Off-label use means using a product differently than the directions say. With car chemicals, that can lead to poor results because the product may need specific steps to work right.
It’s a protective liquid you put on your car’s paint. It’s meant to make the paint resist dirt and water, so washing is easier and the finish stays cleaner longer.
McGuire’s is a car-care brand. “Blue Bottle” is the name of one of their coating products, and the host is saying the instructions for it can be confusing.
A spray coating is a protective product you apply by spraying it on. It’s usually faster and simpler than thicker waxes or coatings, but it’s still meant to help protect the paint.
It means using the instructions printed on the bottle. The host’s point is that people often stop there and don’t ask questions if something isn’t clear.
The host says “Formula four spray wax” isn’t really a wax. They claim it works more like a drying product that helps prevent water spots while you dry the car.
An iron remover is a chemical detailing product designed to dissolve iron contamination on the paint, wheels, and glass. It’s commonly used as part of a decontamination step to remove fallout and brake-dust particles that regular washing may leave behind.
A messaging problem is when a product is described in a way that doesn’t match what it really does. The hosts are saying the label misled people about what the chemical was intended for.
The product was labeled like it removes Plasti Dip, but the hosts say that label was wrong. They claim it was really meant to remove iron contamination from the car’s surface.
Eagle One is a company that makes car cleaning and detailing products. The hosts are saying the company didn’t clearly understand or communicate what one of its bottles was actually for.
Here, “friction” means how much the product makes it harder or easier for the cloth to glide over the paint. If it doesn’t provide enough slickness, wiping can be more likely to cause light scratches or swirls.
Turtle Wax is a popular brand that makes car cleaning and protection products. The point here is that their ads may use “tech” wording that can make it confusing to tell what you’re really buying.
Brand
Sarah Cote
Sarah Cote is mentioned as a person who talks about a car-care product claim. The host’s point is that these kinds of “special tech” stories can be hard for consumers to judge.
In car detailing, a polymer is basically a protective coating that bonds to the paint. Products with “polymer” claims are trying to make the paint easier to clean and help it resist water and dirt.
Graphene technology is a marketing term for car-care products that claim to use graphene to improve how the paint behaves. It might help with water beading or protection, but it’s not automatically better just because it’s “graphene.”
R&D just means the work a company does to test and improve a product before selling it. For car products, that can include making sure it works well and is practical to use.
Paste wax is a type of car wax that you rub on by hand and then buff off. It usually takes more time and effort than easier spray-on products, and it may not last as long.
“Gloss Boss” is likely the name of a car detailing product meant to make the paint look shinier. In car care, “gloss” basically means how bright and reflective the surface looks.
Product comparisons mean trying different car-care products in a similar way and seeing which one actually works better. It’s about checking if what the label promises matches what you get.
“Label claims” are the promises printed on the bottle about what the product is supposed to do. The speaker is saying the product might not be exactly what the label makes it sound like.
LIVE
So as I get back into product testing
and trying different products
and really trying to nail down what makes
or I already know what makes
the Jimbo's detailing brand different,
but knowing and then communicating those differences
are two different things
and communicating the differences
is a little difficult for me, right?
And so, but for the past month or three weeks or so,
I've been doing a lot of product comparison videos,
which I personally enjoy doing the most.
I love just liquids.
I know a lot of people like pressure washers,
a lot of people like foam cannons,
a lot of people like,
everyone kind of has their own flavor of what they like
and the one thing that I really enjoy myself
is just liquids in the bottle.
And so I'm very passionate about making different liquids
and making the best liquids to my ability.
And then the ability, of course,
of my chemist and manufacturers
and those relationships that I have,
I'm very passionate about liquid in the bottle.
That's kind of my thing.
And so testing and product comparing
and doing all that is something
that I've done on my channel for a long time.
And also something that I'm looking to bring back.
