Water Based vs. Oil Based Protectant
October 20, 2009 by Gainesville Detailing
Both water based and oil based protectant work great. Although both of these types of products work well, they work for different applications. You let the situation determine what type of product that you will use and what part of the vehicle it is. Your water based protectants will attract less dust and lint to the surfaces that they are applied. Although water based may attract less dirt and dust it will also wash away a lot faster than the oil based products. This should be taken into consideration when applying products to the outside. For outside trim, tires and wheel well area I prefer to use a good oil based product. Not only will the oil based product provide a nice deep gloss it will also last longer when exposed to the elements. The reason behind this is due to oil not liking to mix with water.
On the flip side this extra long lasting protection is not necessarily needed on the inside. No one wants to have greasy surfaces inside the car. Not only will it look a little off when you touch it, but it will attract more dust and grime than the water based ones. If you are going to use an oil based product then make sure you apply it sparingly. These types of products go a long way. When applying around the console area make sure to be careful by the instrument panel as the product can leave a film and or stain the plastic components. The same precaution needs to be taken when using a water based solution but the staining is not as prominent. Just be careful and make sure you use a clean damp microfiber to wipe up any excess. On the interior I normally err on the side of water based. If you use a quality water based protectant then it will provide long lasting protection and a nice shine. Most water based protectants can be diluted also which is another advantage over the oil based products. If diluting a water based protectant make sure that you shake the bottle prior to each use. Shaking the bottle prior to use ensures an even distribution of the solution.
Both of these water based and oil based protectants can be applied with a variety of tools. I choose to use a quality microfiber. I use a different microfiber for the inside and the outside. Also remember that on the outside the oil based is preferred so we don’t want cross contamination with the water based protectants. There are applicator pads, brushes, sponges, and cloths of all shapes and sizes depending on what they are to be used for. Stay tuned and shortly we will go over all of the different detailing tools and what they can and should be used for. We will also be going over some case studies on different products.
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