Today was spring car detailing day. I thought I’d add some excitement and do a face-off between my 2 favorite detailing product makers.
For years I had stuck with Maguire’s and Mother’s. Not sure why, but they did a nice job on the black cars I owned in the past. But with all the innovation in car products, I thought it was time to try a few new ones. Check out my prior post here.
Chemical Guys and Griot’s have both impressed me so I thought I’d put them head to head and see who wins.
Prep
It’s cloudy and 64 degrees. Perfect weather for detailing.
I’m using my blue 2021 BMW 5 series as the test subject. It had a coat of Car Guys Butter Wax last fall. So it’s survived 5 months of New England winter since its last wax.
I started today with a full wash using Chemical Guys Snow Foam Auto Wash applied with a Chemical Guys Foam Gun.
Foam Gun
The jury is still out on the foam gun. I put 2 ounces of soap in, attach it to a hose and fire away. It creates a nice sudsy lather on the car and then I use a bucket with soap and water and a brush to go over the entire surface. And yes, I use a brush instead of a microfibre towel or mitt. I find it gets the gunk out better and is easier for old men to use. Less bending and stretching.
I’m not sure if the hassle of loading up the gun and pre-spraying is worth it since I’m using the bucket full of soapy water anyway. But it gives me something fun to do.
As far as foam guns v. cannons. The gun attaches to a garden hose. The cannon attaches to a compressor or a pressure washer. The cannon creates more foam and can also blow a Pinto onto the neighbor’s lawn.
The Test
I take my freshly washed car and I apply Griot’s products to the right and Chemical Guys to the left. Pretty simple. I’ll update the post periodically with observations.
Here are the products for today’s challenge:
Spray Wax
I’ve been on an SIO2 (a.k.a. ceramic) spray kick lately. After washing, I spritz it on and rub it off and it does a fantastic job of repelling dirt. The car stays cleaner and shinier. But today, I wanted to go back to spray wax and see if it performs any differently.
Griot’s
Griot’s goes on the driver’s side. We’ll start with the Best in Show Spray Wax.
I’ve read on other reviews that Griot’s Best in Show wax has the highest concentration of carnuba wax of all the spray waxes. That should be good. It is a little thicker and doesn’t go on as easily. I feel silly typing that last sentence. Remember putting paste wax on a car in the 70’s or 80’s. You’d need to take frequent breaks and couldn’t use your arms for the next 2 days. Today, I mist and wipe. A little bit more resistance with the Griot’s but I powered through.
Windows
One of my requirements while shopping was that I could use the product on glass. I like to spray everything. 2 reasons:
- My aim is not good so it’s going on the windows anyway
- More importantly, wax or ceramic on the windows prevents gunk and keeps the wipers moving quietly. Try it.
Tires
I love the look of shiny black tires. It makes such a difference. Especially on my car which kicks off a huge amount of brake dust. A nice shiny car with smudged brown/grey tires is a bummer. A little tire-black and the improvement is huge.
I’ve been using the Griot’s Long-Lasting Tire Dressing for a while. It goes on easy and lasts for months. I like that I only have to put it on a couple of times a year, not every wash.
I also use the applicator pad picture below. I tried aerosol sprays, but they got all over the car and the wheels. I tried pump-sprays but they didn’t seem to last. The Griot’s with the pad hits the sweet spot with looks, ease of application and limited ability for me to get it on things that shouldn’t have it.
Chemical Guys
Here’s our next contestant.
We start with the Blazin’ Banana Spray Wax. It smells like banana. I like it but could turn people off.
The product is noticeably lighter than the Griot’s spray wax. It wipes off easy. It also doesn’t streak as much. Up close, I can see some streaks with the Blazin’ Banana, but I see lots more with the Griot’s.
Full disclosure, I am using a clean microfibre cloth for this step. I did not mix products on the same cloth. I also am not using my cordless Worx power buffer.
I suspect the power buffer would have removed more of the streaks. We’ll try this next time.
Tires
On to the tires. I’m using Chemical Guys VRP – Vinyl – Rubber – Plastic Protectant. It goes on white and thick v. the thin and clear Griot’s Tire Dressing.
Here’s a comparison. Griot’s on the left, Chemical Guys on the right.
You can see the white chunks in the treads on the right. Also, to me, the Griot’s seems to be a bit shinier.
Wrap-Up
Here are a couple of after shots.
The car looks great. I really can’t see any noticeable differences on the left v. right. I’ll keep an eye on this over time and update you with my comparisons of the Chemical Guys products v. Griot’s.