Comparative Test - PB's Spray N Rinse Vs. EO A2Z (56k Warning)

[RedondoV6]

Well I finally caught up with work and found some time begin to prep my cars for winter.



I have a number of products to test, but first up was the new wheel cleaner from Poorboy's "Spray N Rinse" (SNR). I wanted to test it up against some product known to me and most Autopians, so I pulled out a bottle of EO A2Z and used both products per the manufacturer's directions. To summarize: the PB's SNR works really well, but do not throw your A2Z away just yet!



I rinsed all the wheels down with cold water then and started with EO A2Z, the wheel looked BAD!:

After spraying with A2Z, leaving it to soak for 30 seconds and then rinsing the wheel with a fireman's nozzle on a normal garden hose, the wheel was still dirty.

On to PB's SNR. I was disappointed to find that no sprayer was included in the parcel with my the SNR (odd for a SPRAY n wipe product), so I used a spare from a previous PB's order. The PB's cleaner was a thin liquid, scented lightly with grapefruit(?) and sprayed on the wheel with no foaming action. Again the "before" image of the wheel shows the effects of weeks worth of neglect, it was bad!

After leaving the SNR on the wheel to soak, I rinsed off using the fireman's nozzle again. Wow! I was surprised by the result.

Although the results were not perfect, they were much better than I achieved with the A2Z. One additional spray over the same wheel, cleaned the remaining brake dust, in the spots I had missed when spraying and off the caliper. Very impressive!



I thought I should try it again just to prove that the results were representative, so I tried the SNR on another car.



Before:

And after:

It looked like I had an outright winner, PB's SNR was so effective, even without using a brush or MF, it just blew A2Z away! But then I turned round to look at the first car, The A2Z cleaned tires looked blacker than the PB's cleaned tires, which as they dried still looked brown. I decided to test the tires on the PB's cleaned wheels by spraying them with A2Z .. whooah the results speak for themselves. The concrete was turned brown as A2Z dissolved the browning on the tires.

I think the images speak for themselves. For myself, I'll be ordering more PB's SNR to keep my wheels clean AND I'll be buying more A2Z for the tires! PB's SNR is definitely worth a try, it is a very good wheel cleaner and unlike most, works exactly as described, with no touch!

 

[imported_perry]

Seems like this was the weekend to test wheel cleaners



That Poorboy's product looks promising... gallon price doesn't seem too terrible either.

 

[RedondoV6]

Seems like this was the weekend to test wheel cleaners



That Poorboy's product looks promising... gallon price doesn't seem too terrible either.

Yep! The truth is I prefer to use wash shampoo to clean my wheels most of the time, but when they really dirty as in this case, a good wheel cleaner just saves so much time and effort. I try not to buy into all of the product hype, but in this case "Spray N Rinse" performs exactly as claimed.

 

[General Lee]

Nice write up and photo representation. I have yet to recieve a spray nozzle from poorboys for BnB, NL, or spray and wash?? You definitly need one for the Spray and wash. That is my only dissapointment w/ the products.

 

[imported_edschwab1]

Nice write-up. Did you order the 32oz bottle of the PB wheel cleaner?





Eric

 

[RedondoV6]

Nice write-up. Did you order the 32oz bottle of the PB wheel cleaner?





Eric

Yep! I was just wanted to test Spray N Rinse, so I went with the quart container @ $10. I'll be ordering the gallon sized containers @ $30 each from here on in

 

[Wasatch]

Thanks for the review, was thinking about getting the PBs.

 

[imported_awd330]

I think Steve only includes sprayers with his 16 ounce bottles. 32 ounce and larger bottles don't come with sprayers as they are considered refill sizes.

 

[imported_edschwab1]

I think Steve only includes sprayers with his 16 ounce bottles. 32 ounce and larger bottles don't come with sprayers as they are considered refill sizes.

I was going to mention the same thing.



Eric

 

[RedondoV6]

I think Steve only includes sprayers with his 16 ounce bottles. 32 ounce and larger bottles don't come with sprayers as they are considered refill sizes.

The 32oz size is the smallest size of the Spray N Rinse PB's offers, IMHO it should come with a sprayer.



It's not a biggie, like I said I had a spare sprayer, its just an irritation when you buy a product and have to find you own container or sprayer in order to use it as directed. The cleaner itself is very good and it really gets the job done.

 

[Wasatch]

The 32oz size is the smallest size of the Spray N Rinse PB's offers, IMHO it should come with a sprayer.

I also agree, it should be included. I will not be a happy camper if/when I buy some and a sprayer is not included.

