Armor All Wash and Wax:
Time to ask the right questions

The Armor All wash and wax is "good", but is it great!

After all, why would you want good, when you could have great. Wash and wax car washing products are certainly not a new concept when it comes to car care.

The simple quest may be to find the best wash and wax product, but what if you are asking the wrong questions? What if I started asking questions that you have never thought to ask.

Questions that would deliver different answers that would lead to better results?

At the end of the day you have to ask yourself if you are really looking for the best wash and wax product, or are you really looking for the best end result?

Armor All Wash and Wax:
Asking "Better" questions

• Do car wash and wax products really work?
• Can you just use Dawn dish soap to wash your car?
  
• Is there a way to get better results?
• What results are you really after?

Regardless of whether you have ever questioned the concept of car washing and waxing products, I want to take any of your current questions, and go a little deeper.

While I realize there are many people who want what I call overly-simplified solutions to their needs, it is in the deep end of any topic where you will find better answers to your needs.

All you have to do is start by asking the right questions. But my professional experience has shown that most people lack the experience to even ask the right questions.

And if you can't ask the right questions, how can you expect to start getting the right answers?

Car Washing and Car Waxing:
Needs and wants

I know that my website has an extremely diverse audience. Each of you will come to this page with varying degrees of experience and knowledge.

The fact that you likely searched for something related to or very specific to Armor All wash and wax strongly suggests that you are likely a beginner.

Beginner or not, most people really do want simple answers to basic needs of life. Right now you are likely looking for a simple answer to meet the demands of two, very specific needs:

1. You know you need to wash your car
   
2. You know you need to wax your car
   

These are (2) distinct needs. Basic requirements of owning a car and maintaining the health and beauty of your cars exterior.

And it is by fulfilling these needs that you get what you want. which means that you don't really want the Armor All wash and wax. What you really want is the benefits that using a product like the Armor All product will deliver.

Armor All Wash and Wax:
A simple answer to your basic needs

Armor All Wash and Wax on Amazon

• Perfect car wash and wax product for anyone not wanting to over-think things
• Would never be my first choice

Darren’s Tip: Don’t overthink car wash soap—it’s largely interchangeable. This one will get your ride clean without fuss. In fact, most car wash formulas are so generic that if you washed a hundred cars with a hundred different soaps, you wouldn’t be able to tell which soap made which shine.

With that said I can tell you that I am a fan of keeping life simple. For this reason I recommend the following Armor All kit:

Armor All Wash and Wax Kit on Amazon

• One Armor All Exterior Bundle: Car Wash & Wax soap, a car wash mitt, and a drying towel
• Contains everything you need to clean your vehicle’s exterior: Ultra Shine Wash & Wax soap, Noodle Tech wash mitt, and a microfiber drying towel
• Proprietary formula blends powerful cleaning agents, surface lubricants, and real carnauba wax
• Compatible with sponge, terry cloth, or mitt application Wash mitt’s microfiber noodles effortlessly lift away dirt
• High-absorbency drying towel soaks up water for fast, streak-free drying

Darren's Tip: You are going to need all these things to wash your car anyways so I say you keep it simple and kill a few birds with one click of the "purchase now" button.

Armor All Wash and Wax Alternatives:
What Would Darren Do (WWDD)

So often I am asked what I would do as a professional, or if it was my car I was working on. I know you may be one of those people who would prefer to cut to the chase. You accept that I know what I am talking about and want to follow my lead.

And for that reason I am offering the following alternatives. If you want to go in for the "deep dive" of this subject where I will answer more of the probing questions, you can continue reading down this page.

Car Washing Made Simple

The main reason I would choose the following kit over the Armor Wash annd Wax is not about the car washing soap, but for the upgrade in "tools" you will get with this kit.

It does come with one trade off though: you are gonna have to buy a separate drying towel. But with that said, you will also be getting another superior tool to add to your car washing kit.

Chemical Guys Wash Kit on Amazon

•  Perfect car washing bundle
• Citrus formulation will a gloss level that outperforms many waxes —one of my favorite car washing formulas—I can tell the difference.
  
