Review - Nanolex Reactivating Shampoo

[Zelfiris]

I'm delighted to be one of the early testers for Nanolex's car wash called Nanolex Reactivating Shampoo and I would like to share my experience using this product.
I have not used any products from Nanolex before so I can only compare it against the products I have in my arsenal (such as Meguiar's, CarPro, Chemical Guy's).

First off I'm in Canada and Nanolex US is in the US so I'm very grateful for Gil@Nanolex having to ship me the product through additional cost. Thanks Gil!

Package came in a small box with a zip lock bag
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/Nanolex%20Reactivating%20Shampoo/d3ca93e9-6a58-47fc-b812-3d49c1991baf_zpsc2755e6e.jpg~original

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/Nanolex%20Reactivating%20Shampoo/0deedc90-1771-4595-8865-8c68ffd0dee8_zpsabd3962f.jpg~original


1. Packaging
Sample - sufficient packaging for a sample bottle. Zip lock bag to ensure no spills out to reach the box

2. Instructions
As you can see from the label above, there are no dilution ratios. I had to use my best judgement here.
I have used Meguiar's Gold Class, CarPro Reset, Chemical Guy's Hyper concentrated gloss and shine and Optimum Car Wash before so I have some car shampoos to compared against.

3. Cost
No details on cost of the retail version as I have received the sample bottle

4. Texture/Smell/Initial Impression
Texture - really watery, best way to describe it. Its more of a liquid than a gel. When added to water the foaming is excellent. I would say it is relative same amount of suds compared to CarPro Reset but less than Optimum Car Wash
Smell - it was a pleasure smell, not too strong and it didn't bother me during the 30 minutes wash session
Initial Impression - Will be described below on test car

Test Car - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
This car belongs to a good of mine and I have to say it has been severely neglected. I asked him when was the last time the car was properly washed and he said 2.5 years ago when he brought it over to me. Well.. severely neglected indeed. He has brought it for occasional automatic car wash but have not waxed it at all. Paint felt really rough

Here are some photos of the car
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/Nanolex%20Reactivating%20Shampoo/2d7c9398-d9cf-4d80-89f2-8cb96d4209f8_zps441d50d4.jpg~original

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/Nanolex%20Reactivating%20Shampoo/c4f29174-e2f0-4aa3-a716-dfba22ae8f77_zpsf685c25d.jpg~original

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/Nanolex%20Reactivating%20Shampoo/7bad5692-bafb-40d4-8d94-2583405d5298_zpsaf95c4e8.jpg~original

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/Nanolex%20Reactivating%20Shampoo/5baddca8-8eed-4f84-a334-04352a4c4936_zpsd790e84c.jpg~original

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/Nanolex%20Reactivating%20Shampoo/f549f9d7-1954-4671-982c-9c1763c09032_zpse2cf90a3.jpg~original


The photos sure didn't look too bad but as I walked around the car I saw embedded rail dust, minor bubbling in his clearcoat near passenger fender, small dents on the trunk and roof, bird bomb remains on the headlight, scuff marks and paint chip on the front bumper, water spots.. well I basically stopped looking after that. This review is on the shampoo after all!

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/Nanolex%20Reactivating%20Shampoo/ff8a2502-1fcb-4267-aeba-a543dce85253_zpsa2ed0226.jpg~original

For this review, I decided to do two tests:

1) Shampoo wash for the paint and glass with 2 bucket wash
2) Shampoo wash for the wheels with a 3rd bucket

For dilution I decided to go with 1oz for each bucket filled with 3 gallon of water. I felt this is about the average amount I used for the other shampoo. Perhaps I'm using even slightly more for the test but I wanted to see what the shampoo can do

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/Nanolex%20Reactivating%20Shampoo/2dc6e744-0ba5-4b32-9a24-f0cedee7ff86_zps06d423ee.jpg~original

Unfortunately I did not get any during photos since my hands were wet and the time was spent explaining washing technique to my friend. However, because we were washing really slowly I got to see how the shampoo behaved when it dries on the paint. Nanolex Reactivating Shampoo did an amazing job washing all the dirt off and the lubrication it provided felt on par when I used CarPro Reset. As dirt got carried by the solution and roll off the panels, the dried panels did perform so well. I found a lot of brown spotting as I rinsed the car down. The car was washed in the shade around the evening when the sun was going down so I was a bit surprised there. However another quick wipe with a shmitt and a second rinse took care of the problem.