Now I'm looking in full transparency,
looking to bring it back with a different angle
or a different twist than I used to,
but one reoccurring theme
that kind of kicked all the product testing off
in the first place, I don't know, 67 years ago,
was, and I used to say this all the time,
do the claims on the label match
what the liquid in the bottle does.
And that's where I got a lot of these cheap
versus expensive videos and just kind of started comparing.
And really all I would do is that.
I would see if the claims that were on the label
matched what was going on with the liquid in the bottle.
And what I found out a lot of the times
is that there was two completely different
things going on there.
And then as I worked for a chemical manufacturer
and then I consulted for some global brands
on a global scale and helped them with brand positioning
and helped them with,
hey, we're launching this new product into the market,
but how do we launch it so it doesn't cannibalize
our existing product line or how do we do it?
So I was in those meetings and really worked
for a chemical manufacturer
before I started consulting with a global brand,
really worked with the chemical manufacturer.
And that's really where I started to get jaded
because they were so shady and they just flat out would lie.
They would lie to their customers.
They would lie to the people that they were selling to.
And then ultimately those people would put false information
on the label.
And I really got jaded from that because I just hated that.
Like why lie?
Why not just make a better liquid?
Why do you have to say that your liquid is doing something?
And one of the ones that I saw was Shine Armor
and they were taking a spray wax
and they were calling it something else.
I forget what they were calling it at the time.
And they were diluting a spray wax one to 10
at the blending facility.
And then they were diluting it so much
the color was basically not there and it looked diluted.
So then they would re-diet and add more dye in
to make it look more concentrated.
And I'm just like, why do that?
Why deceive the public like that?
And ultimately I thought, and my feeling was
if you actually had really good marketing
and you had really good liquids in the bottle,
you would explode.
And in fact, I tested this with a couple
of private label clients and it absolutely worked.
I gave them a better liquid in the bottle,
a better price, better customer support
and their brands exploded.
And because their brands exploded,
I did very well in the private label space.
And so from there, that was kind of my experimenting grounds
and that's when I thought, man, I'll just do my own brand.
I never wanted to do my own brand
but there's some complexities with private labeling
and there's basically zero loyalty with private labeling.
So you may have a customer this month and this order
and you might not have a customer next month
or on their next order and that happens.
And so there's no consistency, there's no loyalty
or very little loyalty depending upon the brands
that you're working with.
And so to create some stability in my life,
I realized that I can't just be doing private labeling,
create that stability through creating my own brand.
And so that kind of brings us to present day.
And so as I bring back this product testing,
these product comparisons,
not to bash or put brands down at all,
but to show and use it as an example
of how my product brands are different.
And like I've been showing comparing Wax and Relax,
which is my new product,
to other products in the seemingly same category,
what I've found out and what I'm kind of realizing
is where a lot of the confusion
for the detailing industry stems from.
And I was, this really kind of hit ahead last week
when I did a product,
the Superior Products Formula Four Spray Wax,
which is what it's called.
And I got stumbled on the dilutions.
Now, look, I've been a professional detailer
for more years than it's 18 years or something like that.
I am more than comfortable experimenting with dilutions.
I am more than comfortable with messing cars up.
I do research and development for myself.
I do R&D for other brands.
I'm extremely comfortable being handed a product
that the chemist is unsure what the results are gonna be
and kind of figure that out.
I've dozens and dozens and probably hundreds of times now
I've been handed a liquid in a bottle
and been asked to create dilution ratios,
instructions, directions, all that.
I am more than comfortable with doing that.
When it comes to showcasing this
and doing a YouTube video on this,
especially when it comes to doing it
compared to my own brand,
what I have to do,
have to, I think, to be ethical,
is I have to follow the directions
that the manufacturers are given.
And beyond that, I have to follow the directions
that the manufacturer have readily available to me
so that I take on the approach as a consumer,
not a professional detailer.
Though, like in the Superior Four video,
I will kind of, after I follow the manufacturer's directions,
I will kind of off-label use
and kind of try to figure things out myself
because that's what I like to do.
