{"id":19951,"date":"2016-08-16T08:00:55","date_gmt":"2016-08-16T12:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.detailedimage.com\/Ask-a-Pro\/?p=19951"},"modified":"2017-09-14T11:40:57","modified_gmt":"2017-09-14T15:40:57","slug":"22ple-vx-pro-2-1-year-follow-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.detailedimage.com\/Ask-a-Pro\/22ple-vx-pro-2-1-year-follow-up\/","title":{"rendered":"22ple VX Pro 2: 1 Year Follow Up"},"content":{"rendered":"

I make it a habit of doing long term testing on every coating product that we will use here in the shop. \u00a0I like to see how a specific product will perform\u00a0in my exact climate and weather conditions so that when I offer it to a customer, I know it will perform as\u00a0expected.<\/p>\n

I applied 1 coat of 22ple VX Pro 2<\/a> to my vehicle a little over 1 year ago to monitor it’s performance throughout the heavy pollen season in the Spring, the high heat and humidity in the Summer, and the harsh\u00a0salt, ice, and snow in the Winter. \u00a0Since the Midwest has such a wide range of weather conditions, I feel it is a great proving ground\u00a0for coatings. \u00a0When judging the performance of a coating, I am looking at\u00a0the overall gloss and appearance of the coated area, ability to retain hydrophobic properties, and the ease of maintenance washes\/ability to shed dirt easily. \u00a0These are the major benefits that we promote to our customers, so I want to ensure all of our coatings can maintain these characteristics\u00a0throughout the various seasons.<\/p>\n

\"22ple<\/p>\n

In\u00a0the warmer months, I tend to wash my vehicle every 1-2 weeks as time and weather allow. \u00a0If the vehicle is only lightly soiled, I prefer to do more frequent rinseless washes with Optimum No Rinse<\/a> to save time, but will usually perform traditional 2 bucket washes at least once a\u00a0month. \u00a0I often use CarPro Reset<\/a> for these washes as I have found it to have great cleaning abilities, outstanding lubrication, and it does not leave behind any other substances on top of the coating.<\/p>\n

In the winter, when temperatures are often below freezing for weeks at a time, and roads are commonly covered with salt, it is much harder to keep the vehicle clean. \u00a0The slushy, salty mess will cover the vehicle quickly, even with my short commute. \u00a0The sides of the car take the biggest beating here, and the buildup is heavy enough to completely change the color of the car.<\/p>\n

\"22ple<\/p>\n

Since I have an indoor wash bay, I am able to pressure rinse the vehicle often\u00a0to remove the bulk of the accumulation, and I will hand wash the vehicle as needed to keep the paint clean.<\/p>\n

All things considered, routine cleaning is the most important part of maintaining the hydrophobic properties of the coating, so I do my best to keep up with a good maintenance routine throughout the year. \u00a0I consider my maintenance practices to be far superior to most vehicle owners who often neglect to wash their vehicle for months at a time throughout the harsh winter months which can lead to drastic changes in hydrophobic properties due to the contamination and grime on the surface.<\/p>\n

The following video shows the water behavior on the side of the vehicle during a maintenance wash this Spring. \u00a0Notice the water still sheets quickly and easily off of the side of the vehicle despite having gone through months of salty build up. \u00a0This is great!<\/p>\n