GEAR
RANGE OF CAR CLEANERS
POLAR STORM!
Does Autoglym's pressure product stand up to the test and is it worth the extra money?
Autoglym's new Polar Series claims to make cleaning up your pride and joy after a weekend out on the tracks even more straightforward. All you need is a pressure washer.
WHAT IS IT?
Autoglym Polar Series is a three-step wash and protect treatment for your vehicle. What sets it apart from other products is that all three steps are designed to be used in a pressure washer to achieve the best results. The first step is Polar Blast, preliminary snow foam to remove and attack any substantial dirt or muck. It's made to be pH neutral so that it won't remove any existing layers of polish or wax while also clinging to the paintwork longer than regular shampoo. Step two is the Polar Wash, which is a foaming wash, designed to make cleaning off traffic film or road grime easy. It is all new with a lower viscosity formula that makes sure it won't damage or remove any of your previous polishes or waxes on your vehicle. The final step is the Polar Seal; this is a sealer/protectant that ensures the first two steps weren't in vain. Also applied via a pressure washer the Polar Seal covers the vehicle and forms a hydrophobic layer over the surface, protecting it. This results in water beading from the surface and a guard for your high gloss finish.
PRICE
Autoglym's Polar Series is an expensive product not only due to the nature of the Autoglym brand as a premium one but also because of this new to market technology. Such as the low viscosity recipe in the Polar Wash and the innovative Polar Seal formula, a sealant that works when applied via a pressure washer. The innovative technology means that it is in the upper range when it comes to price. The Polar Blast has an RRP of $47.99 for a 2.5-litre bottle, the Polar Wash is $35.99 RRP for a 2.5-litre bottle, and the Polar Seal is $46.99 for a 1-litre bottle.
The idea behind the product is to make cleaning your vehicle quicker and easier by using the power of a pressure washer. Unfortunately, you still need to do some hands-on washing such as some light scrubbing, or agitating, after the second step for it to be effective. You don't have to use all three stages in a row; however, Autoglym does recommend it.
VERDICT
When considering the product, two key questions need to be asked.
Does it work?
Yes, the Polar Series works; the car was clean by the end of the process; however, we feel that step three works better than step one and two.
Would you spend your hard-earned on it?
Yes and no. On the Polar Seal, the sealant and protectant I would, I believe that it's excellent general maintenance to protect your 4WD. For the other two probably not, I'd go one of the cheaper wash and waxes that are available on the market.
OUR THOUGHTS
Rather than just trusting what Autoglym had to say about the Polar Series we put it to the test to see how it fares when it's needed to clean up a 4WD that's been hitting the trails on the weekend. The idea of a full three-step cleaning process all applied through a pressure washer we believe is excellent, because no one likes wasting his or her weekends cleaning. However, when you promise so much, you can sometimes fall a little short. The Polar Blast and Polar Wash worked well loosening off and removing heavy mud and dirt. However, it did seem to struggle when it came to the denser road grime stuck on the vehicle. This meant that it required a fair bit of elbow grease to clean the Amarok thoroughly. That's fine when regularly cleaning your 4WD but for a product that promises so much ease and time saving it was a little disappointing.
What impressed us was the Polar Seal. A sealant/protectant that can be applied by a pressure washer and that works captivated us. From the minute we used it, to hosing down afterwards, the hydrophobic coating of the sealant was already working. The Polar Seal will save you the most time, and although it isn't a replacement for waxing and polishing your vehicle; it's a good maintenance step to look after it between full waxing and polishing. The pricing of the product also disappoints us as although the Polar seal we believe is worth it; we feel you can get as good if not better products for cheaper, that do the same job as the Polar Blast and Polar Wash. For example, Chemtech CT20 is only $42 at Repco for a 5L bottle, considerably dearer than the $48 for the Polar Blast and $36 for the Polar Wash both in 2.5L sizes.
