A substitute for washing your car?
Written: Aug 19 '04 (Updated Aug 20 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good for spot cleaning.
Cons: Price, performance.
The Bottom Line: These wipes are great for spot cleaning, however if you want a quick fix for a dirty car I suggest looking elsewhere.
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| shoplmart's Full Review: Armor All Car Wash Wipes |
When it comes to exterior car care I have rapidly progressed into a lazy car owner, I just don't have the time to wash and wax my vehicle for hours on end like I once did. Paying upwards of 10 dollars to have someone wash my car every week, well, that is just not going to happen either. I purchased a box of Armor All Car Wash Wipes in hopes that it would allow me to clean my car as quickly and effectively as possible. Can a just washed shine really be packed into a few Armor All Wipes?
The Product:
Armor All Car Wash Wipes is a product that's designed to clean and shine the exterior of your vehicle when it's not dirty enough to give it a full bath. These wipes come in a sealable pouch and contain a total of 10 large 13" by 15" disposable wipes which are pre moistened with Armor All's cleaning solution. Armor All claims that these clear coat safe wipes will leave no water spots and requires absolutely no drying. In addition to these claims, Armor All states that your car will have a beautiful shine in half the time it would take to wash your vehicle with soap and water.
My Experience:
I have been pleased with most of the Armor All wipe collection. From the Glass Wipes to the Leather Wipes, I have found these products to be both convenient and effective. Unfortunately, however, the Armor All Car Wash Wipes have not been as impressive.
I own a relatively small vessel; a 1996 Grand Prix. When my car is only slightly covered in dust, it takes at least 4 of these large 13" x 15" wipes just to achieve an acceptable result. If you own a large vehicle, or have not cleaned your vehicle for some time, you will probably need to use quite a bit more of these wipes, if not the entire package of 10.
A huge problem with these wipes are the streaks that get left behind. Instead of enjoying a beautiful shine in half the time as Armor All suggests, I ended up chasing the mess that the first wipe created with more wipes. This can result in much more time and elbow grease than just washing my car with soap and water. The end result that I have received when using these wipes has been a waxy haze that I end up having to go over with a damp wash cloth.
Armor All Car Wash Wipes have not only proved to be ineffective on my car's paint but are equally as inefficient on the windows. Dust that had accumulated on the windows just smeared when using this product instead of making them clean as I had anticipated.
Armor All Car Wash Wipes do come in handy at times. For example, if a bird decides to use my car as a toilet, these wipes do a great job cleaning up the mess very quickly, but then again so would a wet wash cloth or even a baby wipe. At almost 50 cents per car wash wipe, this makes spot cleaning pretty expensive considering the equally effective alternatives.
If there are any advantages with going with the Armor All Car Wash Wipes versus cleaning your car conventionally, it would be the fact that you can clean your car almost anywhere with these wipes. These wipes come is a very glove box friendly package so they are great for traveling. I have also used these wipes on my plastic interior and carpet when spills occur. Armor doesn't state that these wipes should be used on the interior, however they seem to do a much better job cleaning spills and wiping up small areas of dust on my dash than cleaning the exterior of my car. The smell is also light and pleasant, so it doesn't end up making the interior of my car smell like chemicals.
Price and Availability:
Armor All Car Wash Wipes are widely available. These wipes can be purchased at almost any large discount or automotive store, i.e., AutoZone. The product runs for around $4.99 at most retail automotive stores, however I have seen them as low as $3.99 at K-Mart or Wal-Mart. I purchased 2 boxes of my Armor All Car Wash Wipes at a clearance price of $1.50 each at Kragens Auto Parts. Apparently this particular store got so many complaints that they were no longer going to carry the product.
Final Thoughts:
Due to the inflated price, the stingy amount of wipes that come in one pack, and the poor performance of this product, I highly suggest just going with a conventional car wash or a car wash that contains a wax. A great product that washes and waxes your vehicle is Rain X Wash Wax ($4.99) which contains Carnauba Beads. Using these types of conventional car wash systems are equally as fast, more effective, and much cheaper in the long run than using Armor All Car Wash Wipes. If dust is an issue in your area and you need a quick fix, then I suggest using a quality exterior car duster instead.
Thanks for reading.
Recommended:
No
Ease of Application: Poor; takes some time to apply and shine
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