What's In DFB's Cabinet?

[GT 550]

@DFB5.0 very interesting, nothing like a dive into some good data. Did you test the pH of the tap water? Possibly one for the next instalment.

I'm curious to see how it affects the pH of the products when diluted vs undiluted. Based on my understanding of mains water pH ranges presumably it'd raise the pH of Descale and lower the pH of Brake Buster and I guess this could tell you the point at which a given dilution would render the product less effective from a pH perspective (as you've indicated in the case of Brake Buster).

That said, there's two issues at play I guess and both will impact efficacy; firstly the alteration of the pH level, and secondly the simple reduction in concentration. To use the example of Brake Buster it's possibly both reducing effectiveness.

Sponsored

 

[DFB5.0]

This week's indulgence..................

First off, I'm going to blame someone else for being "influenced" to buy something detailing related..............Carpro ECH2o...............but, but the other boys are doing it too!

Having used most of my supply of Carpro Lift earlier in the week, I felt compelled to order some more after have no trouble cleaning up a nicely dirty Mazda.

I have also decided to give Capro ReTyre another try. I was pretty harsh on it after my initial uses, this time it at least arrived with the correct foaming sprayer.

The Kwazar sprayers are a favorite of mine, they look as good as they spray. This one, along with a replacement sprayer head in each colour, is for spares/stock. I am also looking forward to a particular retailer introducing something new in sprayers to the Australian market very soon.

And the sample size of NV Boost v2 was a freebie.

I'm really looking forward to giving ReTyre another go as well as trying ECH2o.

 

[DFB5.0]

I'm feeling run down after working a lot of hours lately, so I decided last night to take today off. That didn't mean I sat on my ass all day...........although it was nice sleeping till 10am.

I did have a few things I wanted to attend to. First being cutting and fitting some cabinet liners.

I once bought this stuff at Bunning's but they have discontinued it. Good old Bunning's, determining what people buy and not want customers WANT to buy. I ended up getting these rolls off Amazon, although they are not quite wide enough for these ultra-wide shelves. It's all I could find though.

I decided to use Carpro ECH2o to wipe the shelves down with. Diluted at 1:15 as a water-less wash.

I like this lining over the more freely available rubber mesh liners as it won't allow liquid to pass through and not as easily moved around.

And while this little duck was sleeping, a package arrived from the legends at Detailing Shed.

I have been using a bit of iron remover lately, Carpro IronX or NV Purify being my chosen products for this role. Likewise, I have been using a lot of Gyeon product as well. After comparing a few different brands in the larger 3.8/4lt sizes, I went with Gyeon Iron, which can also be used with a clay bar/pad like Purify.

https://detailingshed.com.au/products/gyeon-q2m-iron?variant=36785254138015

Moving on, Optimum Car Wash Shampoo is another soap for me to try. This is a pH neutral maintenance with a bubble gum scent. It's also a thicker soap than a lot of the other soaps I have been using lately.

https://detailingshed.com.au/collections/car-wash-shampoo/products/optimum-car-wash

Sonax XTREME Wheel Cleaner is known to be a very powerful product. I actually bought this as a substitute for NV Purge, which has never disappointed me with its ability, so I'm keen to see if it lives up to the reputation.

https://detailingshed.com.au/produc...aner-full-effect?_pos=11&_sid=591c9bb3b&_ss=r

The Maxshine Microfiber Gloves will be an interesting thing to have a go with, as will the Maxshine Polishing Cones.

https://detailingshed.com.au/products/maxshine-plush-microfiber-gloves?_pos=6&_sid=8f4d681a7&_ss=r
https://detailingshed.com.au/products/maxshine-foam-polishing-cone?_pos=1&_sid=659e05693&_ss=r

A relaxing day much needed.

 

[DFB5.0]

Continuing pH testing of chemicals, in particular soaps.

For the most part, pH neutral soaps are best for maintenance washes, while alkaline or acidic soaps used for deeper cleaning or preparing for a new wax or sealant.

