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  1. Not sure I'd call this a tutorial (a little pompous) but I wanted post my first experience with V5 ONR and Ultra Ceramic Seal. My test car is a 2001 BMW Z3 (my personal Garage Queen) - it was lightly dirty, mostly dust & pollen. I did my usual 2 bucket mixture of V5 ONR (1 oz in 2 gallons and .5 oz in 2 gallon rinse bucket), with a Big Red Sponge/Ultimate Drying Towel. On first impression I thought V5 was thicker than V4, more like Opti-Coat NR. The smell is the same, slightly medicinal (Opti-Coat is more floral to me). When shaken, V5 foamed much more than V4, ironic because in general ONR doesn't foam, much to the frustration of people who love foam cannons. I didn't see any difference in cleaning power or release of dirt from my sponge (Dr G states better release in a benefit of V5 - but it's hard to quantify). Another characteristic is supposed to be V5 slickness, but because I used Ultra Seal as a drying aid immediately, I couldn't test. Ultra Ceramic Seal comes in the traditional Optimum bottle/sprayer, not the Opti-Coat style. I found the sprayer easier to modulate and used much less product than Hyper Seal. Ultra worked well as a drying aid and looked great (still does). The most obvious quality was slickness (I know gloss, shine, slickness, etc are very hard to compare) - I felt the improvement was tangible...and continues today, 7 days later. Hydrophobics were top notch. This week I'll be washing another car and this time will experiment - one half original ONR/Hyper Seal, one half V5 ONR/Ultra...or maybe I'll mix & match and really confuse us all?
    6 points
  2. I promised the Optimum Forum to do a product comparison of Hyper Seal and Ultra Ceramic: Last weekend I washed/detailed 2 cars. The first was washed with ONR (5th revision) and Ultra Ceramic Seal was used as a drying aid. No problems and Ultra went on easily with no streaking. This car had Opti-Coat Pro applied 8+ years ago, but it's still present. The 2nd car washed with ONR V5, then 1/2 had Ultra Ceramic applied as drying aid and the other Hyper Seal (new version). This car has had a graphene coating applied (2 years ago) and has regular Hyper Seal applications. There was no difference in application ease or streaking. Observations - I see no difference in gloss or shine - I used a spotlight and bright sunlight. Truthfully I frequently don't see differences some point out and question the power of suggestion...or could be old eyes? There was a tangible difference in slickness - Ultra was noticeably slicker (made Hyper feel almost grabby in comparison). Both bead water but Ultra's were smaller. Also, when old version Hyper Seal was sprayed on beads, they disintegrate (used to demo that), but the new formula does not. Curious if that's an effect from ceramic components? When Ultra is sprayed on beads they disintegrate/sheet. That might indicate a difference in hydrophobics? I much preferred the Ultra sprayer, allowed better control of product applied. I will monitor which sheds dirt the best and durability (to the best of my ability).
    5 points
  3. I got my new truck in June of last year and wanted something that wasn't rinse, wash, rinse again then rush to dry it before the water spots. Its a full size truck so lots of surface area. Not sure how I found optimum products but it might have been Scottwax on youtube who I just saw is going to start making more videos, just did one a few weeks ago. I started out with the BRS, then I saw the UBS I wanted to try that as well. I could never get used to the UBS though, just seems a little to small for my hands. So anyway I started washing both of our vehicles weekly as it was just so easy. The only time I've used a power washer was to knock crud/mud/salt chunks off, other than that its only been pre spraying with ONR 256/1 in a IK 2 gallon pump sprayer. I'll usually use the pre spray from the belt line down and the front and rear bumpers (my gfs car attracts everything to the vertical surface of the trunk and the rear bumper). I did want to try some other wash media, I ended up using (and still do) the cyclone ultra wash mitt. I don't put my hand in it but is more comfy for me. I realized I kept dropping the BRS, I have atrophy in both arms and hands and honestly I don't know why wrapping my fingers around the BRS was harder than putting my hand on top of a mitt. I did try some other brands of rinseless. I think the worst was P&S Absolute, smelled and felt like body lotion to me. Also tried McKees N-914 as well as DIY Detail rinseless. For me the McKees and DIY Detail didn't have the slickness that ONR does. The way that DIY Detail foams up I feel like its soap but who knows, could just be me. The big difference was going from other brands one week and then using ONR again the next week and immediately feeling how much slicker it is, I don't want to say the others were grabby but they didn't feel as smooth and free flowing. Another thing with ONR, prespraying the panel allows the dirt to make its way down to the kick panels or bottom of the car. Both P&S and DIY stuck the panel. But here is the weird thing, after washing it, the liquid on the car does sit longer and doesn't evaporate as fast which is great for when you're drying. In the beginning I was using OPC for about a month getting the crud off of both our wheels. The OPC works great, I try to use it a few times during the winter to clean the fender liners with the optimum Wheel and Body Brush. After enough applications and using hyperseal I just clean the rims with ONR and foam OPC on the tires once a month. Dry with some hyperseal and the brake dust, dirt and grime just come right off the next time. I've been using optiseal or hyperseal as a drying agent from the beginning and love the ease of drying. In the fall and spring I also dry apply hyper seal before it gets to cold out, not sure if it does anything as I wash our vehicles weekly but it gives me some piece of mind. I was soooo sold on rinseless that June of 2023 I got by brother a full kit for his birthday as he had just got a new suv. I think I got him into cleaning his car more than twice a year and going through car washes. All in all I love ONR and the optimum line of products. Oh right thats the other thing, it takes so little time to wash you can do it in bright sun when its 90 or below freezing temps in the winter (my record is 18F)
    5 points
  4. Ron@Optimum

