What did i do wrong? dodo btbm

[Kinalyx]

I washed my car with BTBM and the supernatural mit for the first time tonight. After seeing the 800 to 1 ratio, i felt like i added a very liberal amount to the wash, i couldnt get much suds. The supernatural mit held a TON of water, but i had nearly zero soap getting on the car. Now, this wasnt a huge deal as i was only really washing it to use the products, the car was already mostly clean.

What went wrong? Still not enough soap? I did what i normally do, got the bottom of the bucket filled up to the GG, then dropped the mit in, soaked it with water, added the btbm to the mit, then used the firehose nozzle to create foam. It foamed up, but when pulling the pad out of the bucket, it was like it only held water, not soap.

Any ideas?

Shawn

[IOMCAMARO]

Just curious, how much BTBM did you use?

[WRAPT C5Z06]

You're mixing of the solution is way off, IMO.

[Alex Boyce]

Whenever I use the supernatural mitt I find that it holds a TON of water and doesn't transfer much suds. One of my favorite things about BTBM is how slick the water becomes during the wash.

I almost never use that mitt anymore, I've transferred back to a lambswool for now.

Try a different mitt and let us know if it changes?

[PPLd]

I washed my car with BTBM and the supernatural mit............
What went wrong? Still not enough soap? I did what i normally do, got the bottom of the bucket filled up to the GG, then dropped the mit in, soaked it with water, added the btbm to the mit, then used the firehose nozzle to create foam. It foamed up, but when pulling the pad out of the bucket, it was like it only held water, not soap.

Any ideas?

Shawn

Shawn,

I would say you need a proper way to measure how much water and soap you are using.
I have seen a lot of people assuming that if they use a 5 gal bucket they are using 5 gal of water. This is not the case. You usually fill the 5 gal bucket to only 4 gal, leaving a margin on top that is not filled.

I may share my way of mixing soap with you:
I used a digital scale to find out that I only used roughly 3.828 gal (cant remember the exact number) of water whenever I fill the bucket to a line mark.
Then I created an EXCEL spreadsheet and calculated the right amount for different soaps needed for that vol of water.
I use a small measuring cup that is meant for medical purpose (accurate) to measure the soap concentrate.
stir and mix it by my hands.

I always stick to the manufacturer recommended dilution ratio stated on label.

[opie_7afe]

I agree, even if I have not used BTBM. However, I was the one who never measured soap until i got here on ag and finally realized why the wax I would apply would be gone after a couple washes. so i now measure my soap. I get better results then if I would have used more soap. The cleaning action is better without as much soap as I was using.To say the least a blind guy could have used less soap then what was in my wash bucket! LOL what I have done is used a 30ml medicine measuring cup that comes on top of cough syrup and that happened to fit perfectly on my soap bottle and it fits snugly so it wont get lost.You also can find a 1/8th cup measuring cup and that = 1ounce/30ml i got me a nice stainless one in my buffer bag :). i would honestly use a smaller wash mit. I prefer one that's close to the size of my hand. i feel i get a more through clean with a mit that's smaller because I can manipulate it to get into certain areas. Just a fyi, just because there is not suds don't mean the soap is not working. Nor does it mean it has very little lubricity. A no rinse wash don't have any suds and provides plenty of cleaning with high lubricity. Some soaps suds up more then other soaps, some people love very little suds while other's love a car covered with thick foamy suds!. You should be able to feel how slick the water/soap mix is with your fingers after mixing. Always follow the directions on the bottle for best results!. The guys who write the label's communicate with the chemists. What I would do is do what the above poster said, Measure out your water and put a mark on the bucket then every time you wash the washing liquid will be the same from one batch to another. You don't need to weigh the water just use a measuring cup or a pitcher with measurements on it. Decide on how much water you want to use and your set. Just remember with most things detailing "there's many ways to skin a cat."

[umi000]

I agree with what the others have said - you need to measure to make sure you're mixing to the proper dilution. In my opinion, this is particularly crucial with car soap - mix too little, and your wash solution will not be lubricious enough to clean safely; mix too much, and you'll be degrading or stripping your LSP.