Starting off with my favorite soap, Carpro Reset. As expected, the pH level of the soap measure at about 7.5, for both diluted and undiluted forms.

Undiluted -

Diluted -

Next, Koch Chemie GSF. Again, a pH neutral soap in both forms.

Undiluted -

Diluted -

Carpro Lift I only measured in diluted form, it read pretty alkaline -

Then things got confusing. Most will know my love of NV Snow, as well as the alkaline Snow+. NV Snow is sold as a pH neutral soap, except my readings were anything but.

Undiluted -

Diluted -

I then went ahead and tested NV Snow+, a product that is supposed to have a pH reading of 8.1.

Undiluted -

Diluted -

To recap, Snow had reads at about 10, Snow+ reading about 12.

I'm pretty confused by this, I guess this why I find Snow to be good at pre-soaking. I did a quick test of adding a drop or two of Snow into 100ml of tap water and the readings stabilized.

NV recommend Snow and Snow+ be diluted at 1:10 in a foam cannon or 50ml to 10lt of water. For 1:10, you would add 909ml of water and 91ml of soap in a 1lt foam cannon.

Both of these NV soaps would be best measured accurately. Even so, I am not really sure why I got these reading when they are sold at defined pH levels.

 

[GT 550]

Might be worth firing an email off to NV to see how their QC is going. Diluted seems to be marginally lower in all cases, did you perchance measure the pH of tap water?

 

[DFB5.0]

Might be worth firing an email off to NV to see how their QC is going. Diluted seems to be marginally lower in all cases, did you perchance measure the pH of tap water?

Tap water reading at pH 7.44 -

A reading between 6.5 and 8.5 is needed for it to meet the Australian drinking water guidelines.

 

[DFB5.0]

So after yesterdays confusion over the measured pH readings of NV Snow, I wanted to mix up a proper measured amount at the recommended dilution. And still, the readings are too high -

A figure of 9.7 is just too far from a neutral reading of about 7.5, I really don't know what to think now. Perhaps an email to Waxit/NV for clarification is needed.

I then tested another soap to make sure it's not operator or equipment error, this time the product I intended to use today, Optimum Car Wash.

A reading of 6.94 is ever so slightly acidic, but close enough for me.

In use, this soap is quite interesting. It pours quite thickly, but foams much thinner than I'm used to. It's very much like P&S Pearl in consistency and it's ability to cling and just "hang" on the paint.

I like a thicker foam but it smelt nice and provided good cleaning and lubrication. It rinsed well too.

The Ranger also provided another opportunity to use ECH2o, this time to wipe the door jambs and tray.

So far, I really like this product. I really need to try using it as a rinse-less wash before making any more comment.

I used Bead Maker for the drying aid today, it's pretty hard to go past Bead Maker for gloss. It really makes paint pop, especially remarkable on a pretty boring flat white finish.

 

[DFB5.0]

Took advantage of a 25% off sale at Adam's Australia last week.

https://adamspolishes.com.au

First of all, a little explanation. The Adam's brand is imported and sold at a very hefty premium in Australia, on par with the likes of Carpro and Koch Chemie for price. I don't shop with Adam's much, mainly because the product is so expensive for what it is. I do think there are some great items within the lineup, so at 25% off, the product seems much more palatable.

All bar Slick and Slide I have not used. Having said that, I haven't used this "version" of Slick and Slide.

B&B Blending make products for a variety of detailing brands, including Adam's. In theory, if I wanted to start my own brand, let's say "DFB's Garage", I would choose a lineup of products from their catalog and have them bottled and labeled with my branding.

A lot of the smaller brands get their products this way, often you can see similarities in bottle design and product colouring. For example, take a look at The Detail Geek Auto Care and you will see a lot of synergy with the Adam's brand.

https://detailgeekautocare.com/

I mention this because Adam's Slick and Slide is made by B&B with "Slipstream" being their name for the product.

https://www.bbblending.com/project/slipstream/

B&B Slipstream is also sold under the Xtreme Solutions brand as "Topper" and in scent and colourless form, Obsessed Garage Drying Aid.

https://www.877askxtreme.com/store/p...yvd58rjwqstiqr
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/colle.../og-drying-aid

The key part I like about Slipstream/OG Drying Aid/Slick and Slide is this -

" Suitable over any base surface protection, whether it is a polymer sealant, wax, or any coating."