    SEMA ANNOUNCEMENTS

    SEMA 2023 begins at the end of October and Optimum will be introducing several new and/or upgraded products. A line of improved D/A machines will be displayed and updated takes on existing products will be announced. The modern OPT labels are already going into distribution and that will continue as the old labels are filtered out.
    5 points
  5. Ron@Optimum

    SEMA TEASER

    I've been tempted to mention the new and newly realized products in the sales funnel, but understood I had to wait until they are official. The announcements will be in the next few days and when I get the details, they will appear here! I can say that there are some new products and some re-positioned for improved marketing. A new line of polishers, both DA and rotary is coming and some will be cordless. Anyone watching will see that Optimum has introduced many new formula products in the last year, some substantial improvements, some more incremental. I can report that Dr G is incredibly engaged right now, paying attention to the industry, competition, and marketing. What once seemed a simple business has gotten very complex, with new manufacturers appearing monthly and taking chunks of the market, along with a huge increase in advertising. As one Optimum Regional Manager pointed out, poaching of employees AND customers is at new highs.
    4 points
  6. Optimum has been on a roll lately with new formulas - the technology keeps advancing! I remember thinking Hyper Seal was a Wonder product and it's been improved twice in the last 2 years. The hybrid formula not only lasts longer, but has greater hardness and chemical resistance.
    4 points
  7. Great welcome Another detailer gone to the dark side Ron lol. I went from optimum car soap to onr right away and have loved it. About 5 years now. Get the gloss coat on the car and all the other optimum products just look and perform better. My list Gloss coat great protection and gloss Onr a must Hyperseal protection love it The new ceramic wax goes on even at 4c so does hyperseal I just rotate through these products as a drying aid .
    3 points
  8. Ron@Optimum

    NEW PRODUCTS - 2023

    New products - not on web site yet, but can be ordered via phone or email (901-363-4955 and info@opticoat.com). There are 2 new cordless D/As (15mm and 22mm), a cordless Rotary and a corded Rotary. NO Optimum products are being discontinued.
    3 points
  9. I promised to do a comparison between Ultra and Hyper Seal, but life conspired to interrupt my schedule. First we had a World Class Hail Storm that damaged my home/area and introduced me to the new bane of my existence - insurance adjusters. Following has been a string of family & company visits (benefit of living at the lake)...and we have an army coming for the 4th. Finally the weather has alternated between hotter than h#ll and spot showers to ruin clean cars. I did detail my SILs Audi with Ultra and he was way impressed. Once the holiday are clear I'll get back on schedule...I promise.
    3 points
  10. Latest info from Dr G - Pro Coatings are dry to the touch in 1 hour, can get wet in 2-3 hours (particularly if Hyper Seal/Opti-Seal are applied), 90% hardness at 12 hours, and curing complete in 7 days.
    3 points
  11. Doctor G

