Waterless Clean with Greased Lightening

[willskoda]

For those of you who don't know I live in a flat in the city centre of Leeds. I have no garage or parking space. My car lives about 10 minutes away in an warm and dry - but dusty - archway. I have no access to water or electricty and as I don't drive the car very often (the last time was early July) my car sits there collecting dust. By now this layer of dust is quite thick - thick enough to make it look as if your driving through fog! Now where possible I take the car back to my parents to give it a proper clean with water etc etc but I have to face facts that I need something else in my arsenal to help keep the white beast clean and shiny. So - having watched Ideal World bang on about Greased Lightening's Showroom Shine time and time again I finally decided to take the plunge and buy some. Now I know some of you will say that there is no way you would use this stuff and that there are also probably other similar and less expensive products on the market that claim to do the same but I thought "what the hell" and bought some anyway and for those who are interested I would then do a little review.

So here goes.

I first decided to test this product out on our Ka, as it's old, and not worth more than about a tenner - oh and it's not mine it's hers! I should probably say that although the Ka is a little shabby in places I have given it a machine polish and a coat of Turtle wax so it is already protected and shiny to some extent. Anyway. The car was a little dusty and had some water spray marks around the bottom half. The SS comes in a litre bottle with a spray nozzle. Not the most ergonomic of nozzles or the easiest to contrrol the flow but after a few tweaks I found it sprayed the product on the car effectively. So I just sprayed a mist of the SS on to the body and glass (not the windscreen - although I did have wee problem with spray finding it's way on anyway). I then wiped each pannel down with a MF cloth. I could see that the dirt was being collected from the body and onto the cloth. I continued this all the way around the car. Now the car had a dullness to it from the product hazing over - much like a polish or wax. I then buffed this off to a shine. I have to say it was incredibly easy to buff off. Effortless. I was pleased with the finish too - I could feel a smoothness to the body work - the type of smoothness you get from a wax - and it was nice and shiny. According to Ideal World it said I could use this on all trim - the Ka has black bumpers that have faded a little over the years. I did try the SS on the these but I wasn't convinced by the results. There was some shine but the finish was mainly quite chalky - so I won't be using it on them again. I used it on the wheels too and these were cleaned effortlessly too but tbh they weren't very dirty to start off with. The main problem for me was over spray; every nook and cranny had residue from the spray in it. Fine where I could access but a bit annoying in the hard - or impossible - places to reach.

Anyway - was I happy? Mainly yes; most importantly I was happy to move on to the Octavia. So today I sprayed and wiped and buffed until my Octavia was cleaming once more. The SS removed with ease some fly road kill from the front end and a couple of small tar spots on the body - although with stuck on stuff you need to use a little more product I found. The layer of dust was taken off with ease and I was left with a couple of rather dirty MF cloths as a result. I finshed off the front windscreen with some AG Fast Glass and the job was done.

I will report back on how durable this product is as I go on. So far all seems good with Showroom Shine but would I use it to get rid of heavily soiling? No - give me my Nilfisk everyday. Will I keep using it to get rid of dust? Almost definately - I need something to fall back on!

[jrw]

And your car is now covered in swirl marks?

[marTTyn]

I saw this stuff on the shopping channel and thought the exact same thing... Asking for swirl marks!!

[willskoda]

And your car is now covered in swirl marks?

Nope. Not a sausage. I deliberately tried it on the Ka first to make sure - I wouldn't have touched the Octy if I thought it was going to do that. I think if there was any real dirt and grit on the car then there would be a very real chance of this but dust was the only thing covering it so nothing really much to cause swirly marks. I was really surprised but I made sure I used a few cloths and kept turning them over to a clean side as I went around.

It's not a replacement to a good 2 bucket wash etc but to get rid of dust which I was I need, I thought it was pretty good.

[ChrisRs]

Youre a brave man Will!! :'(

[vwdan1986]

IVE USED THIS and it has never left any scratches on the car. it ok to use now and again but rember all your doing is putting layer after layer of wax on your car, oh just dont put spray paint on your car as they do on the shopping channel after useing it it dosent work

[marTTyn]

If this is the only option, I have heard good reviews about ONR optimum no rinse.

[jrw]

I think i would still prefer to take it to a jet wash or just leave it until i had access to a hosepipe. Just doesn't seem right to me!

[willskoda]

I'm a good half hour from a hose. To get dust off I'm happy with it. Like I say, if it was actually dirty or I had access to water easily then I wouldn't use it. ONR requires access to water - I'm a ten minute walk from a tap and i'll be damned if I'm going to walk through Leeds with a bucket of water! lol

[roman.w]

I thought the claims were B----cks, but my neighbour who is a citroen fan uses it on his DS4 and his wife's black C3,when i saw that he was using G L i went over to have a nosey and tell him what a silly boy he was but i was gobsmacked, not a swirl mark to be seen.

[ChrisRs]

I'll wash it for you rather than let you use this stuff Will

Just bring it round!! :yes:

[willskoda]

The thing is Chris I want to drive it around clean. But it sits there week after week and doesn't move. The one thing I want when it comes out is for it to be shiny as if I'd just washed it. What I tend to do is drive it then clean it - in Baildon - with pressure washer, 2BM and wax etc etc then put it back. Thing is that two months later when it next comes out it'd covered in dust. Like I said - if it was dirty I'd take it home to wash, but it's not - it's dusty - so I need something to get rid of the dust. The GL SS seems to do the trick. The car is coming out Tuesday so I will report back on the quality of the finish when I take it out in the light.