This means it can be used on any type of LSP and in theory play well with whatever is underneath it.

 

[DFB5.0]

Picked up a new sprayer to have a play with today, a Solo 460Li Battery Powered Sprayer -

Solo 460 1 Litre Battery Power Hand Sprayer (duralirrigation.com.au)
Solo 460-Li Battery-Operated Handheld Sprayer, 1 Liter.

This sprayer has a 1 liter capacity and able to spray continuously for up to 60 minutes, recharging in 90 minutes. The battery and pump are mounted in the head of the sprayer and the pickup tube has a weighted end/filter to stay immersed in liquid even when tilted.

Where a traditional sprayer would have a trigger, these had a pressure sensor/button to activate the pump. Spray output is controlled or adjusted just like any sprayer tip.

Spray output is strong and consistent, providing anything from a fine mist to a strong shot like a water pistol.

I didn't necessarily buy this with detailing in mind, more so for use with pesticides or other plant remedies. However, I can see this being a really handy tool where bulk amounts of certain cleaners are used, where repeated triggering could become uncomfortable. Rinse-less washing pre-soak for example. Or perhaps for administering a clay lubricant or iron remover. Could also be handy for vinyl wrapping, PPF installations and window tinting. I'm going to try this out with some McKee's N-914 Rinse-less.

 

[DFB5.0]

Another day (off), another selection of products to play with. This week's subject was a filthy Ranger.

I mentioned earlier that I did not buy these products at full retail, rather at 25% off. I say that because Adam's products are very expensive for what they are in this country. However, I do think that there is value to be found in their range, the collection of items being used today are some of the better products offered.

First on the docket was Adam's Tire & Rubber Cleaner, the blurb stating that it "combines the power of an industrial strength degreaser with a user-friendly citrus based cleaner." Today, I used it to clean the tires and wheel arches -

In use, this lathered up nicely and cut through a months' worth of grime easily. Can recommend.

Next was their Wheel & Tire Cleaner. I know this could have been using for both roles, but I really wanted to try the dedicated rubber cleaner as well. Think of this product like P&S Brake Buster, without the extreme foaming and lathering that Brake Buster is famed for.

I wasn't wowed by this product; it was ok but nothing more.

After sitting in the drawer for a long time now, I also tried out these Maxshine finger mitts on the wheels today. I think these are better than the Flexipad lambskin versions from Obsessed Garage.

https://detailingshed.com.au/produc...sh-mitt-2pcs-pack?_pos=1&_sid=da967d698&_ss=r

In the foam cannon today was Adam's Mega Foam.

Mega Foam is a pH neutral maintenance soap designed for "maximum suds" and scents the air with a "juicy fruit fragrance". I used this as a presoak and appreciated its ability to lift most of the traffic film from the body prior to the contact wash. It's also thinner and easier to pour than their blue Car Shampoo.

I really enjoyed using this soap, a dangerous thing considering the price. At $33 full retail, it's $5 more than Carpro Reset. It's good, but not as good as Reset at a cheaper price.

Then it was onto the drying stage with a product I have used before in a slightly different form.

Adam's Slick & Slide is made by B&B Blending, a company that also makes Obsessed Garage Drying Aid. The Adam's version is colored yellow and is "Hawaiian punch scented". In use it's just a nice as the OG version, with an easy wipe on and off and terrific levels of gloss, not Bead Maker levels but not far from it.

There is however a reason why the OG version is colour and scentless -

Note the staining that has occurred to the bottle in storage, removing the dye and scent will limit ruining a spray bottle and potentially staining lighter colored cars.