    Polysilazane coating

    Greetings, Polysilazane resins have been around for over 20 years and we have tested them thoroughly against our SiC based resins and although they offer good protection, SiC resins that we use in our coatings offer better protection and greater longevity. As for Hyper Seal, the 2022 version has some SiC resin in it that requires about 30 minutes to fully cure, therefore you do not want to touch the surface during the curing process since it is tacky as you mentioned. Once it cures, it leaves a g slick and glossy finish with greater protection than any other sealants. Ultra Ceramic Seal (UCS) works great as a topper for Hyper Seal or any other wax or sealant and provides great gloss, slickness, and hydrophobicity.
    3 points
  12. This was a new combination, at least for me. Wanting to wash my car before a 10 hour drive for the holidays and due to single digit temps along with laziness, I decide to do an instant detailer clean up with a drying aid (car was not too dirty). I used the quick detailer ratio of No Rinse Wash & Wax and Ultra Ceramic Seal combination for the first time. Wash was fast and didn't require a second pass, and Ultra went on easy with no streaking/hazing. Car looked great, gloss was excellent and beading was outstanding (went through several storms). The whole process was so quick and easy, could become addictive.
    2 points
  13. New Optimum products announced today at SEMA - Optimum Interior Cleaner Optimum Interior Protectant Optimum Waterless Wash & Shine Optimum Power Wheel & Tire Cleaner Each is ready to use and has specific uses versus more generic Optimum products. Interior Cleaner is a much stronger cleaner and the Protectant more durable than Protectant Plus. Waterless is a growing market and Opti-Clean wasn't clearly aimed at that segment (many had no idea what it was). Wheel & Tire is specifically targeted for wheels/tires. These products are due to feedback from Amazon and sales numbers - most Optimum products could be diluted for multiple purposes, but today's customers want simplicity and no mixing. https://www.facebook.com/opticarcare?__cft__[0]=AZUfEvMxEbOt7QOwsfI-vlrCHo3RYFS6R8ji5rojbsnodm0rB_g6QrFQWaFg1F3rW81_GIqyWJCVFlmEBLiO4A3ydnSCj_hwSKkBa1dQT7tsKC2WZdkzkHdDmtN3bwnsKiGaC9wYWGp9ODTH6ruutJ3_3Wq0B7W7XydyocMOskJHX46kwYH0s2ypWRFNu0eAsfKvOsv3BEMpDbY9IXXHb0Ws&__tn__=-UC%2CP-y-R
    2 points
  14. I apply v2 like I would Gloss Coat or Opti-Seal. Last week I used the V2 HS at work. Boss wanted to ceramic coat his friends vehicle but we didn't have time to use the Xpel Fusion because takes forever to apply and remove. Also, the truck is black... But, since I had my rig with me, I decided to use the HS v2. I didn't want to use up my Gloss Coat on it, although last time I did, he gave me a SIGNIFICANT tip... I perfected my application technique on that truck last week, but as part of my experimentation, I came back the day after I applied the HS, and applied a second layer to the lower sections, from the windows down. I let the HS sit for too long in areas that I applied to heavily and was greeted with high spots. That was a big surprise. This stuff is LEGIT. I've used Hyper Seal on a number of cars for people close to me, to test the strength of the product. My cousin, a neighbor at my gf's place, my best friend's mom, and so far it's been performing better than expected. When I saw my cousin's vehicle at the family reunion, the gloss was off the charts. It stood out like a sore thumb.