Check out the video to see it in action
GEAR
POLAR STORM!
RANGE OF CAR CLEANERS
Does Autoglym's pressure product stand up to the test and is it worth the extra money?
Autoglym's new Polar Series claims to make cleaning up your pride and joy after a weekend out on the tracks even more straightforward. All you need is a pressure washer.
WHAT IS IT?
Autoglym Polar Series is a three-step wash and protect treatment for your vehicle. What sets it apart from other products is that all three steps are designed to be used in a pressure washer to achieve the best results. The first step is Polar Blast, preliminary snow foam to remove and attack any substantial dirt or muck. It's made to be pH neutral so that it won't remove any existing layers of polish or wax while also clinging to the paintwork longer than regular shampoo. Step two is the Polar Wash, which is a foaming wash, designed to make cleaning off traffic film or road grime easy. It is all new with a lower viscosity formula that makes sure it won't damage or remove any of your previous polishes or waxes on your vehicle. The final step is the Polar Seal; this is a sealer/protectant that ensures the first two steps weren't in vain. Also applied via a pressure washer the Polar Seal covers the vehicle and forms a hydrophobic layer over the surface, protecting it. This results in water beading from the surface and a guard for your high gloss finish.
The idea behind the product is to make cleaning your vehicle quicker and easier by using the power of a pressure washer. Unfortunately, you still need to do some hands-on washing such as some light scrubbing, or agitating, after the second step for it to be effective. You don't have to use all three stages in a row; however, Autoglym does recommend it.
PRICE
Autoglym's Polar Series is an expensive product not only due to the nature of the Autoglym brand as a premium one but also because of this new to market technology. Such as the low viscosity recipe in the Polar Wash and the innovative Polar Seal formula, a sealant that works when applied via a pressure washer. The innovative technology means that it is in the upper range when it comes to price. The Polar Blast has an RRP of $47.99 for a 2.5-litre bottle, the Polar Wash is $35.99 RRP for a 2.5-litre bottle, and the Polar Seal is $46.99 for a 1-litre bottle.
OUR THOUGHTS
Rather than just trusting what Autoglym had to say about the Polar Series we put it to the test to see how it fares when it's needed to clean up a 4WD that's been hitting the trails on the weekend. The idea of a full three-step cleaning process all applied through a pressure washer we believe is excellent, because no one likes wasting his or her weekends cleaning. However, when you promise so much, you can sometimes fall a little short. The Polar Blast and Polar Wash worked well loosening off and removing heavy mud and dirt. However, it did seem to struggle when it came to the denser road grime stuck on the vehicle. This meant that it required a fair bit of elbow grease to clean the Amarok thoroughly. That's fine when regularly cleaning your 4WD but for a product that promises so much ease and time saving it was a little disappointing.
What impressed us was the Polar Seal. A sealant/protectant that can be applied by a pressure washer and that works captivated us. From the minute we used it, to hosing down afterwards, the hydrophobic coating of the sealant was already working. The Polar Seal will save you the most time, and although it isn't a replacement for waxing and polishing your vehicle; it's a good maintenance step to look after it between full waxing and polishing. The pricing of the product also disappoints us as although the Polar seal we believe is worth it; we feel you can get as good if not better products for cheaper, that do the same job as the Polar Blast and Polar Wash. For example, Chemtech CT20 is only $42 at Repco for a 5L bottle, considerably dearer than the $48 for the Polar Blast and $36 for the Polar Wash both in 2.5L sizes.
Check out the video to see it in action
VERDICT
When considering the product, two key questions need to be asked.
Does it work?
Yes, the Polar Series works; the car was clean by the end of the process; however, we feel that step three works better than step one and two.
Would you spend your hard-earned on it?
Yes and no. On the Polar Seal, the sealant and protectant I would, I believe that it's excellent general maintenance to protect your 4WD. For the other two probably not, I'd go one of the cheaper wash and waxes that are available on the market.