Opti-Clean Review

SuperBee364

SuperBee364

New member
OK, I gotta preface this by saying that I won a bottle of Opti-Clean in a drawing from the Optimum forum, so I didn't actually pay for it. Optimum isn't paying me for this review, and I don't have any ties to any manufacturer or retailer. Gotta clear my conscience on that, since I normally only review stuff that I actually pay for.



Hope I have enough time to pound this out before work...



Those of you that know me, know that I am a serious coward when it comes to marring/swirling paint. I don't touch my paint unless I *absolutely* have to. So I *never* use a QD (or anything else) on a car unless it is already completely free of any dirt at all. I don't even touch my car to dry it after a wash. So for me to be reviewing a QD-type product is... well... unusual, to say the least.



When ONR first hit the market, I thought for sure it was going to fail in a big way; I just couldn't see a product being able to prevent swirling when used with a "mash it on your paint and rub" technique. Imagine my surprise when I find myself using it often. Not saying that ONR doesn't have it's limits, but it is a damn fine product, and when used correctly, will limit marring to a point that it is only noticeable if used as your only wash method for an extended period of time.



So now Optimum hits the market with a QD type spray, marketed as making it safe to QD your semi-dirty car. Once again, I'm skeptical, but after getting such good results with ONR, I'm cautiously optimistically skeptical. :)



So on with the testing...



I keep my cars clean. It's a tough regimen to keep up, as I drive 130 miles each way to work. My car gets dirty on this long drive.... fast.



So to really put Opti-Clean to the test, I figured I'd go for broke; I let my car go an entire week without washing it. My car was nasty with desert sand, dirt, road grime.. you name it.



I cleaned the entire car from top to bottom using nothing more than Opti-Clean and Eurow super plush MF's.



I proceeded to inspect my car for the slightest bit of marring, using my Brinkmann, incandescents, flourescents, and the sun as light sources.



I'm as shocked as I was when I used ONR for the first time. I found no marring. Now keep in mind that my car has hard clear coat on it, so until I get a shot at using Opti-Clean on a softer clear coat (I'd love to try it on a jet black BMW or black Honda), I can't say that it's completely safe to use on any paint.



But if you have decently hard clear coat, this stuff is *safe* to use as a QD, even on a dirty car. Wow, never thought I'd hear myself say that, but it's true.



I did end up using the entire bottle to clean my car, but honestly, I really don't think Optimum ever intended it to be a replacement for ONR, which is how I used it. I think it's more meant for QD'ing: using it to remove a small layer of dust from an otherwise clean car. I just thought I'd torture test it to the extreme.



I *saturated* every panel, allowing about a 30 second dwell time, before I *very gently* wiped the surface with a Eurow MF. I did each panel several times, gradually increasing the pressure used as the surface became more free of dirt. I also folded the towel to an unused section before each wipe. I went through about 15 Eurow towels in the process.



Dr. G has a real winner here. Can't believe I've finally found a product that doesn't make me shake in fear at the thought of QD'ing my car.
 
Nah, it was the 18 oz. premixed bottle. The 32 oz. bottle is meant to be mixed 1:3 with water. I'll definitely be picking up a bottle of the 32 oz concentrate in the future. I wouldn't even bother messing around with the 18 oz bottle, really. It was a bit difficult to stretch the 18 oz bottle to do the whole car with how much I was using.
 
SuperBee364 said:
Nah, it was the 18 oz. premixed bottle. The 32 oz. bottle is meant to be mixed 1:3 with water. I'll definitely be picking up a bottle of the 32 oz concentrate in the future. I wouldn't even bother messing around with the 18 oz bottle, really. It was a bit difficult to stretch the 18 oz bottle to do the whole car with how much I was using.
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Get a gallon, it's cheaper that way. BTW been using ONR for years now and also tried the new Ultima Waterless. Ultima smells better, slicker and is way cheaper than OOC, but I like OOC better because of the gloss it leaves behind.
 
SuperBee364- I enjoyed your review, even if I'm not about to try something like that myself ;)



[Insert usual "you guys who can do this stuff without instilling marring just *kill* me!" comment here...]
 
Accumulator said:
SuperBee364- I enjoyed your review, even if I'm not about to try something like that myself ;)



[Insert usual "you guys who can do this stuff without instilling marring just *kill* me!" comment here...]
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If you use a whole bottle of OOC and 15 towels to wipe down this equals to no marring.
 
