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Tim Lingor's *New* "Ultimate Protectant" Review!
***Lab Sample P = Ultimate Protectant***
Hey everyone,
When it comes to vinyl and rubber dressings, people are either geared towards a low satin sheen, a high gloss sheen or somewhere in the middle. It must be difficult for manufacturers to create these kinds of products as what makes one person happy will totally disgust another.
Over the years I have used many many different vinyl, plastic and rubber dressings. Two of the most asked questions in regards to these dressings are how it looks on rubber, plastic and vinyl and how durable is it. Some will prefer looks over durability and others will prefer performance over looks. Somewhere in the middle there has to be a compromise.
To give you an idea of just how many products I have and still use, here is a photo to hopefully qualify myself. Just a few! LOLOL
Over the years, I have been privileged to have tested several different Lab Samples from compounds, dressings and sealants/waxes. When this time of year rolls around, I always look forward in seeing what the Meguiar’s chemists have come up with! Hence, this year for 2010 we have a dressing known for now as Lab Sample P!
A few of the Lab Samples….with Lab Sample P at the forefront….
Lap Sample P is an interior/exterior dressing designed for vinyl, plastics and rubber. It has a very similar scent to that of Meguiar’s Quik Interior Detailer which to me is a good thing. One of my pet peeves when it comes to dressings is the scent. Again, some like the hi-tech fruity scents while others like the more old school traditional scents. Me, I happen to like the more traditional scents. However, my favorite interior dressing, Meguiar’s M40 Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner Conditioner has a scent that while smells good to most, is not my personal favorite scent. But the performance of the M40 is more important to me than the smell of the product. It cleans and protects while leaving a nice low satin sheen. Once applied a simple wipe down with a dedicated microfiber towel is all that is needed to knock down that shine a little more, leaving a very clean, like new interior! I use so much of M40 that I always have several gallons of it on hand!
When it comes to exterior dressings, many years ago I did a review on several different products. The then not so well known Meguiar’s All Season Dressing (ASD) from the Detailer Line was a new comer and frankly very few had experience with it. What I discovered after using it over and over is that I developed a method of application which many have adopted for the use of other dressings. I found that by leaving the ASD on the surface for a good 10 minutes and then wiping off the excess with a dedicated microfiber towel that one could achieve an incredible look on all exterior trim and rubber. The shine was even and not blotchy and ASD’s scent just happens to be a scent that I like. The only dislike is that it is a little greasy during application. But once it was allowed to set up, wiped down, you are left with an extremely durable shine that lasts and lasts! Again, I keep several gallons of ASD on hand at all times as I use it extensively for exterior trim and tires.
When I received my Lab Sample P, the first thing I noticed is that it is fairly thick, and a lot thicker than your typical dressing. In the below photo, you can see how thick it is by the way the product sits on top of the foam applicator instead of soaking into it. One of the best ways to apply a dressing is to hold a spray bottle tip up tight to the foam or microfiber applicator and spray into the foam in order to avoid any overspray. But with the thickness of the Lab Sample P, I have a feeling that it will not be in a spray bottle. In fact, one product that is now discontinued but was a favorite of mine, the Meguiar’s M38 Tire & Trim Dressing Gel is quite similar. It came in a 32 oz bottle and was fairly thick. So while it did not have a nice smell like the Lab Sample P, it was also mostly used for exterior trim whereas the Lab Sample P can be used for both interior and exterior use. If this Lab Sample P is similar to the M38, and continues to perform as well as it has, it will be an extremely popular product!
As for whether it will be a professional or consumer based item, that is a tough call. The scent suggests to me that it will be a consumer based item. However, its similarity to the discontinued M38 in the Professional series simply can not be ignored. Either way, I think you will agree once you see the photos and read the dialog below that it will indeed have a place in either series!
In the below photos, you can see that I decided to test the Lab Sample up against 2 very popular products: Meguiar’s M40 from the Mirror Glaze Professional series and the Supreme Shine Protectant from the Consumer series. By comparing 2 different grades of products, it should give a person a good indication of what and/or how a product will perform. For the test, I used a brand new set of foam applicators in order to avoid any cross contamination as well as remove any chance that one of the products skews the results of another product.
Firstly, after taping off the dash into 3 sections, I applied the Lab Sample P to the center section using a new foam applicator. Please note that the product spread incredibly easily. In fact, the thicker consistency once again reminded me of M38, in that it spread evenly across the dash.
I then applied M40 to the left section and Supreme Shine to the right section. After doing so, I allowed each product to set up for approximately 10 minutes. I then went ahead and removed any excess M40 and Supreme Shine as I normally would with a new Supreme Shine Microfiber towel. I left the Lab Sample P to dry longer as I wanted to see what it would look like without wiping it down.
