Review: Ultima Waterless Wash Plus

[CEE DOG]

Review: Ultima Waterless Wash Plus (UWWP) & UWWP Concentrate

Introduction:
I know some of you don’t have the time and/or patience to read my full reviews but I think this one is worth your time.
When I heard that Ultima had released a waterless wash product I was of course very excited. As a huge fan of Ultima products I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I had been using ONR or OID Quick detailer strength to remove fresh bugs and other undesirables after a drive until recently when Optimum Opti Clean took the place of the previous. I was almost out of my Opti Clean and preparing to order some when Ultima released their new UWWP+. You can purchase UWWP in a ready to use 22 oz. bottle or a 16 oz concentrate. I purchased the concentrate. While you may create a rinse less wash or a clay lube with UWWP I am not personally interested in it for those applications at this time. Due to that and also in the interest of posting this review in a timely manner this review will not include those 2 applications.

Product Descriptions (from AG):
Ultima Waterless Wash Plus+ EASILY and SAFELY cleans painted surfaces, chrome, plastic, glass and wheels without the use of water. No hoses! No rinsing! No drying! This "Boosted by Polycharger™" formula not only cleans your vehicle’s surfaces, it protects them from the harsh elements and harmful UV rays.

Ultima Waterless Wash Plus+ Concentrate is a super hyper concentrate that can be used to make the Ultima Waterless Wash Plus+ spray wash solution or as a no-rinse car wash formula in a bucket. Either way, Ultima Waterless Wash Plus+ will meet and exceed your expectations in cleaning ability as well as slickness and gloss enhancement!

Initial Product Observations:
1.- Manufacturer Claims: True
2.- Packaging: See picture “0.-Product”
3.- Directions: Clear and Detailed (Hint: 1/2 oz. of concentrate makes 22 oz. of WW!)
4.- Consistency: Thin Liquid
5.- Color: Concentrate is lime green (Ready to use solution is basically clear)
6.- Scent: Orange Soda with maybe a hint of juicy fruit (Or maybe its blue slushie with a hint of black licorice)
7.- Concentrate: 16 oz. (creates 5 1/2 gallons of WW) On sale now for 20.99 (Regular 22.99)
8.- Ready to use: 22 oz. ----------------------------------------On sale now for 7.99 (Regular 8.99)
9.- Manufacturer: Four Star Products (Premium Finish Care)
10.-Made in: USA

Additional products used for prep, during application, or removal:
1.- High Quality MF buffing/QD towels

Method of Preparation:
The concentrate bottle is designed with a chamber at the top so that you can direct a specific amount into it and then dump it into the bottle of WW you are creating. I was excited about this until I tried it. I’m ashamed to say I had a little trouble so after shaking the concentrate I simply poured 1/2 an ounce into my measure cup and mixed it with 22 oz. water in the Ultima WW bottle.