However, from a starting base,
I have to follow those directions and instructions.
And what I have found out, not just with Superior,
but with many other products,
and I'm reminded constantly of the McGuire's Blue Bottle
hybrid ceramic coating, spray coating, I think it's called,
and they're confusing directions and instructions
and people being confused.
And what I realized is that this is where
a lot of confusion stems from
and a lot of people that are just picking up the bottles
and a lot of people that are watching YouTube videos
and trying to figure out how to detail on their own
get stumbled up because they don't have the experience
that a lot of professionals do.
They don't have that confidence in experimenting.
And so they go off of what the manufacturer recommends
on the label, not calling the manufacturer,
having a discussion, doing all that, who does that?
No 11 comment suggested that in that video,
well, I should have called the manufacturer
and I should have clarified with the manufacturer
about the dilution ratios.
And one that completely defeats the purpose
of a quick and easy to use product.
Two, even if I do that, depending upon who I get
at the manufacturer, they could have different answers.
They could not have experience.
I mean, I've worked at product manufacturers.
If I tried to call them, the chance of me getting
the straight answer is literally 50-50.
Sometimes you just get a front desk person
and they don't have experience with that product
or that product brand has an extensive line
and that person may not have had any experience
with that product or enough experience
or enough experience in the detailing space
or car washing space to be able to troubleshoot
with you on the phone.
It's a total crap shoot.
Even if I got someone good on the phone,
that's just information for me.
Sure, I could put it in a YouTube video,
but that's not sufficient.
The directions on the label need to be sufficient
and or with a QR code to a video, just explaining it.
That's why I, before I was doing these wax and relax videos,
went through pretty much my whole entire product line,
which whole entire, it's only seven products, right?
Right there, right up there.
And I did a deep dive in each and every one of my products
that I then put on the product page
so that you guys would have all the information
is clear as day exactly how to use it
way beyond what's on the label.
And even what's on the label is incredibly clear,
at least the clearest I can make it
for how I think best use case scenarios are.
Obviously with directions and instructions,
you're not gonna be able to figure out
every single use case, right?
I'm not gonna put on the super, super label
that you can put it in your Winch or Wiper Fluid Reserve,
right?
That is an off-label use.
With Tough as Shell, yes, you can use it diluted
one to one as a quick detail spray.
I don't have that on the label
because I give best use case scenario on the label.
This is how I would use it.
Can the super, super be diluted?
Can you use two ounces instead of four ounces
in a foam cannon?
Yes, you can and you could stretch your soap
a lot further, right?
Is that the best use case scenario?
Not in my opinion, so I didn't put it on the label, right?
But when we have confusing directions,
like spray it on a car and rinse it off,
but actually for the foundational layer,
spray it on a dry car and then after that initial layer,
you could spray it on a wet car and spread it with water.
That's a little confusing, right?
Or a one to 10 dilution,
but make sure that you use six to eight ounces.
And it's like, what?
Like, okay, I could try to figure that out.
I can kind of guess,
but this is where confusion happens.
And then what I'm learning is that through this confusion,
everyone, and you can check the comments
on that superior video,
and I'm not picking on superior at all.
It's just the most recent memory for me, right?
Even down to the name.
Formula four, spray wax.
It's not a spray wax.
Everyone in the comments, we all agree it's not,
it doesn't offer protection.
That is not the strong suit of that product.
Again, it is not a bad product.
I had one or two comments of people saying that.
I said it was inferior to wax and relax.
I started out the video by saying
these aren't even comparable products
because they're two different categories,
even though they think they on the surface
seem like it's the same category, right?
Two different categories.
But Formula four spray wax is not a spray wax.
It's actually a drying aid.
It's actually a way to prevent water spots
from getting on your car.
It's a way for, I would just call it a drying aid, right?
It's not a protection product.