Please note the thin consistency of the M40 and the Supreme Shine Dressing compared to the Lab Sample P above….
Now for the results, the Lab Sample P seems to have slight cleaning properties as evident from the dirt/discoloration on the new foam applicator. The section itself also seemed to be less greasy than the Supreme Shine Dressing and similar to the wiped down M40 section. Wiping down the Lab Sample P area did not appreciably change the feel or sheen though a small reduction was noticed. Therefore, one can surmise that the new Lab Sample P dressing does indeed seem to dry to a less greasy finish and if a towel is used after the fact, the dressing can be brought down to a slightly lesser sheen. The scent of the new dressing is very similar to, although a milder version of, the Quik Interior Detailer scent. To me, this scent is a real winner as it does not over power the interior and yet it leaves a nice fresh scent that simply smells…clean! Overall, an excellent showing from the new dressing!
Please note the cleaning properties illustrated by the discoloration of the pads. Remember, these were clean, brand new pads…
Lab Sample P
M40
Supreme Shine
All of them side by side…
Left = M40, Center = Lab Sample P
Center = Lab sample P; Right = Supreme Shine
To demonstrate the darkening effect of all of the dressings, take a look below. Please note that some manufacturers like to take photos of an untreated area and then the treated area to try and make their product stand out. In reality, while that is slick marketing, each of the products did indeed darken the dash somewhat as evident from the photo where the untreated taped areas remain. Whether or not the new Lab Sample P will hold up for a long time on faded plastic trim, will only be realized once I have had a chance to observe it over the course of the next month. I will do a follow up with before and after photos.
Now, as an exterior dressing, I have tried the Lab Sample P on rubber mats, plastic fender flares, truck box rail protectors and basically anywhere that I can apply the new product. I have washed the areas repeatedly and the product keeps holding up! This tells me that this product should have incredible durability, something that is often lacking in many exterior dressing type products. However, before I can comment further on its exterior properties, more testing is in order and a follow up to this review will be provided. I will not suggest nor guess a product’s long-term durability as I need to see it for myself in an objective and subjective manner. So please look for a detailed follow up once I have had an opportunity to evaluate it thoroughly and fully.
For now, based on this preliminary review, I am extremely pleased and excited about this new product. If the indications I observed above are a reflection of what this product can do, it will be another awesome product from Meguiar’s!!!!
Tim
Hey everyone,
When it comes to vinyl and rubber dressings, people are either geared towards a low satin sheen, a high gloss sheen or somewhere in the middle. It must be difficult for manufacturers to create these kinds of products as what makes one person happy will totally disgust another.
Over the years I have used many many different vinyl, plastic and rubber dressings. Two of the most asked questions in regards to these dressings are how it looks on rubber, plastic and vinyl and how durable is it. Some will prefer looks over durability and others will prefer performance over looks. Somewhere in the middle there has to be a compromise.
To give you an idea of just how many products I have and still use, here is a photo to hopefully qualify myself. Just a few! LOLOL
Over the years, I have been privileged to have tested several different Lab Samples from compounds, dressings and sealants/waxes. When this time of year rolls around, I always look forward in seeing what the Meguiar’s chemists have come up with! Hence, this year for 2010 we have a dressing known for now as Lab Sample P!
A few of the Lab Samples….with Lab Sample P at the forefront….
Lap Sample P is an interior/exterior dressing designed for vinyl, plastics and rubber. It has a very similar scent to that of Meguiar’s Quik Interior Detailer which to me is a good thing. One of my pet peeves when it comes to dressings is the scent. Again, some like the hi-tech fruity scents while others like the more old school traditional scents. Me, I happen to like the more traditional scents. However, my favorite interior dressing, Meguiar’s M40 Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner Conditioner has a scent that while smells good to most, is not my personal favorite scent. But the performance of the M40 is more important to me than the smell of the product. It cleans and protects while leaving a nice low satin sheen. Once applied a simple wipe down with a dedicated microfiber towel is all that is needed to knock down that shine a little more, leaving a very clean, like new interior! I use so much of M40 that I always have several gallons of it on hand!
When it comes to exterior dressings, many years ago I did a review on several different products. The then not so well known Meguiar’s All Season Dressing (ASD) from the Detailer Line was a new comer and frankly very few had experience with it. What I discovered after using it over and over is that I developed a method of application which many have adopted for the use of other dressings. I found that by leaving the ASD on the surface for a good 10 minutes and then wiping off the excess with a dedicated microfiber towel that one could achieve an incredible look on all exterior trim and rubber. The shine was even and not blotchy and ASD’s scent just happens to be a scent that I like. The only dislike is that it is a little greasy during application. But once it was allowed to set up, wiped down, you are left with an extremely durable shine that lasts and lasts! Again, I keep several gallons of ASD on hand at all times as I use it extensively for exterior trim and tires.