Adventures and Experiences:
On the way home from work (on Interstate 4) Tuesday I found myself a few cars behind and one lane over from a dump truck. L I’ve seen stones come out the bottom of the gate on these beasts in the past so I was careful to avoid and stay in the lane to the left. Eventually traffic dictated that I had to pass the dump truck, which of course meant getting closer to it before passing it. As I passed it I saw some type of liquid or a very fine stream of particles seeping from the bottom of the gate. “Good thing I’m not behind it” I thought to myself.
After I got home and pulled Skybaby into the sky cave I did my usually front of vehicle inspection for bugs. Only a bug or two were there, however (as I’m sure you’ve guessed by now) there was a whole different kind of treat sprayed across my beauty. It was only visible from very close but there was some kind of spots of very fine light specs across the entire front bumper. I had a little time to decide how to proceed while I let the car cool for a bit.
After I had finished my chicken marsala I went back out to take a closer look with my LED “miners light”. Upon closer inspection I found that this unsavory material had also found its way across the entire hood, passenger side, passenger side of rear lid, and the rear view mirrors. Arrrrghhhh! Well, at this point it was dark and I had work again early the next morning. This left me with only a couple choices of which I didn’t like any. I could use my OOC, which I’ve used before. I could use my new UWWP, which had coincidentally landed on my doorstep the same day. I could use a rinse less wash. I could wait until early Friday morning to use a regular wash.
Well, I couldn’t bear to leave this substance of unknown origin on the paint any longer and since the UWWP had shown up it seemed to be destiny. As a final check I touched the substance on the vehicle and rubbed it between my fingers. It was very fine and I felt no grit so I decided to go for it. There was one panel with a couple areas that were a little thicker so I went ahead and grabbed the hose. After quickly spraying the dirtiest panel (right there in the garage) I pulled out my UWWP along with the first of 5 towels I would be end up using.
Armed with my LED light strapped to my forehead, I sprayed an area about 2’x3’ and gently wiped the surface. Then I used a fresh towel to dry that area. While using the mf towel hanging from one hand to shield the finished side from over spray, I sprayed the next section (overlapping onto the finished section by about an inch).
I repeated this process across all of the affected areas (switching towels as needed). I cleaned the windshield last and then walked around to check for any streaking or spotting I may have left behind. There were a couple small areas (approximately 3”x6”) where I had either applied too much product or not thoroughly dried. I buffed these areas a second longer and voila, once again all was right in Skybaby world. Approximately 4 ounces of product were used for the process I just described.
Thursday morning when I got to work I had another opportunity to use UWWP. A couple bugs on the bumper as well as a partially dirty rear lid with condensation were the scenes of the application. I used the same application and received the same results. Of note was the fact that I noticed one area on the top of the passenger side door where I had apparently not dried the UWWP on Tuesday night. At this location condensation had collected during the drive in to work. I sprayed once and wiped. Then flipped the towel and dried it (properly this time)

Impressions and Observations:
UWWP leaves a crystal clear and glossy finish. After applying UWWP to the paint I found it to leave the paint very clean and slick. Furthermore the spray head included with the bottle sprays a perfect amount and pattern for my tastes. I found the UWWP solution to be slick when rubbed between my fingers.
At work Thursday I sprayed some on my hand and was messing with it. After about a minute I washed my hand (with water only) and dried it. A couple hours later I went to wash my hands again while my food was in the microwave. After washing and drying my hands (with soap) I happened to touch the palm of my hand with my ring and middle finger of the same hand. Something felt different and then it dawned on me that was where the UWWP had been a couple hours earlier. My hand felt very smooth in that spot. It was pretty neat!
When I had previously used UWWP on the previous two occasions described, I didn’t think it was as slick as FK-425. Obviously these two products serve completely different purposes but I thought FK-425 to be a good measuring stick in the slickness dept.
Friday morning after washing Sky I dried her with my WW towels and to test for slickness specifically I used about 5 different products as drying aids side by side. The UWWP seemed to have the edge this time around. Not sure why I came to a different conclusion (possibly the inclusion of a little water on the paint during drying) but in any case it does leave a slick finish. I washed the underside of my hood and my jambs with UWWP as well and it worked like a charm.

Please see the pictures and rejoin me afterwards to see the listed Pros, Cons, and Summary.


0.- Product





1.- White spots from Dumptruck (Before)




2.- White spots from Dumptruck (Before)




3.- White spots from Dumptruck (Before)




4.- After




5.- Slickness Test Products




6.- Slickness and Gloss




7.- Slickness and Gloss




8.- Slickness and Gloss




9.- Slickness and Gloss (Out of Focus, Sorry!)




10.- Slickness and Gloss




11.- Underside of Hood After




12.- Underside of Hood After



13.- Door Jambs




14.- Under the Hood After





Pros:
1.- Great Looks: leaves a crystal clear and very glossy finish.
2.- Safety: Cleans and protects without scratching
3.- Functionality: Leaves behind a smooth, slick, and protected surface
4.- Price: Especially the Hyper Concentrate - 22$ spent on 16 ounces will yield 704 ounces (5.5 gallons) of waterless wash. That means you can fill that 22-ounce bottle 32 times.
5.- Time Saver: Ease and speed of application
6.- Quality well patterned spray nozzle
7.- Versatility as a waterless wash, rinse less wash, QD, or clay lubricant. Personally as of now my interest in UWWP is as a waterless wash and QD.

Cons:
1.- Uhhh, it doesn’t add any horsepower?