Moving to the interior, I relented and tried out my new Solo 460 Battery Sprayer, using ONR to clean the door jambs -

https://duralirrigation.com.au/collections/solo/products/solo-460-1-litre-battery-power-hand-sprayer

I also used ONR to lightly clean the leather. ONR is perfectly suitable for this role and is great to use when you are not trying to deep clean the material.

This sprayer is absolutely brilliant. So simple in concept and so effective in use. This is another dangerous prospect considering these are $65 each, I want more! The only other thing putting the brakes on me is that are not as pretty to look at as the Kwazar Mercury that have been a staple of my cabinets for a long time now.

Lastly, it was onto something interesting, Adam's Graphene Tire Dressing -

https://adamspolishes.com.au/collections/exterior-liquids/products/graphene-tyre-dressing-16-oz

Not for a second have I bought into any hype surrounding Graphene and its use within detailing products. There are claims of longer durability and increased heat resistance from Graphene infused products, however I suspect all it does is make products black/grey in colour. But...........I'm a sucker for tire dressings and this product made me curious.

This product is said to contain "Graphene Ceramic Resins", produces a "Highly Durable, Like New Tire Appearance" and is watermelon scented.

I have met very few tire dressings that I haven't liked, and this one is no different. After shaking well, it distributes with ease owing to its runny consistency and applies with very good consistency. I actually love it to be honest, although I don't think it's worth the $50 asking price. However, if you are wanting to try something a little different, it ticks a lot of boxes.

 

[GT 550]

This week's subject was a filthy Ranger

Initially I thought 'I'd be filthy too if I was the guinea pig for every new detailing chemical you found' but then realised that if it's filthy in the real sense it couldn't be YOUR Ranger

Note the staining that has occurred to the bottle in storage, removing the dye and scent will limit ruining a spray bottle and potentially staining lighter colored cars.

Very interesting and good to know.

Great review as always

 

[DFB5.0]

Initially I thought 'I'd be filthy too if I was the guinea pig for every new detailing chemical you found' but then realised that if it's filthy in the real sense it couldn't be YOUR Ranger

Very interesting and good to know.

Great review as always

Correct, was my old mans. He uses it as a mobile smoko room.

 

[The Demon]

First a little backstory. I have been detailing since I was about 15, washing my parent's cars............. not for pocket money, but for fun! When I got my own car, I really started to get into it as a hobby. I would ration products because I was poor, at 18 I could only dream of some of the stuff I have today. It took until my late 20’s to realize the benefits detailing had on my mental health. When the pandemic hit in early 2020, I suddenly had a lot more time on my hands and I doubled down on expanding my skills and product knowledge, it ended up being my savior during those uncertain times. I guess like a lot of people during the height of the pandemic, my online ordering skills became a precisely tuned machine! I also started to detail other people’s cars to make some extra cash.

So 20 years of detailing as a hobby and occasional professional, I have started to loose count on what products I have. Well, I actually have a spreadsheet listing every product, tool, pads and towels I have or have had. So, you could say I have been around the block a few times. And yet, I still haven’t even scratched the surface of what’s available to detailers these days. After a lot of trial and error, this is a list of products I grab the most often. I will also state that I have no connection to any brand or supplier.

This list will exclude polishing compounds, waxes, sealants and coatings. That will perhaps come later, those categories seem to be more personal preference than the maintenance products I will detail below. Same story with towels and tools. Also, I normally provide links to each product, in this case I will let the reader do their own search due to the multi-national nature of this particular forum.

Wash Soap –

(I used all of these in both the foam cannon and in the bucket.)

CarPro Reset – My favourite soap. This is an expensive product for a reason, it’s top of the class for slickness, cleaning ability, foam quality and scent. Reset is pH neutral and was designed primarily for ceramic coatings but can also be used on other LSP’s with the caution it will speed up the degradation of waxes and sealants. Pours easily.

