasts longer, but what do other's recommend/use?

Carl
Click to expand...
I have Poorboy's Mega Plush MF mitt. It's a good mitt for light washing and interior work, but I would rather use a cotton chenille mitt for regular washing. I have a few different brands of cotton chenille mitts. I hesitate to recommend a specific brand because mitt quality/construction seems to fluctuate at times. :dunno I just look for mitts that are 100% cotton, densely woven (not much backing material visible), and with minimal linting. When I find one that I like, I stock up with a bunch from the same source.
 
Okay,

I would think that since Pinnacle sells a $70 small wax jar that their Mitt would be good, but if you guys recommend cotton or sheepskin...maybe I'll look into that.

Carl
 
Ive tried a lot of different sponges and mitts (both cotton and microfiber) while I like my cotton sponge, I have found that Microfiber mitts are far superior, especially in the scratching department. Of everything Ive tried, this mitt (http://www.properautocare.com/miul.html) is second to none in quality. Nothing Ive ever tried even comes close. Its the best Ive even seen and I recommend that everyone give it a try...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top