A few weeks ago I decided to pick up a bottle of Swift Wipe Waterless Wash by Chemical Guys just to see if it was worth the money. I haven’t used many waterless products on my truck, since I prefer to hand wash everything, so thought it was time to give this one a try.
In this blog post, I’ll share my honest opinion on the product and what to keep in mind if you are planning to use it.
What I like
For starters, I will say that this product does a pretty good job at removing dirt, assuming you spray enough of it on your vehicle. If you live in an apartment without access to water on a regular basis, it’s pretty good if you have a relatively small car. At this price point, it does about all you would want a waterless product to do, which is safely remove dirt and leave a clean looking appearance.
I have used the Armour All ‘waterless’ wipes in the past, and haven’t been all that impressed by the finish. You can’t expect detailer-quality results with these types of products, but this one is pretty good. Here are a few things that I like about it:
Quality of Wash: 7.5/10
On a relatively dirty truck, this product did an okay job at removing dirt as long as the surface was adequately coated. It did take a lot of product to completely clean the different panels on my truck, but it depends on the level of dirt buildup you are working with.
You will need to have several microfiber cloths when using this stuff, which helps to lift the dirt stead of just sliding around.
Price: 8.5/10
As for the price, it was pretty reasonable I must say for a waterless product. Not the cheapest, but not outrageous either. I purchased the 16 ounce spray bottle for around 10 dollars on Amazon.
They also make this product in a 64 ounce jug for slightly over 20 dollars that I would highly recommend if you plan on using waterless products pretty frequently.
Shine: 8.5/10
This product does have some gloss enhancers that I do like, that actually makes my truck look pretty reflective, glossy, and well…clean. Many automatic washes simply do not do this, no matter what wash package you may select.
The waxes and glosses simply just aren’t that great if you frequent car washes, but the one thing that this waterless product has going for it is the shine. It’s pretty slick to the touch and contains a sealant which reflects quite well for an all-in-one type of product.
Smell: 10/10
So a very trivial thing, but this product smells great. Probably better than any other cleaning product I have used. It’s got an almost tropical aroma that won’t overwhelm you if you are applying it in a garage.
Other similar detailing products have a very odd industrial smell, but this one is not that.
Protection: 8.5/10
Believe it or not, the sealant in this product lasted a lot longer than I expected as compared to a clean, waxed vehicle. It probably lasted over a week (under normal driving conditions) before I started to notice a lot of dirt buildup.
What Could Improve
The only complaint I really have about this product is the size of the bottle it’s sold in. If you drive a relatively larger car (or a truck like I do), you can expect to probably use the entire bottle if you want a truly ‘waterless’ wash experience.
The dirt comes off, but to avoid scratching your paint I would use a healthy amount to provide the lubrication needed.
What to Keep in Mind When to Using this Product
The truck I used this product on is nearly 10 years old, so I wasn’t super concerned about scratching it. I’ve paint corrected it several times, so any micro-abrasions aren’t really huge fear of mine. However, I would not recommend using this product on high end or luxury cars, since you run the risk of scratching the paint if you pick up a loose rock.
When to Use it
I probably won’t use this product as a standalone product if you expect to clean everything. My truck gets rather dirty, and sometimes it just doesn’t make sense to expect a waterless spray to remove everything (especially if mud is caked on).
If you park your car in a garage at night (and it never gets too dirty on the way to work and back), this could be a great solution.
I would however recommend you use this product in between washes, in addition to using an automatic wash (if you do that), or if you miss a spot when washing your car yourself. It really does a pretty good job, but should you expect it to effectively clean greasy rims caked with brake dust? No.
My Overall Rating: 8/10
Overall, I would give this Swift Wipe Waterless Wash product an 8/10 rating based on my expectations for it. I tend to wash and wax my truck on a decently frequent basis by hand with a hose, and sometimes notice that I missed a spot a day or two later. This is usually the only time I use it, just to touch up spots.
You can find this product on Amazon, Walmart, and just about anywhere Chemical Guy products are sold. Give it a try, and tell me what you think!
Had to chuckle at your comment about the smell. Seems I find myself consistently purchasing chemical guys products because of the smell. They seemed to have hit the right chord – at least with me and obviously you. I wonder if my assessment of their products is biased now because of the smell.