NV Snow – A pH neutral product that can be used in the sun safely, smells pleasant and foams exceptionally well. This is a runnier liquid that pours easily

Koch Chemie GSF – This is a brilliant pH neutral soap. Slickness and scent are it’s hallmarks.

Wildcard –

CarPro Descale – Again, a soap designed for ceramic coatings. It’s primary use is for reviving a clogged or water-spotted ceramic coating. I also use it as a strip wash in preparation for a new coating of wax or sealant. Worth having either way.

Water-less / Rinse-less Washing -

Optimum No Rinse / ONR – Just a good all-rounder. I use this mainly when cleaning door jambs, engine bays and interiors.

McKee’s N914 – I use this product for rinse-less washing, it has a more pleasant scent than ONR.

Drying Aids –

Obsessed Garage Drying Aid / Extreme Solutions Topper / Adams Slick and Slide – Save for color and scent, these are all the same products. This is very easy and forgiving to use. It’s a Si02 based product that will add to existing protection, provide lubrication and increase gloss.

P&S Bead Maker – The gloss and slickness this product adds is addictive. Some may say it’s overhyped, but it certainly does what it says on the bottle.

Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Detailer – I have only recently started using this, but it impressed me immediately with its ease of use.

Wildcard –

P&S Paint Gloss – This is a traditional “detail spray”. It contains no protection but is exceptional for gloss and lubrication. I also use it for interior dusting and as a clay lubricant.

Decontamination / Bug & Tar Removers –

CarPro Bug-Out and Koch Chemie Insect and Dirt Remover – I find most of these products are quite similar in smell and their ability to soften and remove bugs. Toss a coin.

CarPro TarX and Koch Chemie TEA – Again, very similar products, both also ideal for removing adhesive.

CarPro IronX and P&S Iron Buster – Either of these would be used for iron decontamination of both bodywork, glass and wheels.

Wildcard –

Koch Chemie Eu Eulex – This something not available in Australia, but I wish it was. This is next level aggression in tar and adhesive removal. Use with caution.

Koch-Chemie - Eulex | The Rag Company

Wheel and Tire Cleaners –

(I really only use two wheel cleaners on my own cars as I tend to use soap instead in most cases.)

NV Purge – This is pH neutral wheel cleaner that reacts to iron particles. This has an impressive ability to remove as much grime as possible without agitation. While it’s scented, it still smells pretty bad like all iron-removers.

P&S Brake Buster – This is a high alkaline cleaner that can be used diluted or undiluted, foamed or un-foamed. Can be used to clean wheels as well as tyres and wheel arches. I don't bother diluting it, I want the added power if I'm reaching for a wheel cleaner.

Wildcard-
Shine Supply Wise Guy - I use this primarily for deep cleaning tires but it can be also used to clean wheels. It's pretty harsh so I tend grab this as a last resort.

Tire Dressings –

(I tend to only use water based dressings, these are less likely to sling onto the body compared to solvent based products.)

NV Onyx – This is a very nice product to use. It applies easily, smells lovely and leaves a satin sheen once dried.

CarPro Perl – So versatile as it can be used on engine bays, exterior trim and interiors. It can also be diluted to achieve the desired finish. I use it straight from the bottle as I like a little more sheen.

DuraGloss 253 – This is a runner liquid, much like Perl would be when diluted. It spreads easily, especially useful on chunky truck tires. This product also seems to last a touch longer during wet conditions.

Wildcard –

Gyeon Q2 Tire – This is a solvent based Si02 infused dressing that offers more longevity than the above products. Apply thinly and evenly as it will otherwise sling.

Exterior and Interior Plastic Dressings –

303 Aerospace Protectant – An oldie but a goody. This stuff leaves plastics with a matte finish and seems to apply easier than other similar products. I mostly use it on interior plastics, but I also use it on engine bays.

Meguiar’s Hyper Dressing – Another proven product that seems to fly under the radar. I use it to spruce up wheel arches and as an engine bay dressing. It can also be used on tires.

Koch Chemie Motorplast – Like Hyper Dressing, this can be used on wet surfaces, mostly for engines bays.

