Since the weather was cooperating today for a change (pretty warm in the sun) I finally got a chance to try out my Protect All Quick & Easy Wash.
I decided to just mix 2 quarts as per the instructions and see how that worked out. Right away though, I almost laughed at how much water that actually was in the bucket! My first few tries at cleaning a surface were hard to dry because I think I was applying too much and I had a lot dripping off and a lot to wipe up. After a while I found I was squeezing out more solution from my mitt than I would for a normal wash. I came to consider it not so much as "washing" in the normal sense, but rather as "applying while rubbing lightly" because I found I was aiming to leave a certain amount of solution behind. I hope this way of using it is okay (or right)? :nixweiss
Using this stuff at first is a strange experience. Once mixed up the solution seems to be just like plain water with a slight bluish tint and odor. It does not suds up or feel lubricative or slippery like a normal car shampoo at all. It's a bit unnerving and distressing at first, really. Some other member here in another recent thread voiced similar concerns about its water-like nature. That said, QEW does actually clean just as well as a regular car soap. :up You can see the dirt suspended in the droplets left behind, and some gets transferred to the mitt.
It took me almost an hour total, partially because drying effectively was trickier than expected and I was stymied by towels that weren't as absorbant as I'd have liked. In the end though, my car was sparkling clean and the pitiful amount of QEW solution left in the bottom of the bucket was filthy. The mitt still rinsed out easily afterwards though.
Some other notes:
- About the way I "apply" it. I kind of wonder if this is why they suggest only 2 quarts for a car? They also suggest a cloth or sponge, like you were applying something, not a mitt like you were washing... I'm considering buying a cloth/chenille pad like Scott uses because of the way I ended up using it.
- As mentioned, it wipes off much easier if the surface is waxed. My roof (was) still bare from a repaint and it was hard to wipe it up without streaks and water trails.
- I found the best way (so far) is to use the first one to dry it to the point where very little solution is left behind. Like to where the droplets are about the size of a pinhead. Then switch to the final drying towel. Any advice would be appreciated of course. As a CWB user, total drying by towel only is new to me.
- Cotton towels can lint a lot, especially when new.... (A CCD pass afterwards fixed this though.)
- You know what QEW solution smells like? It smells like Klasse SG! Wierd eh?
I figure once I get my technique down better I'll start to like this product a bit more and start realizing some real time savings!
It was still nice not having standing lakes of icy water to step in though.
I decided to just mix 2 quarts as per the instructions and see how that worked out. Right away though, I almost laughed at how much water that actually was in the bucket! My first few tries at cleaning a surface were hard to dry because I think I was applying too much and I had a lot dripping off and a lot to wipe up. After a while I found I was squeezing out more solution from my mitt than I would for a normal wash. I came to consider it not so much as "washing" in the normal sense, but rather as "applying while rubbing lightly" because I found I was aiming to leave a certain amount of solution behind. I hope this way of using it is okay (or right)? :nixweiss
Using this stuff at first is a strange experience. Once mixed up the solution seems to be just like plain water with a slight bluish tint and odor. It does not suds up or feel lubricative or slippery like a normal car shampoo at all. It's a bit unnerving and distressing at first, really. Some other member here in another recent thread voiced similar concerns about its water-like nature. That said, QEW does actually clean just as well as a regular car soap. :up You can see the dirt suspended in the droplets left behind, and some gets transferred to the mitt.
It took me almost an hour total, partially because drying effectively was trickier than expected and I was stymied by towels that weren't as absorbant as I'd have liked. In the end though, my car was sparkling clean and the pitiful amount of QEW solution left in the bottom of the bucket was filthy. The mitt still rinsed out easily afterwards though.
Some other notes:
- About the way I "apply" it. I kind of wonder if this is why they suggest only 2 quarts for a car? They also suggest a cloth or sponge, like you were applying something, not a mitt like you were washing... I'm considering buying a cloth/chenille pad like Scott uses because of the way I ended up using it.
- As mentioned, it wipes off much easier if the surface is waxed. My roof (was) still bare from a repaint and it was hard to wipe it up without streaks and water trails.
- I found the best way (so far) is to use the first one to dry it to the point where very little solution is left behind. Like to where the droplets are about the size of a pinhead. Then switch to the final drying towel. Any advice would be appreciated of course. As a CWB user, total drying by towel only is new to me.
- Cotton towels can lint a lot, especially when new.... (A CCD pass afterwards fixed this though.)
- You know what QEW solution smells like? It smells like Klasse SG! Wierd eh?
I figure once I get my technique down better I'll start to like this product a bit more and start realizing some real time savings!
It was still nice not having standing lakes of icy water to step in though.