Shelf life of detailing products?

G

glen e

Retired Geezer
Obviously they do, but for how long? Assuming thery are in your detailing closet and not undergoing environmental extremes, and are sealed in their original bottles, are some prone to go quicker than others?

It comes into play for me when I look at some products avail in 32 oz vs 16 as since I'm not detailing for a living, is it better to buy more often, than in bulk?

Do any have a real short shelf life?
 
Like me, I do not detail for a living, so buying smaller quantities (even if more often) makes more sense. Plus year to year there are product improvements. BOGO deals can be my downfall....leading to too much product for my usage.

As far as how long something will last, I think it just depends on the product and maybe the manufacturer. Zaino gives a list for his products (anywhere from 18 mos. to 3+ years is what I recall). I keep any eye on anything that starts to look funny, smell differently or maybe separate more than it should. I have paste waxres that are over 7 years old and work fine. They are kept inside. If you keep products between 40F and 90F I think most things will last 4-5 years+. JMO.
 
The killer of polishes, waxes, etc. Is temperature change, they do not like freezing cold. In some areas of the country / world, I read of detailers bringing them indoors for the winter months.

I've been working off a gallon of PB P-w-C for many, many years and its still in great shape. Just make sure that its shaken real well, some liquid polishes can separate easily

As long as they are well sealed and temps remain consistence above freezing they should last until the bottom. That's been my experince.
 
About 10 years ago I ordered a quart of gelcoat for my boat that needed to be mixed with hardener....so I thought as long as the gelcoat was sealed, and without hardener mixed, I would be fine. Wrong - 9 months later I opened the can for the first time and it was completely hardened into a brick. When I questioned the seller about this, he said "yeah I guess we should tell the buyer to use it in 30 days or buy smaller quantities"

yeah I think so...
 
glen e said:
About 10 years ago I ordered a quart of gelcoat for my boat that needed to be mixed with hardener....so I thought as long as the gelcoat was sealed, and without hardener mixed, I would be fine. Wrong - 9 months later I opened the can for the first time and it was completely hardened into a brick. When I questioned the seller about this, he said "yeah I guess we should tell the buyer to use it in 30 days or buy smaller quantities"

yeah I think so...
Click to expand...

Yes that was the sales persons fault, they should have asked if a gallon was needed for your application. Reminds me of Gorilla Glue, love the glue but its impossible to get to the bottom of it, as after the first few applications the whole thing gets air and becomes a rock :)
 
Beemerboy said:
Yes that was the sales persons fault, they should have asked if a gallon was needed for your application. Reminds me of Gorilla Glue, love the glue but its impossible to get to the bottom of it, as after the first few applications the whole thing gets air and becomes a rock :)
Click to expand...

I did finally solve my silicone seal (GE II) tube problem of going bad - after opening, keep in fridge...lasts a year
 
Most cleaners are going to last a very long time, as well as most water based dressings. Things that have solvents or are solvent based are going to have a shorter shelf life, particularly if the solvents start to permeate the containor. Products with active ingredients, such as sealants with cross-linking polymers, will have a shorter life span (relative to the product) because of chemical reactions over time.

If your bottles look wet, oily, or the label looks greasy, it is likely the product has gone bad. Also if you notice a change in smell or consistency, then it is likely no longer viable. It really is situational depended though.
 
The average time frame is from 12 months to 5 years and like Beemerboy mention it has to due with the temp, humidity and how it's store.
 
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