    2 points
  15. From Dr G - "The new V5 No Rinse is far superior to the Version 4 or any other rinseless product. It has greater cleaning power, much greater lubricity making washing easier, and leaves minimal water behind making drying much faster and the towel glides over the surface far better than any other product due to the added lubricity. It also leaves a greater shine behind.
    2 points
  16. New formula Hyper Seal had increased ceramic components (adds to durability and hardness) and I'm sure creates more "solids", demanding better spray heads. The Doc is dedicated to making sprayable products like compounds/polishes, Ultra Seal/Hyper Seal, and that can cause issues with equipment.
    2 points
  17. I've heard before that letting the ONR dry to about 80% dry/20% moist makes it easier to towel dry. I normally will wash the entire car like I would using traditional soap inside my garage and then go around the entire car to dry I have not had any issues with streaking that way Sometimes I think we overdo it with the drying aids. I've stopped using one altogether, I was using Beadmaker and the Obsessed Garage Drying Aid and was noticing streaking on my dark paint cars. Now I just use ONRWW for the wash and proceed straight into drying with one gauntlet towel I'll then pull the car back out to the driveway to clean up the garage floor When I bring the car back into the garage a final time, if I'm trying to get the car especially spotless, I'll blow it off using a leaf blower and then go over the car one more time with a dampened microfiber towel
    2 points
  18. Opti-Seal and Wax have a small amount of Si02 that can be removed chemically with Power Clean or Paint Prep. Hyper Seal is a SiC/Si02 hybrid and would take multiple chemical applications to remove, but Hyper Polish would work with no issues. Setec, not sure why you have a problem with Hyper Seal, even an rookie like me can use it...
    2 points
  19. I haven't sampled the Ceramic Seal yet, but from what Dr G says, my guess is among sealants the hierarchy is Hyper Seal, Ceramic Seal, Opti-Seal, Car Wax for durability. Other characteristics are mostly subjective - hydrophobics, chemical resistance, shine, slickness, and hardness. Now that Dr G is back in country I'll get his input.
    2 points
  20. @Ron@Optimumused the 2nd gen hyper seal today on a new customers car. Regular ONR wash and used the Hyper Seal on a wet panel. 2 sprays into my drying towel to prime and a 1/4 pull of the trigger. The water was vanishing. I couldn’t believe it. I thought opti seal was a cheat code but this stuff rocks. The trigger sprayer stinks. I’ll be transferring into an old opti seal bottle.
    1 point
  21. Pre-spray is particularly helpful in removing bug guts, tar, sap, bird crap, etc - also works on tires/wheels and heavy dirt deposits on the lower panels. It begins to dissolve that stuff, making it easier to remove with the normal ONR wash.
    1 point
  22. ClassicTom