On the wheels it did a really good removing all the build up dirt and brake dust. I did not expect too much on the wheels as the shampoo is not a dedicated wheel cleaner. I should have hit the wheels with Sonax prior to using Nanolex but I wanted to see how good the cleaning ability was on wheels.

Rating
I would rate Nanolex Reactivating Shampoo as 8/10 for cleaning paint and glass and maybe 8.5/10 on wheels.

By the time we finished detailing the car it was already night time so I took after photos the following day

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/Nanolex%20Reactivating%20Shampoo/fc687996-0067-40a1-94f2-f1a090a9c987_zps934f1020.jpg~original

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/Nanolex%20Reactivating%20Shampoo/82acbd72-d843-40a2-8824-f905f843d705_zps1a83af4a.jpg~original

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/Nanolex%20Reactivating%20Shampoo/1086c789-3d14-43a8-9775-26ae1daa70ac_zpscc104ea5.jpg~original

Conclusion:
As you can see, the Elantra definitely have some gloss to the reflection and the reason may be (as some of the other reviewers said) is that the shampoo contains wax content. I'm a satisfied user of Nanolex Reactivating Shampoo!

After thoughts:
- How will the shampoo react in direct sunlight?
- Test car was silver which is great for hiding imperfections, I would like to try on a darker colour to see if dried panels has streaks or not
- What would the official dilution ratio be?
- How will this shampoo react on matte finish or matte car wraps? Will it add gloss?

[willtothewong]

Nice review!

Keep them coming!

[FUNX650]

•Thanks for putting together this review. :xyxthumbs:

•I may have missed this in your review...But,
(and according to this product's name):
-What is it "reactivating"; and by what contrivance(s)?

TIA.

Bob

[Angus]

After thoughts:
- Test car was silver which is great for hiding imperfections, I would like to try on a darker colour to see if dried panels has streaks or not

Thanks for the review!

I'd be very interested in seeing how well Nanolex Reactivating Shampoo does at cleaning a dark colored vehicle as well. If possible applied touchless with a foam gun/cannon, allowed to dwell, and then blown dry to get a true measure of cleaning abilities.

With winter weather in the not too far off future, picking up a good soap to deal with salt build up prior to doing a rinseless wash is important to me.

[Angus]

•Thanks for putting together this review. :xyxthumbs:

•I may have missed this in your review...But,
(and according to this product's name):
-What is it "reactivating"; and by what contrivance(s)?

TIA.

Bob

That's a good question, Bob.

[Zelfiris]

•Thanks for putting together this review. :xyxthumbs:

•I may have missed this in your review...But,
(and according to this product's name):
-What is it "reactivating"; and by what contrivance(s)?

TIA.

Bob

Hey Bob,

Very good question and I don't have an answer to it. I tried asking Nanolex but I did not get a response. I believe it may be marketing to claim it will 'reactivate' the layer of wax or sealant on the vehicle. The Hyundai had nothing on (no wax or sealant) and the finish was definitely more shiny. I believe the shampoo may contain some wax residue.


Thanks for the review!

I'd be very interested in seeing how well Nanolex Reactivating Shampoo does at cleaning a dark colored vehicle as well. If possible applied touchless with a foam gun/cannon, allowed to dwell, and then blown dry to get a true measure of cleaning abilities.

With winter weather in the not too far off future, picking up a good soap to deal with salt build up prior to doing a rinseless wash is important to me.

Thanks Angus, I actually removed the foam gun part in my review as the next test to be performed due to time constraints. Since I was not the only reviewer for this product, someone else performed the test with a foam gun and they quite like the results.

I will be using the shampoo on a black or blue vehicle in the near future. I will check back when that happens!

[Angus]

Thanks Angus, I actually removed the foam gun part in my review as the next test to be performed due to time constraints. Since I was not the only reviewer for this product, someone else performed the test with a foam gun and they quite like the results.

Gotcha. I have seen that review too, but it was also on a light colored vehicle that didn't look very dirty to start with. As the owner of 2 black cars, I'm interested in how well NRS does on dark paint/ is it worth picking up for harsher month of the year.



