Review: Mothers: Reflections

B

bjwebster

New member
I was detailing my sisters car, but didn't have time to polish then wax, and the surface needed a little cleaning, so I decided to try Mothers Reflections.

I washed the car with Meguiars Gold Class, then dried in preparation for the Mother Reflections. First thing I noticed about the reflections is the nice aftershave smell, quite different from the other detailing supplies I'm used too.

I applied the reflections with a MF applicator. It went on smooth, and flashed quickly, and removed incredibly easy, one of the easiest products as far as removal goes that I have used in a long time. The light cleaners worked well to remove some spots that were on the paint that plain washing wouldn't remove.

The car came out looking great, pretty slick, and reflected nicely.

The downside was that it stopped beading after about 3 weeks. It just puddled water. As far as a one-step product to get a quick shine, Reflections worked well.

Pros: Easy Application and Removal. Available Locally. Smells Great.

Cons: It stopped beading after 3 weeks. The water now just sits on the panels and clings.
 
Nice Review Bolton. :up I too would have hoped for better durability, but it sounds like it would make a good base product to be topped with a caranuba.
 
If you were after something cheap and easy to apply, try #20. It beads well, and lasts around 2 months, depending on conditions.
 
bretfraz said:
Bolton,



Don't mean to contradict you but I recalled a post by Forrest stating that Reflections will stop beading but is still protecting. Have a look at this thread:

http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19046&highlight=reflections
Click to expand...



Awesome, Im glad to know that, Thats A Good Thing. Well there was more than just the beading that made me think it died, the lack of slickness, the puddling of water etc. But hopefully its still there.

Ill edit my post to reflect that.
 
bcwang said:
bjwebster,



Was the finish still shiny even though it wasn't slick?
Click to expand...



Well it still looks good, but the paint is in excellent condition so its hard to tell. Even before I applied the Reflections it was shiny. But i would say its still a bit shinier than to begin with. It was tested on a Brilliant Silver 2002 Mercedes C320.
 
Since Reflections is a resin based product, which is soft to the touch, it will make a difference on the beading, though protection is still there.



A good quick detailer will restore the slickness to it.



Our new Hot Wheels hybrid product addresses the softness issue by adding some carnauba to the mix.
 
forrest said:
Since Reflections is a resin based product, which is soft to the touch, it will make a difference on the beading, though protection is still there.



A good quick detailer will restore the slickness to it.



Our new Hot Wheels hybrid product addresses the softness issue by adding some carnauba to the mix.
Click to expand...



Thakns For The Info!

I Would Pick Up The New Hybrid Product, But I Cant Find Mothers Locally. :(
 
I've used Reflections and it is a very good one step product and if I remember right, you can use it in the direct sun. It looks very good on light colors.
 
I've been using Reflections exclusively on my wifes car for at least a year and have never had a negative experience with it. Anytime someone asks my advice on a one-step product it's what I recommend and they all love it. IMO it's a great product. Now it's time to try the new Hot Wheels stuff.
 
I just got done waxing my car with Reflections. The removal is definitely the easiest I've ever seen before. It comes off in one pass, and doesn't streak either. No buffing required at all. But I had some trouble with application. It seemed to dry too fast, as the left side of my applicator applied it, the right side of my applicator would remove it on my next stroke. It took a while to fill in the non-hazed spots without creating more non-hazed spots with the other parts of my applicator.



The directions say to apply with a dry applicator, but did others who have tried it use a damp one? I did notice if I got the applicator wet from the parts of the car that seem to store water and never seem to dry, I could apply it more easily and consistently, for a while. But it would go back to the original state pretty quickly. I had to use a lot of it to keep the applicator smooth and wet enough to apply without removing it at the same time.



Other than the application issue though, the smell is awesome, like musky aftershave or something, and the result is very nice. Removal is just unbelievably easy.
 
bc - I'm guessing your paint was warm to the touch? What type of applicator were you using? I've had the best luck with the little round closed cell foam applicators.



I'd suggest you not dampen the applicator with water - you might try an instant detailer; it would be preferable to water.
 
Hmm, the paint was not warm, felt like it was room temperature. Does this problem go away if the temperature is cooler?



I was using one of those circular cloth covered foam filled wax applicators. Is that the one you are talking about or do you mean those yellow circular foam ones? It was especially hard to get any coverage when I first started. I had to use a lot of liquid at the beginning until the pad became saturated.



Do you think that having it dry too fast doesn't allow it to fully bond with the paint? Does having a damp applicator dilute the chemicals so it doesn't form as good a coat of protection?



But otherwise, the resulting finish is fantastic. My car has never looked better. I'm surprised how little powder there was when wiping off the stuff. Interestingly, I think I can still smell the aftershave smell on my car even now. By the way, my finish is slick right now, what was the complaint about slickness that people had?
 
Warm/hot paint causes the product flash quicker - sometimes as fast as you put it on. It doesn't hurt anything.



As you saw, terry cloth applicators don't work well until they've become saturated with product, which wastes it. That's why I prefer foam.



A damp applicator merely helps it glide across the surface.



The slickness will probably disappear in a week or so, unless you hit it with an instant detailer. That's what folks were referring to.
 
Well, I hit the car today with some quikshine and it really brought back a slick surface. After I QD'ed it i sprayed a small area to check for beading ant it really tightened up the beads alot too.

Thanks for the tip Forrest!
 
I wonder when you know there is no more protection though. Doesn't a QD make it slick and bead water even if there is no existing protection anymore?
 
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