    New Member

    Hello all! New member here! Excited to have stumbled across this forum, just by searching for ONR products. Can hardly wait to read some pots and possibly contribute!
    1 point
  23. I've now used the new Waterless on 2 cars, so easy and with great results. I honestly didn't think I'd use these "retail" products but now see them as improvements over originals. Curious now about durability since Instant Detailer is short term stuff and comfortable it will out protect/last Opti-Clean.
    1 point
  24. I got a sample of the new Waterless Wash & Shine (not available from OPT yet). This product is designed to take advantage of a growing segment in car care - the true waterless category. Opti-Clean was introduced years ago and is an excellent waterless product, but one that never found a market. I've used it for years as a pre-spray/spot cleaner, and occasionally a stand alone product. Feedback from Amazon indicated waterless outsold rinseless by a large margin, so Dr G formulated a new entry. Optimum's Waterless is ready to use and the name describes what it is much better than Opti-Clean. Enough background - the car used for Waterless Wash & Shine test was unevenly dirty - upper section reasonably clean, but lower panels rain splashed. The vehicle was Opti-Coated 9 years ago, but the ceramic is still there. It's been maintained with ONR, Opti-Seal, Hyper Seal, and recently Ultra. Upper portions cleaned easily but a few lower panels required a second pass, not unusual for waterless. It was a very easy process and my wife commented on the shine, typical for this car that is red and really amps the ceramic coating. The Waterless fragrance seemed lightly like bubble gum and was pleasant. I didn't clean wheels/tires (saving them for new Wheel & Tire Cleaner) and I used Stoners on glass...some waterless are streaky on glass and I will test at a later date. IMO Opti-Clean is the stronger cleaner, but Waterless is idiot simple to use and has a place on car enthusiasts shelves.
    1 point
  25. Not a pad expert (I do very little polishing): White Waffle Pad - For recent model GM paint (specifically GM trucks I believe), Optimum created the White foam pad which is supposed to be light cut yet stiff foam composition. White waffle does not work well with Intensive Polish. Orange pad is more universal and works with all OPT Hyper polishes. Sealants - Opti-Seal, basic sealant with 2-4 months durability, only sealant recommended for interior use (others too slick). Ultra Ceramic Seal, 6 month durability and greater gloss. Hyper Seal, up to 1 year longevity, harder and more chemically resistant, but less shine. Tire Shine, a spray on product, Opti-Bond, a wipe on gel Wheel & Tire Cleaner is a foaming product specifically formulated and ready to use. Power Clean, an all purpose product that can be diluted for a variety of uses. Waterless Wash & Shine, a ready to use product in different sizes with more UV/hydrophobic properties. Opti-Clean has concentrated options needing dilution. The new products are more oriented to end users, already mixed and with singular purposes and descriptions.
    1 point
  26. First test of new Power Wheel & Tire Cleaner - another revised Optimum product, ready to use and with a simplified function. This is also Optimum's first purposely formulated foaming product. I tested it on 2 sets of tires with differing wheel design and degrees of dirt. Both sets have been treated with Tire Protection & Coating, but well over year ago and mostly gone. I sprayed WTC and let dwell for several minutes, it foamed and spread easily. I used a tire brush to agitate and could see the foam raising and trapping dirt to be removed with an old microfiber. The rinsing microfiber towels, soaked in ONR, were filthy, but the tires/wheels dried streak/free. I did a second application for fun. WTC breaks up brake dust, oil, dirt, and even light corrosion, is acid free and safe on all wheel surfaces. Cleaning brake dust and light corrosion is a bonus. Power Wheel & Tire Cleaner is a cleaner only, leaving no shine, and needs to be followed by a conditioner, either short term (Opti-Bond) or long (Tire Protection and Coating). This is a better tire/wheel cleaner than Power Clean, though Power Clean has greater variety of uses based on mixture, and the foaming aspect works really well on these surfaces.
    1 point
  27. Another new product designed to simplify cleaning, Interior Cleaner focuses the process for interior surfaces. Optimum has prided itself that it's products performed multiple functions, improving efficiency and reducing the investment. Those multi-functional products are still available, but OPT became aware that the general public gets confused by differing directions. As opposed to Protectant Plus, Interior Cleaner is just that, an interior cleaner, and it's name leaves no question of it's purpose. On the other hand, Protectant Plus is a light cleaner the coats/conditions leather, is hydrophobic and has UV protection. I tested Interior Cleaner on home leather furniture, spraying directly onto the surface and misting a quality microfiber towel (a soft bristled brush works as well). I agitated the solution, then wiped any residue/dirt because like ONR, this product encapsulates dirt. Interior Cleaner is definitely a stronger cleaner and has a slight Power Clean scent. I could tell from the microfiber it was taking off more dirt. I followed Interior Cleaner with Protectant Plus as a leather conditioner and spill protection. FYI, PP has a much nicer fragrance. Interior Cleaner should replace any stronger cleaning product for leather, plastic, vinyl, fabric, etc. Used in conjunction with Protectant Plus, Interior Cleaner will leave your car interior clean AND coated. My wife stated she could tell the difference on the sofa, it looked and felt cleaner, no sticky spots or dull leather.
    1 point
  28. Ron@Optimum

    OPTIMUM INTERIOR CLEANER

    They are very different products. Carpet & Fabric is concentrated, normal dilution is 1:3. Diluted 1:1, Carpet & Fabric strength is comparable to Interior Cleaner. Other differences, Carpet & Fabric contains coating for protection and comes in different sizes (8 oz, 32 oz, Gal), Interior comes Ready to Use in 17 oz and gallons. Interior Cleaner is part of Optimum's strategy to provide RTU products with single functions for efficiency. FYI, Interior is less expensive as well.
    1 point
  29. A&J