Koch-Chemie - Motorplast | The Rag Company

Leather Trim / Fabric Trim and Interior Cleaning –

Colourlock Strong/Mild Leather Cleaner & Leather Protector – Great for cleaning, then protecting automotive leather. These products leave leather with a matte, OE finish.

Koch Chemie PO Pol Star – This is used to clean carpet, cloth and Alcantara trim, leather too. Very versatile and dilutable to suit. Unlike APC's, Pol Star is pH neutral meaning it's more gentle on sensitive surfaces.

P&S Express – Great product for cleaning and dusting interior surfaces. For me, this has basically replaced APC for interior work.

Wildcard –

CarPro InnerQD – A product for quick wipe overs, dusting ect. Can also be used on info screens and gauge clusters without streaking. Smells great.

MISC -

(These are worth having on hand)

CarPro Eraser – A prep spray for new waxes/sealants/coatings. Also doubles as a glass cleaner.

Meguiar’s M39 Heavy Duty Vinyl Cleaner – You wont use this often, but it’s great for deep cleaning unpainted exterior plastics and rubber, think windshield wiper scuttle or door rubbers. Will remove polish staining on black trims.

CarPro Spotless – Water spots are always a possibility, having this in the cabinet has saved me a couple of times.

P21S Polishing Soap – You won’t use this often but as a way of cleaning and polishing exhaust tips, there is nothing like it on the market.

Glass Cleaners –

Stoners Invisible Glass – A solid performer, probably the best on the market. Tint safe.

P&S True Vue – This can be had in RTU form or as a concentrate. You can dilute this product from 4:1 out to 10:1 depending on the season or level of performance needed. Tint safe.

Gyeon Q2M Glass – A solid performer and tint safe.

Wildcard –

Angelwax Vision – This stuff not a product you want to be using every time, it’s very harsh in use and smell. This has a small percentage of ammonia in its formulation and while they state that it’s tint safe, I would use with caution. Particularly useful for cleaning neglected glass.

All-Purpose-Cleaner -

Koch Chemie GS Green Star - I rarely use APC in general but Green Star is one of the better ones. This product is dilutable depending on cleaning needs. It also foams well, as such I occasionally add some to GSF to boost it's cleaning ability on filthy customer cars.

That covers the products I use for maintaining vehicles. As mentioned, waxes/sealants/coatings in all shapes and forms are another story entirely. As would towels and correcting products.

Sorry to go back to the beginning but in the first post you mentioned that you had just started trying using Meguiars Hybrid Ceramic Detailer. Have you continued using it? How are the results that you found? One last thing, my car is not ceramic coated can I still use it?

 

[DFB5.0]

Sorry to go back to the beginning but in the first post you mentioned that you had just started trying using Meguiars Hybrid Ceramic Detailer. Have you continued using it? How are the results that you found? One last thing, my car is not ceramic coated can I still use it?

I really like Hybrid Ceramic Detailer, it's super forgiving to use. Gloss and slickness are fantastic, but I like how easily it wipes on and then flashes away without streaking.

The thing with Meguiar's products is, they are primarily designed to be user friendly and versatile. You do not need a ceramic coating to use this product, it can be used as a stand-alone or a topper to other waxs or coatings.

There is only one aspect that I would change with this product, and this is subjective, but the scent is a little outdated. It's not offensive, just a bit too old school Meguiar's for my liking.

 

[DFB5.0]

Latest delivery, mainly so I could have a play with some Stjarnagloss products.

https://www.carcareproducts.com.au/

Stjarnagloss is a new brand for me, although I resisted trying the products for a little while..............I guess the nice-looking bottles and labels got to me.

https://www.carcareproducts.com.au/stjarnagloss.html

My introduction to the brand is via Sno Pre-Wash, Silke Quick Detailer and yet another tire dressing in the form of Gummi. Silke passed the sink test (something I tend to do when unboxing by spraying product on the stainless sink to gauge scent and feel) and Sno smelt lovely.

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