I will be using the shampoo on a black or blue vehicle in the near future. I will check back when that happens!

Cool thanks man, looking forward to your follow-up. :dblthumb2:

[FUNX650]

Hey Bob,

Very good question and I don't have an answer to it. I tried asking Nanolex but I did not get a response. I believe it may be marketing to claim it will 'reactivate' the layer of wax or sealant on the vehicle. The Hyundai had nothing on (no wax or sealant) and the finish was definitely more shiny. I believe the shampoo may contain some wax residue.

Thanks for your response.
The "reactivating" of an existing LSP is a plausible explanation.
Perhaps Florian, Nanolex Director, would be the person to contact.

Bob

[Zelfiris]

Thanks for your response.
The "reactivating" of an existing LSP is a plausible explanation.
Perhaps Florian, Nanolex Director, would be the person to contact.

Bob

I received an answer.

The reactivating part applies to coatings from Nanolex product lineup. I would infer that is similar to CarPro Reset for CarPro product lineup (Reload, Hydro2, CQ, CQUK)

[FUNX650]

I received an answer.

The reactivating part applies to coatings from Nanolex product lineup. I would infer that is similar to CarPro Reset for CarPro product lineup (Reload, Hydro2, CQ, CQUK)
Thanks for the follow-up...
It is appreciated! :dblthumb2:

Bob

[Zelfiris]

Part 2

I did another test a while back but did not find the time to post this up.

@Angus - this is for you sir!

Part 2 of the test is to see how well the shampoo works 1) via foam gun and 2) on a black car

The shampoo was cut 1oz product and 6oz water
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01281_zpsae68c500.jpg~original
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01286_zps19831f13.jpg~original

Gave it a good shake in the foam gun
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01282_zps61cc6b4a.jpg~original

Test Subject - 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
This car belongs to a good of mine and he converted it for tracking. It is the perfect car for this test.

Extreme brake dust
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01288_zps98cc1a02.jpg~original

Bug Splatter
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01287_zps38581ad4.jpg~original

Very dirty
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01289_zpsea8d2028.jpg~original
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01290_zps98d6ea7c.jpg~original

Rain the day before
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01291_zpsfccd12dc.jpg~original

Nice thick film but not caked on
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01294_zpsaf1450a6.jpg~original

This bigger bug splatter I want to see if the foaming will loosen it off
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01296_zpsec528386.jpg~original

Foam bath
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01297_zpsf2f5f70b.jpg~original
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01298_zpsf799e5d3.jpg~original
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01299_zps7585b13e.jpg~original
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01302_zps4cc2b81d.jpg~original

After rinsing with a hose
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01303_zpsb013d84d.jpg~original
Bug splatter was improved
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01311_zps57fd17e8.jpg~original

Brake dust not so much
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01304_zps6174c796.jpg~original
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01305_zpsd7b4d760.jpg~original

Car then went through 3 bucket wash
http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01313_zps650dc278.jpg~original

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/kouyo/DSC01314_zps99a39d63.jpg~original

After thoughts: I still do not know the price on this shampoo but it is definitely a quality shampoo. I would imagine it would be pricey to use it in a foam gun. Initial foaming did work really well but not noticeably better than honey dew. The black Hyundai genesis is maintained much better than the silver Hyundai from first review so the layer of dirty was much newer and easier to knock off. I did not notice any dirty film as I performed 2 bucket wash.

Thanks for reading,
Cheers!

[Kacz]

Its $25.95 for 250ml from a US distributor.

[Angus]

Excellent follow up! Thank you for taking the time to write a part 2 and help to answer my questions :props:

[Zelfiris]

Its $25.95 for 250ml from a US distributor.

Thanks, I actually JUST decided to revisit the website and saw the price there. I believe the website has been updated since I started testing their products.

250ml = 8.45 oz according to Google. This means if it was used in a foam gun.. well you would use $25.95 worth of product in a foam gun in about 9 washes.


Excellent follow up! Thank you for taking the time to write a part 2 and help to answer my questions :props:

You're very welcome! I actually asked the owner to come by to do part 2 after your question but I did not get a chance to follow up