• Comes with most everything needed to wash like a pro (see drying cloth below)
  
• The exact wash bucket I prefer (this lid snaps easier in place than other wash bucket and lid systems while allowing me to reuse my original wash water multiple times based on how dirty my car is each time I wash it— Since I wash my car every week, my wash water does not get overly dirty each time and any of the big particles sink and settle below the insert tray.
• Includes my favorite type of wash mitt: chenille wash mitt
  

The Perfect Drying Cloth for Your Car

Meguiar's Water Magnet on Amazon

• The perfect drying cloth
• As safe as safe can get
• As absorbent as absorbent can get
• Say good-bye to that annoying lint of 100% cotton towels

Darren's Tips: If you are still using bath towels to dry your car off with, you really need to catch up to new ways of doing things. Do not underestimate how nicely this particular drying cloth will work!

I love this water magnet! And all that micro-scratching and lint you are experiencing from those darned bath towels will be  a thing of the past.

Armor All Wash and Wax:
Washing your car and chasing your tail

If you’re just stepping into the world of cosmetic car care, you probably haven’t yet felt the same frustration I have! Over my 30-plus years in this industry, I’ve witnessed more hype and marketing spin than I ever imagined—and every year, it seems manufacturers find new ways to crank it up even higher.

Keeping up with the latest buzzwords and “breakthrough” products while fielding endless questions from my followers can feel like I’m perpetually chasing my own tail. There’s always some new term or flashy gimmick demanding attention.

Yet when it comes to car washing, shampoos, and wash-and-wax formulas, you really don’t need to overthink it. Still, I want to clear up some of the persistent myths and half-truths that keep getting tossed around—so you can cut through the noise and make informed choices.

Car Wash Soap:
Soaps, Shampoos, and Wax

To label a product as a car wash soap or car wash shampoo in many ways is a misrepresentation that gives many people a false sense of hope.

What is Car Wash Shampoo:

These products as a rule, contain no actual grease cutting or dirt cutting detergents. If they did, these products would also remove or strip away any wax that may currently be present on your car. (imagine ashing your hands repeatedly with a grease cutting hand soap with true detergents in it. Your hands would eventually become so dried out due to the continued use of the detergent hand soap)

Most car wash soap simply have chemicals that had as a lubricant that is designed to make the washing experience feel good as you use it, as well as lubricate the dirt particles so as to scratch less during the car washing process.

These products are like candy to a child: brightly colored, highly scented, and chemistry to produce mounds of suds. The brighter the colors, the better the smell, the more suds created, the better we think the product is.

Is it Safe to Use Dawn Dish Soap to Wash Your Car:

Yes. And no. It all depends on your goals. The critical thing to know about using Dawn dish soap to wash your car is that this is an actual grease cutting agent. If it can cut grease, it can also cut wax. This means that each time you wash your car with Dawn dish soap, you will continue to remove any wax or silicones or "polymer" sealants on your car.

Most households already have liquid dish soap on hand, so it’s an easy go-to for anyone who just wants a simple clean without fuss. It’s especially handy if you need to strip away old wax or sealants—think of it as a deep-clean treatment for your car’s finish.

However, I wouldn’t make it your everyday wash soap. Regular use of dish detergent can gradually dry out your paint, so reserve it for those occasional, heavy-duty cleaning sessions rather than routine washes. And if you do use it, make sure to follow-up with a new coat of wax.

Are Car Wash and Wax Products Legit or Nonsense:

They are legit. While it seems counter to basic logic to have a wax mixed in with water (that is like trying to mix oil and water), this is where chemistry comes into action. Car wash and wax products like the Armor All wash and wax are formulated with "binders". These are chemicals that at a molecular level, bind water molecules to the wax or silicone molecules. These are called emulsions and it is how these products are able to work.

I recommend them and if you have never used a car wash soap that has gloss enhancers or wax to them, you are in for a real treat!

Armor All Wash and wax Summary

If you have made it this far you should have a whole new level of knowledge and awareness. You can now consider yourself as part of a select group of people in the world called "the informed"!

Most people want a quick-fix answer to everything and the results in their life will show this. Unless you have very low standards, a quick-fix will rarely produce the results you are after,

I hope I have helped in your quest to make better decisions and get better results into your life.

Happy detailing!

Sincerely,

Darren Priest