22 Product Manufacturers Sites
Locate Manufacturer of car cleaners, waxes, polishes and protectants. Most sites offer car care tips, catalogs, paints, cleaners and protection products for your car. All prices quoted are close estimates according to the specific manufacturer. updated 11-22-01
Remember how proud you felt when your shiny new car brought admiring glances from passers-by. If lately your car has been turning heads...away, maybe it's time for a good wash and wax to get your car or truck looking (almost) as good as new again.
Washes
It's a hot, sunny day, so you decide to wash the car in the driveway. Well, think again. Washing in direct sunlight is not recommended. This is not only to prevent water spots, but also to protect against surface damage. Water left on the car can act as a lens-much like a magnifying glass-to concentrate the sun's rays and damage your car's finish.
Don't use dish soap on your car, it's too harsh (being designed primarily to remove grease and fat). Car wash solutions are pH balanced to remove dirt and grime without stripping away protective wax. All of the wash products tested claim to be safe to use on clear coat paints. (Simoniz products are sold as Blue Coral products in the United States).
Simoniz Gel Car Wash says it cleans, conditions and adds paint protection with teflon. This is a low-foaming formulation, so you won't see many bubbles. It did a good job of cleaning, overall. The rinse water will bead to indicate the presence of a teflon coating left on the surface to help repel future grime, tar, or bird droppings. Because of this beading action, you'll need to towel or chamois dry to prevent water spots. One bottle costs about $10 and is good for 20 uses (all figures are in Canadian dollars).
Prestone Bullet Wash is an "intense foam concentrated formula" that cleans 20 cars per $7 bottle. Use this stuff if you want fun home videos of couples playfully splashing each other with foam as they wash the car. (Sorry, I couldn't resist the cliché.) This product does a good job of cleaning, but it also tends to leave heavy water spots unless you towel or chamois dry after washing.
Rain-X "Dry Magic" Spot-free Wash delivers 5 uses per $8 bottle. This rich, foaming solution cleaned as well as the others tested and, best of all, is self-drying. Use a soft flow of water-not a spray-to rinse each section of the car as it is washed. Direct the flow over the entire vehicle when done to activate the self-drying process. The water sheets away to eliminate most water spots. This is a great timesaver, especially if you hate drying. You may still want to hand dry windows, chrome, and plastic surfaces for best results. Rain-X also makes a windshield water repellent that applies like a wax (rub on, buff), and the Rain-X line of premium washer fluids contains a special polymer additive that provides a water dispersant windshield coating without any effort (other than filling the washer reservoir).
Knight's Suds 'N Glo is a professional product designed for use in automatic washes. It works equally well in the driveway. A 3.78 L jug of Suds 'N Glo sells for $24, but is good for a whopping 125 uses. The rinse water sheets off to discourage water spotting and the fluorescent wash formula seems to leave some colour behind-making cars appear "brighter than bright." This effect is most pronounced on a white car. The highly concentrated solution may require a bit more rinsing than with other products, but this wasn't a major concern.
All of the wash products tested did an acceptable job. Some stubborn sap and road tar spots did require special solvents to remove and chrome bumpers, though clean, benefitted greatly when specialized cleaners and/or polishes were applied.
What about wash tools? Simoniz offers premium wash mitts made of genuine Australian sheepskin ($15) or pure virgin wool ($11.50) that it claims will not scratch delicate surfaces. Basic nylon wash mitts typically sell for $6 to $10.
Many prefer using broom-type wash brushes. As long as you dip frequently-as you would with any brush, sponge, or mitt- to rinse off any abrasive dirt or sand that may be picked up, scratches shouldn't be a problem. Long-handled brushes allow you to clean without constant bending, saving your back from fatigue. The green-bristle wash head from Burgess Chemical has a large surface area to finish the job quickly and, at $18, costs less than many of it's smaller counterparts. It's available from professional auto parts outlets, such as UAP. You'll also need a wooden broom handle ($1 to $4) or a flow-through handle ($10).