    NEW ONR COMBINATION

    You might wanna try a OPT waterless and UItra ceramic seal combo next time. I bet it will give more gloss.
    1 point
  30. My vehicle's 6 month old HyperSeal New Ceramic formula and Pro+ were affected by our recent winter storms such that they became sheeters instead of beaders. I washed them with gold ONR, followed by a synthetic clay decontamination towel and iron remover, followed by water rinse and then another ONR wash/wipedown. The beading came back.
    1 point
  31. I don't agree that Hyper Seal has poor hydrophobics, but you are welcome to double up to see if that works for you.
    1 point
  32. I saw that scottwax was starting to make newer videos. Decided to comment on a video and had said that its amazing what ONR will take off without issues. Ended up going back and forth and told him I'd make a video washing my truck after driving 75 miles through snow, sleet, ice and.... salt. I forgot a bunch of stuff in the video and I've never really made a video online for someone other than family. I watched it several times and thought this might be something that would help people be a bit more comfy with what ONR can do. I do wash our vehicles once per week or once every two weeks depending on the weather. Wasn't able to wash my truck until today, crappy weather mixed with aches and pains of snowblowing 1/2 mile of driveway on Sunday. Anyway this is my "attempt" at a video lol I might drive around next week "more snow" just to get it dirty again to try to explain some more stuff in another video. Little things like using the green brush for the front and rear bumpers, tires and wheels etc and why I don't go to the car wash and use a bay to blow all the salt off.
    1 point
  33. I just washed my car yesterday has been to cold and wet the last couple of weeks so the paint was nasty. I used my ik pro 12 sprayer with onr you can pressurize this thing to 60 psi . Sprayed the hole car then rinsed I got maybe half the dirt off. Another layer of onr then washed with microfiber wash mitts. Oid as drying aid the temperature was maybe 1c work great .
    1 point
  34. Sometime early last week or so I got both of my cars done with Green ONRWW. I followed that up with the spray car wax. One car is still glowing as it hasn’t been driven since. The other still holding up with the lack of rain. We had some and it is dull but the upper half is still shining.
    1 point
  35. I haven't been doing my share to keep information flowing. I have new products to sample and planned to test on my son-in-laws car over Christmas, but got sick and haven't recovered yet. I'm am very rarely ill and it SUCKS when it happens. Just before we traveled for the holidays I tried a new method - I used ONR in quick detailer mix, followed by Ultra Ceramic Seal. The car was pretty clean and the combination worked great... and was way easy/fast. More information to come -
    1 point
  36. I’m about to place my optimum order for the year and I’ll post back when it comes in!
    1 point
  37. Hey all, From the Sema show Livestream of the The Rag Company, there was a small interview with Dr. G on the new products. I'm especially curious on a statement made concerning the OPT Power Wheel & Tire Cleaner. It's at the following link from 1:09:50 onwards. So the choice was made for alkaline vs acid for wheel cleaning, since it's a lot safer. Can the Dr. G maybe elaborate on this? Is it safer for the enviroment, safer for the car, safer for the operator/user, or all of the above even maybe? Would love to know!
    1 point
  38. thank you for the detailed write up and supporting what many have reported - ease of use, variety of benefits, and the cumulative affect of using OPT products.
    1 point
  39. Was just googling this question today and came across this post. This will def be helpful once we start getting nasty weather here. Going to try an oz per gallon in ONR next week when I wash my truck.
    1 point
  40. I completely agree with Dr. G that HF wheel cleaners should not be sold to consumers, and I would argue that they shouldn't be used outside of a controlled industrial environment, meaning I don't think even a professional detailer should be using an HF based wheel cleaner if he's going to use it say, at a customer site. I guess it could be argued that if you use it in your detail shop, and you're hosing it all down the drain carefully after using, it could be used safely, but I would only want to use it, say in a sink where any effluent could be controlled. (And at this stage of my life, I don't want to use it at all) All that being said, there are other acid wheel cleaners that are non-HF, that work well. Arguably the availability of iron-eating wheel cleaners like FerreX may mitigate the need for an acid wheel cleaner. PS The whole subject of acid wheel cleaners is muddied by the use of ABF. I remember a detailer on another forum going ballistic when he found out his non-acid boutique wheel cleaner that worked so well was really an HF cleaner, but the boutique supplier thought/called it non-acid because ABF is a salt, not an acid...until you mix it with water to make a wheel cleaner and it becomes HF. PPS These arguments sometimes sound silly when people are exposed to dangerous chemical in the supermarket, things like bleach and drain cleaner and insecticides. And of course you can go on Amazon and buy concentrated H202 and vinegar (acetic acid). Not to mention the HF wheel cleaners on the shelf at Target and Walmart. Not to be long-winded but many years ago I was in the auto aisle in Target and it was at the end of a row, and they had a long carpet runner in front of it because I guess people would drop bottles of oil etc. and the floor would get slippery. So I'm looking at a bottle of wheel cleaner, and it's got HF or ABF in it, so I put it back. And I'm thinking I wonder if anyone ever dropped a bottle of this stuff on this carpet mat I'm standing on, that people's kids have probably crawled around on...
    1 point
  41. I will be getting samples of several of the new "retail" products soon - specifically Power Tire Cleaner, Interior Cleaner, and Waterless Wash & Shine. I'll be testing them and provide my thoughts...
    1 point
  42. It seems like the Protectant should really replace protectant plus. Pretty much all the time, I wipe down the interior with ONR towel first which does the cleaning, then follow it up with protectant plus for the protection. I hope Optimum ...optimizes their line up and not eventually fall into the Chemical Guys pattern of having 5 products that do the same thing.
    1 point
  43. Ron@Optimum