It is not a spray wax.
That's where the confusion can start.
I think they have a messaging problem.
I'm reminded a long time ago,
I did a Eagle One,
had a phenomenal, phenomenal iron remover.
Super good, super cheap.
They had a messaging problem
because they called it a Plasti Dip Remover.
Plasti Dip Remover.
It was an iron remover.
The label was totally wrong.
If you could find and shocker,
the product doesn't exist anymore.
Not because the liquid in the bottle wasn't good.
It's because they named it the wrong thing.
They were in auto parts
and the brand Eagle One didn't know
what they had in the bottle,
which seems crazy,
but that is the reality of the situation.
A lot of times, these brands launch products
and they don't even know what's in the bottle.
Or they don't have someone there on their team
saying, hey, this isn't really a spray wax.
This is more of a drying aid.
I think we should hit the drying aid angle.
We should kind of rename this.
And that goes into a whole another thing
that I saw with corporate and companies
is that people are afraid to step up to their boss
and say, hey, maybe the boss named it a spray wax.
Maybe the owner named it a spray wax.
I have no idea.
And so people aren't comfortable, rightfully so, by the way,
going up against that and saying,
and this isn't really a spray wax.
That is friction.
That is risking your job, in a sense, right?
To go against it.
It's much easier just, hey, let's ship it.
Let's go.
And so, but as that trickles down to the consumer,
that gets very, very, very confusing.
And then what we do as brands is we start to tack on
like these technology claims, right?
I always use the one because I think it's a parody
of like disappearing technology, right?
And so whether that's turtle wax calling their
hundred wash technology or whatever,
or Sarah Cote talking about their special polymer
that they react, which may or may not be true, I don't know.
And so we start adding technology claims
on top of those things.
And so that creates even more confusion because it's like,
well, do I want something with graphene technology?
Like, does that do anything?
Just adds to the confusion instead of being very, very clear.
So one thing that I'm dead set on
and one thing I work really, really hard on
part of my R&D process is not only do I want products
to be quick and easy and deliver a great result,
but I don't want you to have to relearn so many things, right?
It's not supposed to take a bunch of work.
I don't believe, some brands do believe this,
that if a product is harder to use,
more people will like it because they think
they're getting a better result, right?
And I think there is some truth to that, I really do.
If the product smells worse,
if it's more difficult to work with,
if you need a certification,
that product is more valuable, right?
However, I just hold the approach
that I don't think that is true.
And I'll use a paste wax, for example.
A paste wax is much harder to use,
much more difficult to use, much more labor intensive,
but you actually get less durability.
You get less benefits of it and it's more work, right?
So for me and my product line,
one of the big overarching differentiators
is you do not need a college degree to know how to use them
or figure out how to use them.
You don't need to call me to figure out how to use them
because I put a lot of instructions and directions
on the label and then every product page
has a best use video, right?
So you can watch the video at your leisure
because part of me thinks
you don't really want to call me either, right?
And so you want to be able to figure that out on your own.
And then I think the product should be so easy
and deliver such a great result
that you want to come back over and
and use the product and not only use the product,
but buy more of the product, buy a bigger size, right?
And I think about it.
I took my truck off-roading this weekend
and it was covered in mud and dirt and gross
and my father-in-law goes,
oh, this dirt is the worst to clean off too.
It just seems like it sticks everywhere
and just a nightmare.
And when I cleaned my truck,
because I used the Super Sober,
because I used Tough Show and Wax and Relax,
because it's coated with a gloss boss, right?
Like I've done a lot of work leading up to it.
It was actually no different to clean my truck
after going off-roading than it was just on a weekly basis
because I had laid the foundation
and I had my systems down
and then I have chemistry and products
that actually deliver, right?
So it was no more work, right?
And so again, I want products that are easy to use,
that is my big differentiator, easy to use.
You don't have to have a college degree
to learn how to use them and they just simply work.
And that's how I think products should work, right?
