Are BMW Cleaning Products Worth It?

[TortugaX5]

So I've been doing some searching on the forums and couldn't find any great resources on whether the BMW branded cleaning products offered on shopbmwusa.com or at the dealer are any better compared to products one could get online or from a local auto shop.

Is there any need to be using these products vs. let's say chemicalguys or armourall?

[yvnrg1981]

Non what's so ever. Preference.

[TortugaX5]

Originally Posted by yvnrg1981

Non what's so ever. Preference.

With that being said, what products do you folks like or feel are a worthy investment in maintaining the interior and exterior of our vehicles?

[Kzang]

Lexol! for interior

And check out my thread on the Opti-gloss protection for the exterior.
http://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...1145464&page=5 and some pictures on this link http://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...1145464&page=6

[TortugaX5]

Thanks @Kzang!

I feel awful taking my new truck through the automatic carwash, but I'd rather it go through that than stay plastered in salt and road grime.

Since I live in a condo and don't have a garage or driveway of my own, detailing and quick cleans are more difficult.

Thankfully I park inside of a gated and otherwise clean and safe parking garage.

[Kzang]

I also live in a condo with a shared covered garage so treating your car with opt-coat gloss would be perfect for you!

[TortugaX5]

Originally Posted by Kzang

I also live in a condo with a shared covered garage so treating your car with opt-coat gloss would be perfect for you!

Thanks, I'm going to look at their product kits.

I also should mention no water hose to rinse down in the garage. So I found this online, looks like it could be really useful. Plus the price slash is nuts!

http://http://www.amazon.com/Ivation.../dp/B00R0GBKR4

[EIGHTLUG]

Haven't used them but i have seen the finished product. In my opinion they are comparable to the products that you can pick up from Auto Zone. Definitely not professional grade but better than nothing. Not sure on their price point but if you're willing to shell out the money for BMW's products for the name you may as well purchase Menzerna/SONAX/Adam's/Groit's etc.

[EIGHTLUG]

Originally Posted by TortugaX5

Thanks @Kzang!

I feel awful taking my new truck through the automatic carwash, but I'd rather it go through that than stay plastered in salt and road grime.

Since I live in a condo and don't have a garage or driveway of my own, detailing and quick cleans are more difficult.

Thankfully I park inside of a gated and otherwise clean and safe parking garage.

Automatic car washes aren't all bad. Look for a touchless. And I agree, it's better than being plastered with road grime. If you are in any was temperamental about scratches or marring the paint, only use the waterless wash with a very very lightly dirty car and use A LOT of it.

For the interior of our cars, I treat the leather with Leather Masters. I'll also use AMMO Mousse to keep the leather moist and protected. I've found Adam's Interior Cleaner to be excellent for dashboards, center consoles, and door panels. Very 'like new' look without the gloss of an armor all type product, while still adding a layer of protection.

[artem123]

BMW natural care car wash shampoo is amazing. I prefer it to any other shampoo brand.

[teodorjelev]

I use only products of BMW for cleaning the car and I am very pleased with them!
These are the last products that I ordered a week ago:
Wasch & Wachs, 500 ml
BMW Felgenreiniger-Set 500 ml
BMW Gummipflege 250 ml
Express-Wachs, 500 ml
Felgenreiniger, 500 ml. ohne Reinigungsbürste
Hartwachs mit Nanotechnologie, 250 ml
I am also pleased with the winter package products!
My products ordered from leebmann24.de

[Jimmie48]

Head over to the zaino site they have everything you need.

[VividRacingII]

I use Wolfgang, Sonax, Griots and DP.

[TortugaX5]

So I decided after some research to try out Griots Garage products. They sell a waterless car wash product called 'Spray-On Car Wash' which came with three heavy nap microfiber cloths. I also purchased some 'Speed Shine' with cloths. These two products allowed me to hand wash my car today without any water. I'm very pleased with the outcome and will definatly use Griot's again. Below are some shots I took of my clean ride.

[Broadsword]

I like to use Chemical Guys products. But for my maintenance washes, I use Optimum No Rinse. No rinse washes are really easy, no need for a water hose; just two buckets with grit guards and tour preferred wash mitt and microfiber drying towels.

[roadkillrob]

I use Sonax, Chemical Guys, P21S, Zymol wax and Zaino products. Pretty much if you can buy it at autozone you don't want it.

Some of the BMW stuff is ok, but it is just rebranded product, some cheap some not bad, but you are paying too much for whatever is in the bottle.

Others have mentioned Lexol and I stopped using it long ago, there are much better products out there, my current favorite is Zaino leather in a bottle and cleaner, works amazing, takes jean residue and even pen of light leather with ease and the leather conditioner is the best smelling stuff in the world - 8 years on my 3 series and you cannot tell the leather from when it was new!

I order most stuff either direct (like Zaino in NJ) or detailedimage in update NY or detailersdomain in NJ - all will come pretty quick to you in OH.