    OPC on PPF

    Yes, Power Clean is safe on ceramic coating AND film.
    1 point
  44. JoseG

    NEW PRODUCTS - 2023

    It’s definitely starting to creep into the public market. I’ve had a couple clients ask if I do rinseless to my surprise and we’re excited when I said yes. Everyone asks what I’m washing with when they see me working outside
    1 point
  45. Ron@Optimum

    NEW PRODUCTS - 2023

    Turtle Wax figured changing the bottle and dilution ratio would throw customers off...and they were mostly right. Their rinseless was more expensive but most never computed it. I found it funny when people said TW was better (or ONR was better) because they were the same. They didn't educate the masses on the rinseless technology and got pushback from ignorance. The product flopped and became a bargain basement deal (and yes, Big Lots still exist). Their chemist tried to reverse engineer Opti-Seal but never got it right - Dr G said that is much more difficult that TV makes it seem. I was consulting with Optimum then but Dr G asked me to sit in TW meetings to expand his "staff".
    1 point
  46. That's always been a tough needle to thread. Normally I would say it would be better to get product feedback from forums like this, but that's not a mass-market perspective (not to mention forums are dead). Rinseless is a difficult concept for the public; they understand a conventional car wash, and understand spraying a cleaner on something and wiping it off, but rinseless is a murky in-between that people don't understand. It also takes more equipment and setup (finding a bucket and a "sponge"). Turtle Wax for some unknown reason came out with a rinseless wash a few years ago (for one season), and even Meguiar's discontinued theirs some years ago, although that was a Detailer line product, not retail. I guess as a (sort-of) objective observer, I'd say the uninformed and finicky nature of the retail market is going to lead to a lot of SKU's, something which Dr. G refused to do with, say, the creme polishes. He's got to bear in mind when Turtle Wax misses with a product, it winds up on the clearance end cap at AutoZone or Walmart, or at Big Lots (is Big Lots still around?), not in the Optimum warehouse. Of course if Amazon owns it (the inventory), I guess it's the same as my earlier example. When Dr. G sobers up from his weekend in Vegas (KIDDING, JOKE, don't ban me!) I'm still interested in whether the new wheel and tire cleaner has anything in it making it better than OPC for that purpose.
    1 point
  47. Following up on what dlc95 asked, it's really unclear to me how these products fit into the line. In the TRC video that JoseG posted, Dr. G states these are RTU and available in 17oz and gallon sizes. Are these targeted more as consumer/retail products rather than professional/enthusiast? Does the waterless wash product replace Opti-Clean? Does the wheel and tire cleaner, other than the foaming properties, improve on OPC as far as wheel or tire cleaning?
    1 point
  48. Very true about getting the freshest product. As a long time Amazon buyer, I learned a long time ago to peruse the offerings to make sure the order is being fulfilled by Amazon, as the best way to avoid snafus. Although, to be fair, most of the orders fulfilled elsewhere seem to be more reliable than they were years ago, however it's always worth it to check the ratings of the specific supplier. But fulfilled by Amazon is pretty rock-solid, at least for me.
    1 point
  49. A new nominee for Most Original Use of an Optimum Product!
    1 point
  50. That is an excellent point, dlc95. Everyone has the product they like and a routine. I also put no stock in those who test products. Find a product youike and stick with it an master it is the best method. Not everyone details for profit. Some detail for therapy and they love taking an hour to soap wash their car. Personally, I don't want to have to work that hard. My 2014 Mazda 6 is coated with pro 3 and the interior is also coated with leather guard. 20 minute wash and 20 minute interior clean and I'm done...so easy. I have customers that love to slather armor all on their interior which makes cleaning the interior more difficult. They do that because they are either misinformed or uneducated. I offer coatings to everyone who walks in my doors because they are profitable but mainly because they will make clients lives easier.
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