 

[mtodde]

I also agree, it should be included. I will not be a happy camper if/when I buy some and a sprayer is not included.

Just ask Steve for one when you order; I'm sure he'll be happy to include one.

 

[imported_edschwab1]

I actually like carafe style bottles for quart sized bottles. I find the diameter of the barrel of the quart sized PB bottle uncomfortable and prefer a seperate and different shape spray bottle. Further PB, just released their wheel cleaner and may in the future release the wheel cleaning in a smaller pint size bottle.



Eric

 

[SilverLexus]

Thanks for the review....one criticism though which I feel is important:



You need to agitate the A2Z. That is essential to get the best results....if you look at the AFTER photo you can see it missed some brake dust...this would never happen with agitation.



I use a sheepskin mitt with a mesh "bug remover" backing to agitate the product.



A2Z always works extremely well for me.



I will try the PB also soon.

 

[imported_BretFraz]

Looking at the pics it appears the Poorboy's wheel cleaner etched the disc brake calipers while the A2Z didn't do much to them. Hard to say without seeing them in person but that's what I see in the pics.



Someone should conduct a pH test of Poorboy's cleaner to see where it sits, acidic or basic. You can buy a handheld pH meter for under $40.



Sparkle Auto sells Eagle One wheel cleaner (allegedly stronger than A2Z) for $10/gallon if you want something with more kick.

 

[RedondoV6]

SilverLexus: That's a valid point you make regarding agitation when using A2Z. I've been using A2Z with a brush for a while on my wheels and I've been very happy with it, it has always performed very well. The reason I did not agitate in this case was that both cleaners claim to be spray and rinse, so that is how I tested them!



I'll probably buy more PB's SNR and A2Z, and if my SNR runs out, I know A2Z will get the job done with just la little more effort. I really tested the PB's cleaner along side the A2Z for two reasons, because it is the most effective OTC wheel cleaner I have tried todate and because it offers a common reference point that is meaningful to many Autopians.



Bretfast: The Ford wheel has very roughly finished calipers (if finished is the right word to use!), I do not think the PB's cleaner etched anything.



I hear you on the PH test for the PB's cleaner, I suspect this is an acid cleaner of some sort, the label claims the cleaner will remove oxidation and rust! The warning says " not intended for use on hot, uncoated or highly polished aluminum wheels.



Thanks for the tip on the Sparkle EO cleaner, at $10 a gallon thats a REAL bargain (PB's is $30 a gallon), especially if I can dilute it before use (I'm not sure I would use anything with a much stronger base than A2Z).



All: I'd be really interested to hear from others on their experience with the PB's Spray N Rinse and on it's PH value. If anyone knows where I can get litmus paper locally from I'll test it myself and report back.

 

[breakneckvtec]

I have rims on my Jetta with alot of spokes that can be a PIA to clean. This step takes washing my car from about 20 min to about 45 min.



However I only use soap and water and agitate with a soft terry mitt to keep the finish clean safely. Using highly chemical cleaners worries me. Any safe ones out there, is poorboys safe?



BTW: The rims are a powerdercoated finish.

 

[imported_kgb]

I love the fack that you can get the wheel cleaner in gallons. I get sick of running to the store to get A2Z all the time.

 

[BillNorth]

I love the fack that you can get the wheel cleaner in gallons. I get sick of running to the store to get A2Z all the time.

If you're pro in constant need of a wheel cleaner, then yes, it is a PITA to run to the store to buy 32oz bottles every other day. But for the enthusiast who details few cars, how often are you using a wheel cleaner? I use A2Z once before each big detail, then only use soap and water to clean the wheels the rest of the time. Wheel cleaners should not be needed at every wash of the same wheels. That is scary...



As for the PB's wheel cleaner, I can get A2Z locally, and it works like a champ for me. When did agitation become a bad thing?

 

[imported_kgb]

If you're pro in constant need of a wheel cleaner, then yes, it is a PITA to run to the store to buy 32oz bottles every other day. But for the enthusiast who details few cars, how often are you using a wheel cleaner? I use A2Z once before each big detail, then only use soap and water to clean the wheels the rest of the time. Wheel cleaners should not be needed at every wash of the same wheels. That is scary...



As for the PB's wheel cleaner, I can get A2Z locally, and it works like a champ for me. When did agitation become a bad thing?

Well, I am in constant need of a wheel cleaner as I do this to make money.



I am not saying nothing wrong about A2Z, I love it and use it all the time. I just like the fact that PB's can come in gallons.