When I received my Lab Sample P, the first thing I noticed is that it is fairly thick, and a lot thicker than your typical dressing. In the below photo, you can see how thick it is by the way the product sits on top of the foam applicator instead of soaking into it. One of the best ways to apply a dressing is to hold a spray bottle tip up tight to the foam or microfiber applicator and spray into the foam in order to avoid any overspray. But with the thickness of the Lab Sample P, I have a feeling that it will not be in a spray bottle. In fact, one product that is now discontinued but was a favorite of mine, the Meguiar’s M38 Tire & Trim Dressing Gel is quite similar. It came in a 32 oz bottle and was fairly thick. So while it did not have a nice smell like the Lab Sample P, it was also mostly used for exterior trim whereas the Lab Sample P can be used for both interior and exterior use. If this Lab Sample P is similar to the M38, and continues to perform as well as it has, it will be an extremely popular product!
As for whether it will be a professional or consumer based item, that is a tough call. The scent suggests to me that it will be a consumer based item. However, its similarity to the discontinued M38 in the Professional series simply can not be ignored. Either way, I think you will agree once you see the photos and read the dialog below that it will indeed have a place in either series!
In the below photos, you can see that I decided to test the Lab Sample up against 2 very popular products: Meguiar’s M40 from the Mirror Glaze Professional series and the Supreme Shine Protectant from the Consumer series. By comparing 2 different grades of products, it should give a person a good indication of what and/or how a product will perform. For the test, I used a brand new set of foam applicators in order to avoid any cross contamination as well as remove any chance that one of the products skews the results of another product.
Firstly, after taping off the dash into 3 sections, I applied the Lab Sample P to the center section using a new foam applicator. Please note that the product spread incredibly easily. In fact, the thicker consistency once again reminded me of M38, in that it spread evenly across the dash.
I then applied M40 to the left section and Supreme Shine to the right section. After doing so, I allowed each product to set up for approximately 10 minutes. I then went ahead and removed any excess M40 and Supreme Shine as I normally would with a new Supreme Shine Microfiber towel. I left the Lab Sample P to dry longer as I wanted to see what it would look like without wiping it down.
Please note the thin consistency of the M40 and the Supreme Shine Dressing compared to the Lab Sample P above….
Now for the results, the Lab Sample P seems to have slight cleaning properties as evident from the dirt/discoloration on the new foam applicator. The section itself also seemed to be less greasy than the Supreme Shine Dressing and similar to the wiped down M40 section. Wiping down the Lab Sample P area did not appreciably change the feel or sheen though a small reduction was noticed. Therefore, one can surmise that the new Lab Sample P dressing does indeed seem to dry to a less greasy finish and if a towel is used after the fact, the dressing can be brought down to a slightly lesser sheen. The scent of the new dressing is very similar to, although a milder version of, the Quik Interior Detailer scent. To me, this scent is a real winner as it does not over power the interior and yet it leaves a nice fresh scent that simply smells…clean! Overall, an excellent showing from the new dressing!
Please note the cleaning properties illustrated by the discoloration of the pads. Remember, these were clean, brand new pads…
Lab Sample P
M40
Supreme Shine
All of them side by side…
Left = M40, Center = Lab Sample P
Center = Lab sample P; Right = Supreme Shine
To demonstrate the darkening effect of all of the dressings, take a look below. Please note that some manufacturers like to take photos of an untreated area and then the treated area to try and make their product stand out. In reality, while that is slick marketing, each of the products did indeed darken the dash somewhat as evident from the photo where the untreated taped areas remain. Whether or not the new Lab Sample P will hold up for a long time on faded plastic trim, will only be realized once I have had a chance to observe it over the course of the next month. I will do a follow up with before and after photos.
Now, as an exterior dressing, I have tried the Lab Sample P on rubber mats, plastic fender flares, truck box rail protectors and basically anywhere that I can apply the new product. I have washed the areas repeatedly and the product keeps holding up! This tells me that this product should have incredible durability, something that is often lacking in many exterior dressing type products. However, before I can comment further on its exterior properties, more testing is in order and a follow up to this review will be provided. I will not suggest nor guess a product’s long-term durability as I need to see it for myself in an objective and subjective manner. So please look for a detailed follow up once I have had an opportunity to evaluate it thoroughly and fully.
For now, based on this preliminary review, I am extremely pleased and excited about this new product. If the indications I observed above are a reflection of what this product can do, it will be another awesome product from Meguiar’s!!!!
Tim
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