???:
1.- Bias? You guys know I love Ultima right?
2.- Does anybody need some quick detailers? J

Final Observations and Summary:
I really love this product and will be using it often. You won’t find my bottle of concentrate go empty before I order another. I’m hesitant to make comparisons and judgments that I’m not absolutely certain of. However for those who insist on comparisons to other waterless washes I will say a couple things. I haven’t tried UWWP next to the competition on a dirty vehicle in a “side by side” test but it seems that it cleans surfaces a little easier. I also think it leaves a slightly glossier finish on my Sky. That is not a knock on the other products but rather a compliment to the UWWP. As it pertains to UWWP, Ultima does not specifically direct use on auto interiors. However they do state “cleans all surfaces of your car, truck or SUV without the use of water”.

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. That’s it for now, Cheers!

And the Product Links:
Ultima Waterless Wash Plus+ Concentrate, concentrated waterless auto wash, waterless car wash

Ultima Waterless Wash Plus+, Ultima waterless car wash, waterless auto wash, spray wash

[Kurt_s]

Corey,

Another exceptional review. Loved the blue slushie reference....

Sounds like another killer product from Ultima.

[rwright]

Excellent review Corey! I have yet to jump on the waterless wash products. I have ONR but use it for clay lube. I did receive some DP Wash & Gloss from Dubbin1 but still haven't used it. Well that's because I haven't been home so maybe this weekend.

[ScottB]

I cannot wait to try it too ... I love ONR and became a believer and this sounds like another option.

[feslope]

There was one panel with a couple areas that were a little thicker so I went ahead and grabbed the hose. After quickly spraying the dirtiest panel (right there in the garage) I pulled out my UWWP along with the first of 5 towels I would be end up using.
Armed with my LED light strapped to my forehead, I sprayed an area about 2’x3’ and gently wiped the surface.

Hi Corey, I am a little confused here. Did you hose the whole car down first or, just the worst areas? If this is supposed to be a waterless wash why did you feel the need to pre-rinse?

My order is placed.

[CEE DOG]

Corey,

Another exceptional review. Loved the blue slushie reference....

Sounds like another killer product from Ultima.

Thank you Kurt!

Excellent review Corey! I have yet to jump on the waterless wash products. I have ONR but use it for clay lube. I did receive some DP Wash & Gloss from Dubbin1 but still haven't used it. Well that's because I haven't been home so maybe this weekend.

Thanks Richard! I don't use rinsless wash very often but I do occasionally. As far as these waterless washes I'm not planning on using them on real dirty cars. However I now have an excellent option for quickly cleaning my Sky after a drive or after a layer of dust is on there. It's also great for door jambs and any time you need a waterless wash.

Just remember when a car is real dirty you should move on to a regular wash. In the OCC review I did I abused the product for the sake of the review. You should not use a waterless wash for a car as filthy as that one was.

Hi Corey, I am a little confused here. Did you hose the whole car down first or, just the worst areas? If this is supposed to be a waterless wash why did you feel the need to pre-rinse?

Fred, I only rinsed the worst part of one panel. This particular area was covered in thick nastiness. If it had been one of my other cars I would have risked it for the review. Not on my Sky though... Waterless washes are not meant to be used on filthy cars. My Sky hadn't been washed in two weeks even though it had been driven to work more then half of those days. So it had a layer of dust on it and of course the stuff I showed on the pictures. All the areas you see in the pictures and a whole lot more that had specs like that on them along with a layer of dust were not hosed. The area I hosed looked like it had thicker grittier stuff so I didn't feel comfortable washing that specific area with only a waterless wash.

[Dubbin1]

Another great review!!! I'll have to try and pick some of this up if I can find the funds.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

[Rob T]

Thanks for the review Corey.

I guess the obvious question is: how does it compare to Optimum's Opti-Clean?

[Old Tiger]

Another great review Corey. Im glad you validated that it is slicker than anything Ive sprayed on thann just about anything you can spray on a vehicle. Im not sure what to do with my QD selection now. I did a side by side comparison today with OOC. Ultima is slicker on but I couldnt tell much difference after buffing, but I dont see that well so I am not a good judge!

[Old Tiger]

Corey,

Another exceptional review. Loved the blue slushie reference....

Sounds like another killer product from Ultima.

Kurt, we got the Kool Aid on ice for ya buddy! This would be a good start on the Ultima bandwagon!