What is the cheapest wash product to use? Water. Of course it won't clean as well as with any of the wash fluids, doesn't do much for stubborn stains, leaves nasty water spots if you don't towel dry, and may be more prone to scratching (as detergents tend to lift dirt away from the surface). But, using plain water and a flow-through brush does a reasonable job of cleaning. After all, it is your elbow grease that actually gets rid of most of the dirt; the wash solutions just aim to make the task a little easier. In Canada, Simoniz and Rain-X products are available at Canadian Tire. Knight's products are available at auto parts outlets, such as UAP and Canadian Tire. Prestone Bullet Wash is sold at Zellers and some Home Hardware stores. Prices and availability may vary by store and location.
According to studies conducted by the Canadian Tire Corporation, most consumers walk into the car wax and cleaner section without a specific product in mind. To help you make an informed selection, We've tried out a number of popular, brand-name waxes and cleaners over the past few months. Here’s how they performed in real-world testing.
Waxes
Knight’s Show Room Shine ($12) comes from the makers of Spray 9, one of the top selling hard-surface cleaners of all time (see below). Show Room Shine is a thick, liquid wax which you wipe on, wait 30 seconds for it to dry, and then wipe off (do not apply in direct sunlight). It’s that easy, and it leaves an admirable shine—without any buffing. The deep lustre lasts for up to six months.
Blue Crystal ($12) is not a wax, but a polymer sealant. As such, it is the only product in this category that can be applied in the sun (the surface should be cool to the touch, though). We like this product. It applies easily, in the same manner as Show Room Shine, and lasts up to a year. Also, you can finish an entire car with only two cloths (an applicator and a wiper). When your wiping cloth becomes saturated, just give it a shake to get rid of the powder residue and continue on.
Prestone Bullet Wax ($15) comes with an "ergonomic foam applicator designed to reduce hand fatigue" (otherwise known as a fancy sponge). To be fair, the applicator was included at no extra cost and it was useful. It’s especially handy for detail work and edges. Bullet wax leaves a nice shine, but you’ll need to have plenty of rags on hand because it does clog them quickly. Give the product a few minutes to dry before wiping, or else you’ll be working harder than you have to. Also, a final finishing buff of the entire vehicle using a clean rag helps bring out the full lustre.
Simoniz Pure (premium liquid wax) contains pure carnauba and claims to form a "super-slick protective barrier with superior beading properties to repel rain and protect paint." It also contains a suncreen to prevent dulling of your car’s finish. A sponge applicator is provided. At $17 per bottle, this was the most expensive wax product tested but, arguably, provided the best shine of the bunch (they all worked about equally well in our opinion, but others disagreed). Overall, we liked Simoniz Pure. It should appeal to those who swear by carnauba, but don’t like the high degree of effort involved with paste waxes.
Simoniz Jet Wax ($8) comes in a trigger bottle and is designed for quick touch-ups between wax jobs. This is basically a less dense wax formula which spreads easily and wipes off quickly. It is intended as a supplement to regular waxes only and does a fair job in this capacity.
Tires and Rims
Tires don’t really need to be cleaned or polished, but then again, slick black tires do look pretty cool. For best results, We suggest you use a sponge or rag to spread out and soak up any excess solution that could otherwise spin-off and stain the side of the car.
Black Magic "Tire Wet" Foam Mousse ($10) gets top marks for ‘awesome, wicked shine.’ This product sprays on much denser than other foam-type cleansers, and leaves tires with the wet-look for weeks.
Knight’s Total Look ($9) comes in a trigger-spray bottle. It left a great shine on tires and vinyl, and even managed to clean up my dirty mudguards. Total Look is also a highly effective whitewall cleaner. Scrubbing is not required for tires.
Simoniz Tire Care ($9) worked well, but apply it liberally or a leopard-spot pattern tends to appear. I’d say it leaves more of a polite shine than a ‘wicked’ one. Tire Care is good if you want clean without the gloss.
Simoniz Ultra-Protectant with UV inhibitors ($8) is a no-water formula for vinyl, rubber, or plastic. This is the Simoniz product to use for a blinding, nasty shine on tires. (Look for low-gloss vinyl sprays if you prefer a less-reflective finish on your dash.)
Knight’s Brake Dust Remover ($7) is for wheels, rims, and hubcaps. It claims to safely clean all metal and plastic wheel surfaces. We have used it as a ‘lazy man’s chrome polish’— just spray on, brush, and rinse for shiny bumpers or rims in an instant.