But what I'm realizing as I do these product comparisons
is that, and it's making it easier for me
because what I'm learning is that
before I just used to take a product for what it is,
oh, it says it's a spray wax, wax.
But as I'm realizing and as I do my research
and as I develop these videos and comparisons,
I realize the product and the liquid in the bottle
isn't always what the label says it is.
And so if I can highlight that,
doesn't make the product bad, let me be clear again,
I don't think Wetco, Protector Wax, Superior 4,
I don't think any of those products are bad at all.
I think they're different.
And so highlighting those differences
is what I'm interested in.
And so I think, and I would encourage brands to kind of,
make sure their directions and instructions
are legit, improved, thorough, right?
Because that will make people get a better,
they won't be disappointed in their product
if they're expecting it to be a paint protection
and then it's not, right?
And so though I don't, my testing isn't perfect,
I will admit that I do do my best,
especially when I'm comparing it to my own products,
to follow the manufacturer's instructions and directions.
And so in doing that, what I found out
is some of these products aren't what they say they are
and that's okay, as long as we can find out
what they actually are, right?
So again, kind of a rant,
but I wanted to get that out there,
I wanted to explain that.
And I think that's where a lot of confusion
in the detailing space comes from,
even when you read the instructions and directions,
people then comment, well, that's not really how you use it.
And it's like, well, how are we supposed to know that?
By doing hours of research on a product?
Why can't the manufacturer,
why can't we put some of the responsibility
back onto the manufacturer to say,
hey, you have plenty of room on your label,
can you just like fill me in a little bit?
Hey, if this is only meant for tunnel washes
and that's why it's not on the shelf,
then maybe we shouldn't be using it in a foam cannon.
Or if we do use it in a foam cannon,
can you tell us best case to use in a foam cannon?
So that we can get a better use out of it,
so that we can get what you expect us to get out of it.
That would be really nice, right?
And it would help cut down the confusion.
I think it would clean up our industry a little bit,
and it would help brands sell more product, I think.
And so, I don't know.
If I'm way off base, let me know in the comments below.
If you're hearing what I'm saying,
let me know in the comments below.
I'd love to hear your guys' thoughts,
feelings and emotions on this.
And with that, I will catch you guys on the next one.
And don't forget, we still have the Wax and Relax
pre-sale going on, shipping probably within a week or two.
But for now, it's still 20% off with Code Relax.
You could go to jimbosdetailing.com,
use Code Relax and get 20% off on that.
Thank you for everyone for the pre-sale purchases.
I promise you're gonna love it.
And with that, I'll catch you guys on the next one.
See ya.
About this episode
The host digs into why detailing products feel so confusing, tying it to label claims, dilution instructions, and vague category naming. After years of testing liquids and working with chemical manufacturers (and getting frustrated by misleading marketing), he says the real issue is that manufacturers’ directions often don’t match how products actually perform—or they’re written for professionals, not DIYers. He cites examples like “spray wax” products that are really drying aids, and highlights how clearer labeling (or QR-linked videos) would reduce confusion.
A lot of products are not actually that hard to use, but the directions, product names, dilution ratios, and marketing make them way more confusing than they need to be.
In this episode, I talk about why simple products like spray waxes, ceramic sprays, drying aids, rinse-off protection products, coatings, and polishes can become confusing for the average customer.
If a product is supposed to be quick and easy, learning how to use it should also be quick and easy.
I also talk about why vague instructions lead to inconsistent results, why calling the manufacturer is not a real solution for most customers, and why brands need to do a better job explaining exactly when, where, and how their products should be used.
Because most customers are not asking for more buzzwords.
They're asking:
Can I use this in the sun? Can I use it every wash? Do I spray it on wet or dry? Do I rinse it off or wipe it off? Can I use it before a coating? Will I overload the paint? What dilution should I actually use?
Detailing does not need to be as confusing as the industry has made it.