[Grizzle]

Used it twice and it never scratched any surfaces it was used on, but it doesnt last gives a great finish though, so dont all go in blind "oh its rubbish" its not but just not durable.

[samuir1974]

Interesting comments. I'm with Chris though - you are brave Will. :yes:

[willskoda]

Not that brave - I had a practice car first!

[ChrisRs]

I understand Alan is interested in trying it on his car Will!! :yes:

[samuir1974]

I understand Alan is interested in trying it on his car Will!! :yes:

:yes:

[willskoda]

I'll creep round one night. It'll be done and dusted in about 20 minutes. And he will never know

Anyway - I took the car out today - it got rained on :no:

Quite impressed with the finish of the SS. Hard to tell exactly what is doing what though, it's got so many products on it already. ITh body and glass beaded well and there isn't much dirt remaining on the underside from the country roads I was driving around. The main thing is that it was nice to be back in the Skoda today

Taking it to the football later then it's back in the garage again!

[geordie_21]

This is quite interesting guys, before I start this post - car detailing is a hobby of mine and consider myself knowledgable enough to know the rights and wrongs when it comes to washing a car - for a job I manage the post production dept at a company called JML and have made all the promotional films including the TV Ads for a product range called Mantis. One of the products is very similar to the above, called Mantis Instant Shine, I have a lot of experience with waterless car cleaners having tested some of the competitors against ours and I have to say I was quite impressed with the cleaning properties and basic shine you get using Mantis Instant Shine. Personally I use it more as a QD spray but it honestly does do a fair job if you're pushed for time and dont have access to water. I'm not privvy to the exact ingredients but there is some sort of 'silicone gloss boosters' that lift the dirt from the paint work to prevent scratching / swirling, all of the cars I used in the shoots were cleaned with this product and all the owners were stunned with the results. It goes against all the rules I know and only time (and a brinkman) will tell but it does seem to work, not only that but the product leaves a certain level of 'protection', certainly if it's rained the water does bead quite nicely, not as much as a few layers of wax or something but water does indeed bead! The only place you can't really use the product is the windows as it causes them to streak, as for all other paintwork etc you simply spray, wipe with an MF cloth and then buff with another MF cloth to reveal a shine.

I could possibly sort a few bottles if any fellow Brisky members want to give it a try, to the OP Willskoda drop me a PM with your address and I'll get our PR dept to send you a bottle - I'd be interested to see what you think compared to the one you bought on Ideal world!

Thanks all, John

[willskoda]

Thanks John - PM'd

[threadbear]

I saw the JML Mantis Quick Shine promotional video in a branch of Robert Dyas the other day, where the guy was cleaning up a caked in mud Suzuki Swift rally car.

How can a microfibre pad clean caked on mud for heavens sake?

Both me and the missus were unconvinced that this stuff can replace a hose and sponge or pressure washer!! I wouldnt be prepared to use it on any car unless it was a real old banger!!

I certianly wouldnt use it on my Fabia or my partners Fusion!

[giandougl]

Brilliant stuff this 'Greased Lightening'

Quick and easy to use, no swirl marks as stated, (unlike car washers, with them plastic brush rollers) and recommend it to those who have not used/tried the stuff.

I agree the overspray does find its way into areas I am unable to clean off, but this is minimal and a small cost of the final result.

It's has not a lot of effect on plastic trim, if trim has a dull finish to begin with.

If car does get dusty after a couple of days polish, I go to car wash and use cold rinse clear water, and leave to wind dry.

Result leaves just polished look, I have done this several times.

As to doing the car in ten minutes, is rather a large statement, as doing my Fabia from the start takes the best part of two hours.

But the lasting effect is well worth the time spent.

[willskoda]

I tried to clean a friends car in about 10 minutes using this stuff - I don't think he'd ever cleaned it! I didn't really get to grips with the difficult stuff like tar and tree sap. I think it would have got rid of it eventually but I think a proper wash would have been the order of the day. It did leave a nice shine and he was impressed (this from someone who doesn't ever wash his car remember). My conclusion is that this stuf is fine for light soiling and for use on a previously cleaned and protected car. Will be interested to see how the Mantis gets on when it arrives.

Ooooo this is my 1000th post!

[geordie_21]

I saw the JML Mantis Quick Shine promotional video in a branch of Robert Dyas the other day, where the guy was cleaning up a caked in mud Suzuki Swift rally car.

How can a microfibre pad clean caked on mud for heavens sake?

Both me and the missus were unconvinced that this stuff can replace a hose and sponge or pressure washer!! I wouldnt be prepared to use it on any car unless it was a real old banger!!

I certianly wouldnt use it on my Fabia or my partners Fusion!

Hi Threadbear, I work in the post production dept at JML and have made all the Mantis films including the 'rally shoot' you mention. I can ask our PR dept (v nicely) to send you a bottle if you fancy giving it a go!

Thanks, John

[leevrs180]

I use this after washing the car and its dried. Its so simple. Its brilliant for removing tar spots,which is the main reason i use it.