The Detailing and Car Care products industry is constantly evolving. And Mothers is certainly not resting on its laurels of high-quality car care goods. I use them myself on my own little “fleet” that range from two One-Two year old vehicles that are finished with modern, basecoat/clearcoat paints, to an old German Sports car with nearly 40-year-old original Glasurite single-stage black paint. Not to mention all the glass, rubber, leather, fabric, and black and/or chrome trim that goes with them.
So let me run you through some of their newer stuff and several things that are always in my detail bucket (including my detail bucket):
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From Right to Left, you’ll find Mothers’ newest California Gold Ceramic Wash & Wax washing concentrate liquid. By now you know not to use the harsh grease-cutting soaps from your kitchen on your car (breaks down the wax, dries out rubber and plastic trim, and is hell on your paint). Purposely formulated car wash liquid floats away all the surface dirt and dust and has just enough mojo to work on those bird droppings, getting your car really clean. And this new product smells great and leaves just a hint of ceramic gloss on your paint. Lovely stuff. Next up is something new, both conceptually and developmentally, which Mothers calls Ceramic Spray Rinse. You work it on a wet car, and Mothers swears that it creates a chemical bond with your paint, offering additional protection and a splash more gloss. Disclosure: I’ve not yet personally tested this product on any of my cars yet, so can’t vouch for the claims or the results, but for those of you going “all ceramics, all the time” it’s something to consider and see how it works on your ride. I’ll report back to you when I’ve tried this product out and how it performs.
Next up is a new Exhaust Tip Cleaner & Polish. Lovely stuff for “anything that’s shiny.” Chrome, polished stainless, and the like, but not for pipes and bits that are unfinished or unpolished in their natural state. Mothers says you can use it on your black chrome exhaust tips too. Next over is the new California Gold HydroClay, designed to keep the surface wetter (no matter if you clay as you wash, or use another surface lubricant like a quick detailer spray, such as ShowTime). Think of exfoliating your skin, and that’s what HydroClay does for you’r cars paint, leaving a slick, clean surface ready for polishing and waxing. Next, get rid of that dingy, crappy old wash sponge and get yourself a Mothers Microfiber Chenille Wash Mitt; works just yummy with any of Mothers’ wash liquid products to properly clean your car’s surfaces maximizing the brilliant shine that’s already there, or getting it ready for the buff and polish treatment. I suggest you have two of them; one mitt for your car’s body surfaces, and another for wheels and tires. And don’t forget Mothers Protectant, an old favorite that still great for all of your vinyl and rubber surfaces — don’t forget to use it on your upper dashpad to protect against harmful UV rays that just love to eat (and crack) soft or hard plastic and vinyl.
This photo contains a bottle of Mothers “Concours” low gloss tire treatment (which you can essentially ignore as shown)…Which has been renamed and rebranded as Back-To-Black Satin Natural Matte Tire Dressing. You’ll no longer find Concours in a Mothers Catalog nor on its website — this branding update keeps the product naming in line with all of Mothers Back To Black products and is very descriptive of the look and end result. It’s a low gloss finish that shines without looking greasy and also helps preserve your sidewalls. From there it’s another old favorite, Mothers Waterless Wash & Wax. I have a bottle of this in every car I own and it’s great for on the road touchups or bird strikes. And this stuff is terrific on your wheels and hubcaps: cleans up the brake dust and any other gunk and also leave some protection. Not new, but an oldy but goody which I still find uber useful. And then there’s Back-To-Black Trim & Plastic Restorer. Does exactly what the name suggests, especially helpful on today’s newer cars which often have so much black or body colored trim that will fade and/or turn gray if not kept clean and treated.
Now you may laugh at me showing you a Mothers spec detail kit bucket but trust me; its great, just the right size to carry your detail kit, and comes with a snap-on lid so you can sit on it. Doesn’t hold any more car wash suds that the Home Depot bucket you might be using, but it’s a handier size, and the cover keeps everything inside and offers a handy place to sit while detailing those rocker panels and wheels. The need to shop the Mothers Catalog is obvious, and or visit www.mothers.com, as the highly official Mothers ballcap. Lastly check out those lovely Mothers California Gold microfiber towels — use these, and you’ll never bother with the lightweight microtowels from Costco any more.
That’s the update from our Detail Central Garage — more products from this another other brands to be tested, evaluated, and reported on in the future.
Hey, its Spring — time to get shining.
MS