Personally, unless absolutely necessary due to bad weather or water restrictions, I have no interest in using a rinse-less wash. Using that much OC ($$) and crumifying a dozen MF towels is not a convenient or enjoyable way of washing a car, IMO. I've tried ONR...it works as advertised and is cheap to use, but I just can't get into using it exclusively. The body panels get washed quickly, but cleaning dirty wheels and wheel wells with a combination of towels and brushes is a pita - not to mention door jams and crevices. Plus, I'd always be thinking about possible marring. I would rather do a full traditional wash.



On the other hand, for mobile detailers or those without water access, I can certainly see the benefits of a rinse-less wash.
 
the only thing i don`t get at opti-clean is that doesn`t clean from windows as easy as ONR.

to be more precise i get more strikes on windows when i wash with opti-clean than onr . Yes the windows are clean separate after wash with 2 towels and window cleaner.
 
CosminTX said:
the only thing i don`t get at opti-clean is that doesn`t clean from windows as easy as ONR.

to be more precise i get more strikes on windows when i wash with opti-clean than onr . Yes the windows are clean separate after wash with 2 towels and window cleaner.
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OOC is loaded with polymers and thus the streaking on windows. I give it a fast wipe just to get the dirt off and then use a window cleaner with a ww glass towel.
 
RobD said:
Personally, unless absolutely necessary due to bad weather or water restrictions, I have no interest in using a rinse-less wash. Using that much OC ($$) and crumifying a dozen MF towels is not a convenient or enjoyable way of washing a car, IMO. I've tried ONR...it works as advertised and is cheap to use, but I just can't get into using it exclusively. The body panels get washed quickly, but cleaning dirty wheels and wheel wells with a combination of towels and brushes is a pita - not to mention door jams and crevices. Plus, I'd always be thinking about possible marring. I would rather do a full traditional wash.



On the other hand, for mobile detailers or those without water access, I can certainly see the benefits of a rinse-less wash.
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Keep in mind that the way I used it for my post isn't really it's intended purpose. It's meant to be used more in the way of a conventional QD. As a "Quick Detailer" on a lightly dusty/dirty surface. Don't think it's really intended to take the place of a real car washing. I tired to make that clear in my post, but I guess I didn't stress that enough. Yeah, it's *way* to expensive to use as a car wash, and it isn't intended be used as one. I only used it this way to really put it to the test.
 
SuperBee364 said:
Keep in mind that the way I used it for my post isn't really it's intended purpose. It's meant to be used more in the way of a conventional QD. As a "Quick Detailer" on a lightly dusty/dirty surface. Don't think it's really intended to take the place of a real car washing. I tired to make that clear in my post, but I guess I didn't stress that enough. Yeah, it's *way* to expensive to use as a car wash, and it isn't intended be used as one. I only used it this way to really put it to the test.
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Your post was clear, I understood. However, since OC is advertised as a waterless wash (you proved that it can be used that way, if desired), some people buying this product may intend to use it as a car wash. I based my opinion with that in mind. It's an interesting product though, thanks for the review.
 
I carry OOC it in the trunk instead of a traditional QD... for bird bombs and bugs..

I also like misting OCC on my wheels when I dry them after washing..
 
So I got a chance to try out Opticlean. It seemed to work ok, definitely a little slow to dry, but perhaps it was the humidity. My thoughts are, it smells and feels just like ONR only a different color. I know its supposed to contain different polymers, but it just feels like ONR at double QD strength.
 
It is indeed much glossier and slicker than ONR, even at QD strength. It leaves the paint pretty slick.



I used it again, and I have come to the conclusion that Opticlean is great if you can not use ONR or a regular wash. With liberal use, I don't see any marring occurring on a reasonably clean car (figure 1 week without a wash). The big gotcha for me is that it takes longer to use this stuff than it does ONR and the results aren't as good. I got lots of streaking on the windows, some on the paint. Cleaning ability is not as good as ONR. If I was doing the carshow thing, this stuff would be great. This is probably what most people should be using instead of a QD when "dusting" their car. For a wash, I'll stick with ONR.
 
So how would it compare to other QD's since this is a car duster ???



Dan said:
It is indeed much glossier and slicker than ONR, even at QD strength. It leaves the paint pretty slick.



I used it again, and I have come to the conclusion that Opticlean is great if you can not use ONR or a regular wash. With liberal use, I don't see any marring occurring on a reasonably clean car (figure 1 week without a wash). The big gotcha for me is that it takes longer to use this stuff than it does ONR and the results aren't as good. I got lots of streaking on the windows, some on the paint. Cleaning ability is not as good as ONR. If I was doing the carshow thing, this stuff would be great. This is probably what most people should be using instead of a QD when "dusting" their car. For a wash, I'll stick with ONR.
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Try OC on your interior. It works surprisingly well for lite cleaning and doesn't streak up brite work. One of my favorite products.
 
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