Simoniz Rim Cleaner ($8) is marketed as a no-touch, spray on/hose off product. It removes most of the grime, but we suggest scrubbing the wheels anyway to get them really clean.
General Cleaners
Knight’s Spray 9 ($7) is an all-purpose hard-surface cleaner/disinfectant which can be used all around the car—inside and out—from dash to tires. Spray 9 can be found in most professional repair shops (and hospitals) and has a multitude of uses.
Charlie’s Soap ($7) is a biodegradeable, environment-friendly, general purpose cleaner. It worked well on the dash and carpets, and is also pretty useful for tough, household cleaning jobs.
Knight’s Glass and Stainless Steel Cleaner ($5) is an institutional strength product that even cleans stubborn grime, like cigarette smoke residue, from glass surfaces.
Simoniz Dri-Clean ($7.50) is an upholstery and carpet cleaner that can be used on wool, nylon, or synthetics. Just spray on, rub, wait 15 minutes, then wipe or vacuum away. Dri-Clean is sold as a liquid spray or an aerosol foam.
Simoniz Leather Cleaner ($8) helps restore original colour and lustre by removing "oils and other common soils that can dull leather upholstery." Simply apply, rub, then buff lightly. This product did a good job and it doesn’t leave behind a chemical odour like other cleaners I’ve tried. Simoniz products are sold under the Blue Coral name in the US. In Canada, Simoniz and Black Magic products are available at Canadian Tire. Knight’s products are available at auto parts outlets, such as UAP, and Canadian Tire. Prestone Bullet Wax is sold at Zellers and some Home Hardware stores (which also carries Charlie’s Soap). Prices and availability may vary by store and location. See Sites Below.
Updated 11-20-01
Auto Ease - Distributor of Liqui-Tech car and motorcycle finishing products. Read the step-by-step detailing instructions.
Blue Ribbon Automotive Products - A Complete Line of Car Care and Household Products.
Burgess Chemical - Now an easy One-Step Application Removes and Prevents Oxidation!
Shore Chemical Company - Automotive Products - Waxes - Automotive Maintenance Products. Waxes. Armor & Shield Dressing. A silicone based coating for plastics, rubber, finished leather, vinyl.
Carnauba Creme Wax - Automotive Waxes from Blue Ribbon - Blue Ribbon offers on of the most complete lines of automotive and household cleaning and care products available while maintaining a high standard.
Autodetail.com - Car care supplies like Zymol waxes, zymol, meguiars, lexol, 3m, meguiers. All your auto detailing products.
Red-Line - Automotive Detailing - Red-Line is the search engine for the automotive industry. Information on anything from engineering and auto sales, to nascar and the automotive.
TargetOneTM Automotive Detailing Products - CarCleen Concentrated Car Wash. Concentrated, premium car wash for all automotive finishes.
Mothers Polishes - Manufacturers of car polishes, waxes and cleansers offers FAQs and car care tips, free classifieds and contests.
3M Car Care Products - Waxes, glazes and other specialty products to help you care for your car. With FAQs on car care and a toll-free number to find your nearest supplier.
Armor All - Catalog of paints, cleaners and protection products for your car. With car care tips Q&A and a fully interactive quiz.
Blue Coral - Manufacturer of car cleaners, waxes, polishes and protectants offers car care tips.
Zymol - Full-color product manual, downloadable screensaver, promotions and contests, and online shopping cart, from this car care product company.
Armaguard Coatings - Learn about the many uses of polyurethane coating, including truck-bed lining and waterproofing. Find out how to become a distributor.
Turtle Wax - Learn how to detail you car from start to finish. Contains a catalog of waxes and polishes, cleaners, engine treatments and protectants. (site uses frames)
Buffalo Milke Automotive Polishing - Presents a collection of products for maintaining a vehicles finish. Find items like polish, dusters and cleaning towels.
Blackwax - Find out more about car care products designed for black and dark colored cars. Online ordering.
AutoSupermarket.com - Presents a comprehensive collection of car care products such as waxes, cleaners and polishes. Also, find sparkplugs, motor oil and light bulbs.
Lexol - Learn about Summit Industries' line of automotive leather care products, as well as the Vinylex line for vinyl, rubber and plastic.
Wax Depot - Retailer of car waxes, polishes and automobile care accessories also provides a chat room and waxing tips.