Review & Entertainment: Scholl Concept's SW40 Spray Wax

[swanicyouth]

This is a review that's a bit late coming, as I've been playing with this product for a while:



Scholl concepts seems to make 4 products that could be considered a "spray wax". The 4 products are: No Gloss Spray Wax, SW10, SW20 ($17.99 * 500ml), & SW40 ($19.99 * 500ml). The later two seem to be considered "premium" spray waxes, the SW10 and the No Gloss don't seem to be easily available in the USA. SW20 is a spray sealant, as it contains no carnauba. SW40 contains carnauba and polymers, so I would call SW40 a "Carnauba Spray Wax". The SW10 seems to be more of a detail spray with light protection from what I can gather. I choose the SW40 because I tend to like the carnauba containing products. However, emulsified carnauba spray waxes can be streaky on dark paints, or leave what I call "wax holograms" on black paint. In Europe, these products also seem to be available in the 5L size.

Here you can see the 5L size of SW40:



Interestingly enough, Scholl Concepts seems to have 2 websites. One is labeled "EU" (Europe) at the end. The non-EU website is just ".com" and makes no mention of SW40, but mentions the SW10:



Both websites come up for me in English, with the option to switch to German. I find this odd, because the one as I see as the website for North America doesn't mention SW40, and SW40 seems to be around and SW10 not around in NA. I always like to post a product's MSDS in my review of spray waxes, and in typical German efficiency this one is quite complete:

























If you notice on the bottom of page 3 of the MSDS it reads "observe directions on label and instructions for use". That's pretty difficult to do, since the 500cc bottle comes with no directions or instructions for use. Here is the back of the bottle:



The bottle front can be seen above in the first picture. Another thing I learned from the MSDS is "never pour anything in the mouth of an unconscious person". Hmmm. Do they think someone would pour a spray wax into the mouth of an unconscious person?

Basically, what the MSDS is saying is that this product contains no hydrocarbons (petroleum products) or silicone. So, it should be body shop safe. It also says the product should be pretty safe unless you decide to drink it, bathe in it, or spray it in your eye balls. The MSDS mentions that SW40 contains between 1-10% drinking alcohol (ethanol). I'm guessing the exact amount of ethanol is proprietary. But, one has to wonder, if the alcohol in these spray waxes does any damage to the LSP you are using them to maintain. Another curiosity to me is if there is any difference between ethanol or isopropyl alcohol in wax deteriorating abilities.

From my experience (not what I've read online), I find 20% IPA will do some damage to carnauba (non polymer) based "waxes", like Scholl Concepts The Rock and Vintage. Although waxes like these are "carnauba waxes", one never knows what else the manufacturer is slipping into them to boost gloss and durability. So, low percentages of alcohol in spray waxes (most spray waxes) causing damage to your LSP may be a moot point. SC just says their paste waxes contain natural and man made ingredients, along with carnauba. So, who knows what is in them? The waxes I'm testing SW40 on is Bouncer's Capture the Rapture (primarily) and SwissVax Best of Show. I'm fairly confident both those products contain zero polymers.

I'd like to talk a little bit about the SW40s packaging. It comes in a black 500ml bottle . The bottle is unique for a few reasons. First off, it seems to have an expiration date on the bottle:



I've never seen that before on a spray wax. Again, German efficiency. It also kind of puts the concept out there that these products do have a shelf life. Also, the sprayer is unique. It has no on and off switch. No spray pattern adjustment:





In the picture above, you can see where a little blue tab once lived in front of the spray hole. This little blue tab prevents accidental leakage during shipping, the purchaser tears it off. After that, "on" is when you pull the sprayer. "Off" is when you don't. The wax seems to me to have a vanilla smell with a hint of fruit.

The wax sprays out a milky white color, sort of like 2% milk:







However, the actual color of the liquid is a light red. The sprayer works fine for what it's required to do, and doesn't dribble. But, it's not a super fine atomized spray. The product may just be too thick for that. The bottle and sprayer do not leak when shaken, despite the lack of an "off" switch. As you can see, I like to use this product with a Cobra 600gsm purple towel. These are one of the finest towels out there, they work well for everything and are quite durable. They also have microfiber borders, which I like opposed to silk/satin.