I also use a medicinal cup for measuring; another option is to get some bakery measuring spoons - they're pretty cheap, and you usually get a set of four that goes from 1/2 oz to 1/24 oz, which should see you covered for most needs.

[CaneCharger]

Shawn, I use these products almost every wash. And yes, the Wookie Fist holds a ton of water.
Here is what I do:
I fill my rinse bucket then I put the Wookie Fist in it to soak
I fill my wash bucket to 3 gallons
I have the 1 oz measuring cups from Autogeek and I measure the BTBM to a full oz
I then stick the measuring cup and my arm in the wash bucket and start to swirl clockwise to move the solution and to make sure everything get out of the cup - then I move the water counter-clock wise with my arm
Then I take my hose on jet and spray the the water to make the suds. This will give me a little over 3 gallons
I hope this helps - BTBM is my favorite soap and I love the wookie fist!!!

[alko]

:iagree: I concur with Cane's instructions. I absolutely love BTBM. I use a pressure washer, so each time I go to refresh the wash bucket I get plently of suds. I, as well, use the measuring cups that AG sells. This is a VERY useful tool.

Along with measuring out the soap, I think you need to change your method. Follow Cane's instructions and I think you'll be quite pleased with the end results.

[Bunky]

You should be using 0.5 oz per 3 gallons (800:1).

I used BTBM this weekend for the first time and it does suds some but not in the high suds class. It generates more with a strong blast and good agitation. I have soft water.

Very nice indeed. Slickness seemed much better than average. Interesting scent. It reminds me of the Griot's soap.

[umi000]

Shawn, I use these products almost every wash. And yes, the Wookie Fist holds a ton of water.
Here is what I do:
I fill my rinse bucket then I put the Wookie Fist in it to soak
I fill my wash bucket to 3 gallons
I have the 1 oz measuring cups from Autogeek and I measure the BTBM to a full oz
I then stick the measuring cup and my arm in the wash bucket and start to swirl clockwise to move the solution and to make sure everything get out of the cup - then I move the water counter-clock wise with my arm
Then I take my hose on jet and spray the the water to make the suds. This will give me a little over 3 gallons
I hope this helps - BTBM is my favorite soap and I love the wookie fist!!!

Not to be contrary, but aren't you using too much product? 1 oz to 3 gallons of water is 1:384, while the recommended dilution ratio is 1:800 - so you're using over twice the needed amount of shampoo.

Edit: Al got in ahead of me

[Rei86]

If its 4 gallons of water = 512oz

Dodo recommends 800:1 ratio

That means you're looking at .6oz of BTBM to 4gallons of water.

Just to be safe if you're using a five gallon bucket you might wanna do 1oz of product to your wash bucket.

[Dr Oldz]

All good info here. BTBM is my favorite soap. Not the best suds producing soap, but the solution is what actually cleans, not the suds.

[CEE DOG]

An excellent soap. One of the best I've used thanks to my buddy Jim sending me a sample.

OP, keep the grit guard and mitt out of the bucket until after you mix your solution.

1. Place 3 to 3 1/2 gallons of water in your bucket. (you don't want to put the soap in first as it will be difficult to mix and will all turn into suds and ruin your mix.

2. Pour the required soap amount in the bucket depending on the recommended dilution. Rinse the measuring cup you used int the bucket to make sure you got all the soap into the bucket (particularly important with higher concentrate soaps... Not a big deal with ones that use like 4 oz instead of 1 or half an ounce)

3. Place your clean arm in the bucket and stir. This is important to thoroughly stir the solution. ESPECIALLY with higher concentrate soaps as not mixing a little of the soap will make an exponentially larger difference in your mix strength.

4. Pull your arm out and while the whirlpool is still circulating hit it with a hard spray for a second with the nozzle pointing in the direction that it speeds the whirlpool rather than slowing it.

Don't spray enough to make the suds overflow the bucket.

Remember the suds don't matter - they just look cool

[alko]

:iagree: there's yer sign!