Car wash thickness air bubble test and comparison

[ClearlyCoated]

I've seen several threads here and on a couple of other forums asking about which car wash is best or the favorite among members. Many people responding to these threads frequently cite the lubricity of a car wash liquid as an important deciding factor.

Yesterday while at Pep Boys, and later at Target, I conducted a very simple and unscientific car wash test. For lack of a better name, I'll just call it the air bubble test and comparison. I just walked down the shelves loaded with various brands of car wash (including Megs Gold Class and NXT), picked up the bottles and simply inverted the bottle. I made a mental note of the time it took the air bubble to rise to the top which is indicative of the car wash shampoo's thickness.

It would be more scientific if I conducted the test with a stop watch, but I'm not that AR. Anyway, my unofficial results:

1. Meguiars Gold Class Shampoo
2. TurtleWax Ice Car Wash
3. Mothers California Gold
4. NXT Generation Car Wash
5. Zymol

All the others tested after these 5 were very thin, the air bubble rose to the top of the bottle almost instantaneously. In no particular order...

Armor All
Simoniz
Blue Coral
Pep Boys
a few other brands

Is lubricity tied in with the thickness of the car wash? I think there has to be a connection.

[Carfire]

Re: Car wash thickness air bubble test and comparison

Sounds like a Good Test!!
I am interested in the results!!

[cnfowler]

Re: Car wash thickness air bubble test and comparison

I don't think that thickness would be a good determination of the lubricity of the car wash. In my totally unprofessional opinion, that's like saying a certain product is better because it is more expensive. Again, just my opinion.

Colin

[Tuck91]

Re: Car wash thickness air bubble test and comparison

I have noticed Gold Class Shampoo and NXT Car Wash are pretty thick, while Soft Wash Gel and Deep Crystal Car Wash are more on the thin side. But i do not think thickness has to do with lubricity, maybe only a little bit, but i dont know.

[dragonballz]

Re: Car wash thickness air bubble test and comparison

I believe the thickness has to do with the concentration. The more concentrated MIGHT mean it has more lubricity, only because there is more soap to water ratio.

[Bostonsfavson]

Re: Car wash thickness air bubble test and comparison

Is lubricity tied in with the thickness of the car wash? I think there has to be a connection.

Why do you think that? IMO, that premise is flawed. The concentration and composition of the detergent (two determinants of the viscosity of the substance) will have a profound impact on the lubricity of it. However, the lubricity itself does not depend on the viscosity of the detergent. Although there may be a correlation, this does not imply causality.

Case in point: Optimum No Rinse, which, while not a "conventional" car wash, has lubricating properties equal than or far exceeding the car washes you mention, while having an almost water-like consistency.

[miahjohn]

Re: Car wash thickness air bubble test and comparison

does thickness=quality? I would have to think thickness has something to do with lubricity but bostonsfavson makes sence too.

[the other pc]

Re: Car wash thickness air bubble test and comparison

Does higher viscosity automatically mean greater lubricity?

Well, try this experiment:

Rub a high viscosity liquid like say, drywall joint compound on a fender.

Then rub a lower viscosity liquid next to that. Mobil 1 0W-40 would be a good choice.

See which lubricates better.


pc.

[Andrew C.]

Re: Car wash thickness air bubble test and comparison

PC Wouldn't the test have to be between two oils, not separate products?

If you took two different brand oils and one had a higher viscosity than the other, wouldn't the higher viscosity one lubricate better?

[Murr1525]

Re: Car wash thickness air bubble test and comparison

PC Wouldn't the test have to be between two oils, not separate products?

If you took two different brand oils and one had a higher viscosity than the other, wouldn't the higher viscosity one lubricate better?

No, viscosity describes how easily a liquid flows. Think of a rock as very viscous.

Lubrication is how something lets two surface slide past each other.

The fact that we are talking about products that need diluting also throws in another variable.

---

In my answer above, you'll notice I said two identical products, one thicker and one more watered down in the bottle. There are a lot more variables than that when comparing Meguiars soaps, to Mothers, ONR ,etc.

[Eddie6th]

Re: Car wash thickness air bubble test and comparison

I've found all the Meguiar's shampoo's to be thick. Soft Gel I thought was a bit thicker,maybe being gel?
I like all of the Meguiar's shampoos and am not too fussy about which one.

As far as other brands go,I've tried Simoniz in the past,Arexons and Sonax. They were more fluid,but they where fine. If there was any inferiority....I don't know?