Car Detailing - What products are your go to?

[The Pad King]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Thanks for the feedback. I don't want to be rude or offend, just presenting some observations I've made over the years. I've listened to Mark on the TRC podcast a few times, he comes across as very knowledgably. I also know something that might be coming in the near future that could turn things around.

In regards to his website, he really needs someone to sit down and find these bugs and iron them out. The layout is fine, but the function sucks. However, I know what it's like running a busy business and trying to juggle multiple roles at once.

The thing is, this website is his shop front. In the same way you sweep the floors and clean the windows of a shop to make it a pleasant shopping experience, the same applies to website function and presentation. It will also be costing him sales as often I will go to find a particular product that I know he stocks, but it won't show up in the appropriate tab or even when you search based on brand. If a customer can't find the product, how is he/she going to buy it? Also, logging into your account, only to have it automatically load your existing order into your cart, that's super annoying and potentially costly. I remember on one occasion, for no apparent reason it wouldn't allow me to pay for the order. I once contacted them about being sent the wrong item but was never replied to, two days later the correct item arrived unannounced.

As I said, I'm not trying to cause trouble, but there is clearly some refinement needed.

it is all good I dont get upset at all
Mark's a good guy and quite knowledgable - the site just needs an overhaul
And I bet he has alot on his plate

[DFB FGXR6]

I mentioned the other day how I am heavily guided by my sense of smell in just about every area of my life. I have a very strong sense of smell, to the point where I can smell things others can't. Scent is also strongly tied with memories for me, both pleasant and unpleasant. This is both a blessing and a curse.

I decided to write this post after I had someone question why product reviewers put so much emphasis on scent when evaluating products. And they had a point, the scent has no bearing on how the product performs. But then that doesn't account for several key reasons why scent becomes an important part of product evaluation.

So, when it comes to me assessing a product, naturally scent is going to be part of that. If a product performs well but has an unpleasant odour, I will pretty much hate the product entirely. The Turtle Wax foaming tire cleaner is a good example of this. On a very good product, sometimes a pleasant scent is the icing, which in turn gets mentioned because it contributes to the overall user experience.



However, a scent CAN NOT mask a bad product. I've had countless nice smelling products that got used once and never again because of how badly they perform at the intended task. This gets mentioned in reviews because it shows a product that has style over substance. Hello Bilt Hamber Trace-less or Auto Finesse Lather.



In 99% of cases, the scent of a car cleaning product has no bearing on its actual performance. And yet, the majority of detailing brands add scent to their products. In theory, they could eliminate scent entirely and increase their product margins, or even charge less. But then, where do they stop with that way of thinking? Do they eliminate colours as well? Have a universal bottle rather than bottles unique to certain brands? Do they all use basic labels with no branding? And what would we end up with? Pretty much one single "brand" with very little to tell them apart. But, I can guarantee "we" would come up with another way to determine differentiating elements between each competing product.

ADS Pilot, one of my current favorite scents, which I'm told is Spiced Pear.



And yet, none of this explains the pleasure I get from foaming a nice smelling soap and taking in the perfumed air. So, naturally I'm going to mention this in a review or when talking about a product.

This leads me to two detailing scents that bring back pleasant memories, both of them soaps…………………..

First, we go back to a 17-year old DFB, circa late 2003 and into 2004. I remember the year because in October 2003, Kylie released her latest album, Body Language, which was unlike any other before or after in not being her usual syrupy pop. One could say it was "Sweet Music" So where does this relate to detailing? Well, I would be out in the driveway on a warm Friday or Saturday night washing my parents’ cars listening to that album.

And the distinctive scent? Well, that was Armor All Car Wash, you know, the cheap blue one sold everywhere. From memory, my Mum would buy it at the supermarket for me. At that age, and back then, there was NOTHING like the choice we have today. I would eventually “upgrade” to Meguiar’s NXT and Gold Class……………….but you always remember your first.



It’s hard to describe the scent of that soap, it's not the usual cherry or citrus aroma that is common for car wash soaps. But it's so distinctive, to the point where when I bought a bottle for nostalgia last year, nothing has changed. But to me, this particular scent means more than just cheap car wash soap sold at the supermarket. It reminds me of a carefree time, one that we only realise many years down the road. That soap and it sent represents me discovering the joy that detailing brings. And………………………………Kylie Minogue, of course.





The second scent takes me back to 2020. And we all know what was happening in 2020, and ultimately what would continue to happen for several years. As someone who worked in retail, I was glad to be stuck home during the lockdowns for two reasons. As a diabetic, I was terrified of catching Covid and the possible complications. And secondly, it meant time away from work and a break from the stress I was under. Being in the country with a backyard and plenty of things to tinker with, I didn’t have to endure the horrible situation my poor sister had living in a Melbourne apartment.

In January 2020, I bought my first bottle of Carpro Reset, but didn’t start using it until mid-March. I don’t know how or where I learnt about this soap, but it was clearly evident that this is a very premium product, to the point where I would ration it. Every time I used that soap, it was like a special treat. But the pleasant thing about Reset is how it does
both form and function so well. It has great free rinsing ability, a highly concentrated formula so a little goes a long way, amazing slickness, great cleaning ability and these days, brilliant foam quality.

But it was the scent that had me hooked. Again, it’s hard to put a finger on what Reset smells like, suffice to say it’s totally unique and not something you will smell from other brands. Perhaps that’s why I love it so much, that I can’t get that same intoxicating aroma elsewhere.





It was also around this time when I started to dig even deeper into the detailing rabbit hole. With bulk time on my hands, I continued to expand my detailing skills and began devoting more time to writing about it. You see, not only was I learning, but I was also keeping my mind and body active. I ended up doing a “Daily Detail” series, and when I ran out of my own cars, I started doing other peoples…………………in a “Covid Safe” manner or course.