This product is a bit on the thicker side as far as spray waxes go, but I wouldn't describe it as unusually thick. It does do that "melt into the paint" thing. However, it's not a real great performer in the sun as it tends to get streaky on hot panels. This product is not for glass. The gloss and general look it leaves it superb. For slickness I'd give it a solid 6.5 (1 lowest / 10 highest). I did notice this wax to be slightly finicky, and a rebuff with a second clean towel may be required on a black car like mine. Possibly, if the sprayer atomized the product better this could be eliminated. But the sprayer is of high quality.

AutoGeek's copy on this product says it lasts "months instead of weeks". However, SC website says it shields your car from the elements for weeks. I'll go with the later, as I didn't notice any crazy durability form this a la Sonax's Brilliant Shine Detailer. Nor did I notice any crazy tight beading. Here is a beading picture of Capture the Rapture about a month old. SW40 was applied about a week and a half prior:



In my experience, that's pretty normal CTR beading after a few washes. So, I'd like to rate SW40 on a 1 to 10 scale (10 being the highest):

Looks: 9

Ease of use: 7

Durability: 6

Slickness: 6.5

Packaging: 8

Cost: 5

Beading/Sheeting: 6

That's my official subjective view on the product. It's a great product, but for $20 for 500cc it's not earth shattering. I plan to save this product for when I get around to trying SC paste waxes, as I think it would work great as part of the manufacturer's maintenance system for their waxes. SC's EU website this product can "fill micro scratches". Good luck there. I don't have any micro scratches to fill, so I can't say how well it does that. However, I can guess. My guess is not very well. A spray wax that hides marring? Doubt it.

This product sort of reminds me of 2 other spray waxes: Griot's Spray On Wax and Dodo Juice's Carnauba Glaze. Both of these products I like just a little better than SW40. The DJ is slightly easier to use and has a awesome atomizing sprayer. The Griots stuff does that "melt into the paint thing" a bit better. Of course this is all my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions. The DJ stuff will set you back about $3 more for an equal quantity, the Griots stuff will cost you a buck less (with sprayer), but gives you a whopping 35oz (1050 mls).

Not like it think it shows much (if anything) about the product- but here are some pictures of SW40 on paint for your entertainment:



Looks like dust, but it's flake:







It won't get rid of factory orange peel:

[swanicyouth]

Look I'm a Pin Head:



Another nice one:



That's all I got. Any comments are welcome: constructive, destructive, slanderous, hateful, or otherwise.



In the Spirit of Scholl Concepts, here are some random pictures I took in Germany a few years ago:

Berlin:









Nuremberg:





Can't recall where (Augsburg?):





Some cars:



Mercedes Museum, Stuttgart:





Berchtesgaden:

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Very thorough review Steve. Never though much about Scholls but I may have to look into them more as I'm here in the fatherland.

[Rsurfer]

Nice review. Need to try some of Scholl's products.

[swanicyouth]

Very thorough review Steve. Never though much about Scholls but I may have to look into them more as I'm here in the fatherland.

Thanks. What are they selling OTC over there? Sonax ?

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Thanks. What are they selling OTC over there? Sonax ?

Honestly Steve I haven't gone anywhere really. On the last leg of un boxing my house. After that then I will go exploring.

[custmsprty]

Berlin at the wall circa 1978, Checkpoint Charlie, the walled off pic, two East German troops with Ak's behind it. The West Berlin subway went through that slice of East Berlin. What amazed me when we left down town W. Berlin on what they call the Kudahm and every one was out shopping, drinking beer etc. In East Berlin it was a ghost town except Karl Marx Stadt where the big TV Tower was. This was hardcore Cold War days. The second pic if you look closely you can see it's actually a double wall, that's no man's land, dogs, mines, tank traps guard towers etc.

Looking from west to east, that wall literally divided families.

[swanicyouth]

^ Awesome. Thanks for the pics !!!!

[custmsprty]

^ Awesome. Thanks for the pics !!!!

I was about 16 at the time and I just remember thinkig how damn lucky I was to be American! I ended up getting a degree in International Studies and US military history. I got to see some pretty cool stuff back then traveling with my dad, he was over there with Pan Am. Once in a lifetime experience.

[Radarryan]

Honestly Steve I haven't gone anywhere really. On the last leg of un boxing my house. After that then I will go exploring.

Please keep us informed when you do!