All quick detailer is supposed to do is be a lubricant for your cloth when it's wiping away dust. Some manufacturers add trace elements of carnauba or synthetic sealant to help a little in the protection area, and chemicals that give a little shine to the paint.
But quick detailer isn't supposed to "remove grime" or unclog the kitchen sink. Check out the MDMS report on quick detailers and you'll see surprisingly little goes into making most of them.
Here's the MDMS report for 3M's "Perfect It Gloss Enhancer" quick detailer:
60-100% water
0.5-1.5% carnauba
0.1-1.0% 2-Butoxyethanol
less than 0.1% isopropyl alcohol
I did't know what 2-Butoxyethanol was, so I looked online:
"2-Butoxyethanol is widely used as a solvent in protective surface coatings such as spray lacquers, quick-dry lacquers, enamels, varnishes, and latex paints. It is also used as an ingredient in paint thinners and strippers, varnish removers, agricultural chemicals, herbicides, silicon caulks, cutting oils, and hydraulic fluids. It has other uses in metal cleaners, fabric dyes and inks, industrial and household cleaners (as a degreaser), and dry-cleaning compounds. It is also used in liquid soaps and in cosmetics. "
I use a quick detailer when my car is too dirty to be clean, but too clean to be dirty. Meaning, it's a little dirty/dusty, but not enough to warrant a complete wash down with soap and water.
By using a California (or OXO) car duster and quick detail every day, and you can go weeks without washing your car. Which is where it comes into helping folks with water restrictions.
Naturally, we all live in different environments so it's really up to the user to decide where the quick detailer line stops, and the soap and bucket line begins.