While there was a LOT going on during that time, a LOT has changed since then. Thankfully, Reset has remained THE benchmark soap. Washing my car with this super fancy soap was such a treat and became a lovely distraction to chaos around me. And that scent, well it brings back a mixture of good and bad emotions. The bad? Well, that would be fear, frustration, uncertainty. But balancing that were feelings of relief, the discovery of something new, leaning into what makes ME happy and not the expectations of others. All from a bottle of car wash soap.

So, what car detailing scent brings back memories for you?

[CyberWasp]

I don't know about the best but I know about the worst.
It was a Turtle Wax Product Interior Protectant in a Coconut Scent.
Can't find a photo of the bottle it is a long time ago now.
Naive me thought it would be nice if the car had a subtle fresh coconut smell for some reason.
Erhh, Erhh, Gags just thinking about it.
Had more of an aroma like fresh vomit with a tinge of rotten coconut.
God it was bad.

[DFB FGXR6]

So, Bunnings have joined the car care and automotive sector. I noticed a few Meguiar's products creeping onto the shelves earlier this year, but they now have an entire isle dedicated to automotive, with several shelves of that on car care. This will undoubtably shake things up a little, which I will explain shortly.

















Naturally, with only an isle to work with, they are just stocking the basics, be that lubricants and service fluids, batteries, chargers and jump starters, wiper blades, seat covers, jacks, electrical, air fresheners.....................and car care.

The question is, which of it is worth buying? On the shelves, there is a basic range of products from Meguiar's, Turtle Wax, Mothers, Armor All, Polyglaze, Oakwood, and Machanix. Let's break this down a little, starting with what to avoid.................

Don't Bother -

Let me preface this by saying that the following brands and their products will do the intended job. The sticking point is how well do they do that job? To make these products approachable for all users, ie idiot proof, the chemical formulas account for the lowest common denominator. So, you have to work harder to achieve the desired result. Most notable for me was when I compared a tar remover from Polyglaze to Carpro TarX. Where the cheap product was virtually useless, TarX melts tar before your eyes. Naturally, there is risk to that, which is not a gamble the entry level brands want to take. So, keep this in mind with my comments below.

Turtle Wax - These are all the very bottom of the TW range. Depending on how this pans out, some of the newer and admittedly decent Hybrid-Ceramic Turtle Wax stuff could end up on the shelves. But as it stands, a firm no.

Polyglaze - I know I'm a brand snob, but I just do not see why you would buy these products when much better options exist for similar money, not to mention better performing.

Machanix - Again, why buy these when better exists?

Armor All - I know I probably ruffled feathers with a post I made recently, but I'm sorry, I just don't see a single product worth buying here. If I had to pick one, it would be the blue Car Wash, which at least cleans well.

Worth A Look -

Here are a few items that caught my eye, and this is where the shake up begins........................

Oakwood - There are so many terrible leather care products on the market that are virtually useless on automotive leather/vinyl. However, I was surprised to see this brand has a separate line of for cars. My go to recommendation for leather care via an auto store has been Bowden's Leather Love and Leather Guard. But the Oakwood Leather Foam Cleaner and Leather Cream might be worth looking at. Australian made too.

Meguiar's - Again, Bunning's are only offering the entry level products, but few stand out for me. Gold Class is not my favorite shampoo, but its the best on these shelves and has always excelled at suds and slickness. It will also foam reasonably well. But it's the price that caught my eye, $32.50 for a 1.9 Lt bottle. That same bottle a Repco and Autobarn is $47.00 and $44.99 respectively. In true Bunning's fashion, they have the buying power and ability to undercut everyone!



Secondly, I have aways liked Quick Interior Detailer. This has a nice balance between cleaning power and some very mild dressing potential. Available in the Detailer range, this consumer bottle is the one to buy as the larger size has a strange odor to it. Bunnings are asking $24.80, Repco and Autobahn want $39 and $37 respectively.



The Meguiar's microfiber is also very good, but overpriced for what it is. Even though the Bunning's prices undercut other retailers by $10 - $15, this is an expensive way to buy towels. But, if you are in a bind, they are a worthy option. If you do buy them, I would 1000% be washing them a couple of times before use, they are in effect sitting unpackaged in a dusty hardware store after all.





Mothers - I once used a lot of Mothers products, and I even have a few key products that are still in rotation. For example, their metal polish is a classic. At $6.03, the same tub will set you back $24.99 at Supercheap.

Another product that caught my eye, the Mothers Shaggy Wash Mitt is nicely priced and suitably soft and fluffy. At $12.80, its more than half the price sold elsewhere. I'm not a fan of wash mitts, but this is far from a bad option. Again, be sure to wash before use.



Now, some of the prices I have quoted for the same products sold at Repco, Supercheap and Autobarn are relative. Quite often, those retailers have rolling discounts, often between 20 - 30%, in turn narrowing the price gap. I've been highly critical of Meguiars approach to RRP's in Australia, especially when a comparable Carpro product costs the same price, or even less. It's a no brainer in that situation. However, the Meguiar's RRP prices are purposely inflated to make the sale price seem more impressive that it really is. So, I suspect the prices that Bunning's are putting on these products are where they SHOULD have been priced all along.

The big question is, will other retailers follow? Probably not, Bunning's have the ability to name their wholesale prices, then charge whatever they like, in turn running others out of business. So, their foray into automotive is following true to type. The real question is, how far do they take it?

[The Pad King]

Thanks for the post and the pics. Very interesting
Keep posting, it's good to see someone doing these. I simply do not have the time with my polishing pad research and development work and much more